The Tribune

By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

THE Government has confirmed that long-promised cooling units for Nassau’s Downtown Straw Market have arrived on-island, with plans underway to install and activate them in a bid to improve the ambience for clients and boost vendor sales.

Leslia Miller-Brice, minister of culture, arts and heritage, said one of the units has already been tested as the Government moves to address the market’s long-standing heat and lack of air conditioning, which vendors have warned is discouraging tourists from shopping.

“So the units are here,” Mrs Miller-Brice said. “They are on the ground. One of them was tested on Saturday, but we’re working to try to figure out logistically how we’re going to make it work to ensure that tourists stay in the market much longer to shop because that is the challenge.

“The vendors are bearing with it, but it’s the tourists that we want to walk into the market to have a good experience while they’re there. The cooler it is, the more they will shop. And so that’s important because I want more revenue to be left in the market once tourists leave.”

Mrs Miller-Brice’s comments come after Straw Market vendors raised concerns that the intense summer heat is causing visitors to leave shortly after entering the facility, limiting the time they spend browsing and reducing opportunities for sales.

Celestine Eneas, president of the Straw Vendors Advancement Association, previously told Tribune Business that the market continues to attract tourists but vendors are struggling to convert that foot traffic into spending.

“When they do come in the market, and they feel the heat, they get out as quick as possible,” Ms Eneas said. “We have a lot of tourists that are coming, but they’re not spending. See, that’s the problem.”

She added that vendors have been forced to use multiple fans to make their stalls more tolerable, with overheated visitors sometimes gathering around them simply to cool down rather than shop.

The heat has also contributed to vendors closing their stalls earlier than the market’s official operating hours, further reducing their opportunity to generate income.

Against that backdrop, Mrs Miller-Brice said improving the visitor experience is a priority because of the direct link between tourists’ time inside the market and the amount of money ultimately spent with Bahamian vendors.

The Government’s approach to the facility is also expected to take shape following the appointment of an executive chairman, Joseph Johnson. “There’s now an executive chairman that just came into play,” the minister said. “So we can definitely give further plans once the executive chairman has taken his official position, and we will then chart the way forward.” 

Mrs Miller-Brice said she has already been meeting with vendors to hear their concerns and identify issues that need to be addressed. “I have been walking around the market, and I have spoken to a number of vendors,” she said. “They’ve given me what their concerns are, and my permanent secretary and I are addressing them one by one.

“But once the executive chairman has been officially appointed, I’m sure that we’ll all work together along with the general manager who’s there now. We’ll all work together to make the market better.”

The Straw Market was previously under the Ministry of Works before responsibility was transferred to the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, leaving vendors seeking clarity on the future of the facility and the timeline for the cooling project.

The installation had been especially anticipated as vendors contend with growing competition from other retail locations, including shopping outlets at Nassau Cruise Port, where tourists can purchase souvenirs without necessarily visiting the Straw Market.

Ms Eneas has argued that improving conditions inside the market is critical to maintaining its appeal as a traditional stop for visitors. And for Mrs Miller-Brice, the objective extends beyond simply making the market more comfortable.

“The cooler it is, the more they will shop,” she said, stressing the Government’s desire to ensure more tourist spending remains with Straw Market vendors and, by extension, within the Bahamian economy.”