A vision for the tourist industry
WELCOME BAHAMAS - NASSAU, CABLE BEACH & PARADISE ISLAND - 2004
A vision for the tourist industry
Tourism minister vows to remove "slow period" from Bahamian vocabulary
Obie H Wilchcombe wants to banish the term ?slow period? from discussions about tourism in The Bahamas.
To do that, Wilchcombe ? the Bahamas? dynamic Minister of Tourism ? has launched a multi-million-dollar promotional programme that re-brands The Bahamas as a multitude of vacation experiences, not merely the ?sea, sun and sand? package that characterizes most Caribbean holidays.
?The charge of my ministry is to increase airlift, tap new markets and to execute an effective goal-oriented, online and offline strategic plan that will fill our hotel rooms and ensure that The Bahamas enjoys year-round advertisement,? says Wilchcombe.
Tourist arrivals were more than 4.6 million in 2003, a modest increase of 4.3 per cent over the previous year. But the numbers revealed an interesting trend, one that pleased Wilchcombe. Visitors to the Out Islands (all islands except New Providence and Grand Bahama) totalled 1.3 million, a satisfying increase of nearly 12 per cent.
Many different islands
The Tourism Ministry expects this trend to continue as the result of a $5-million national advertising programme that emphasizes the idea that The Bahamas is not one but many islands, each one different from the others.
What The Bahamas wants, Wilchcombe told delegates to the ruling Progressive Liberal Party?s (PLP?s) annual convention in November 2003, is to make The Bahamas ?a tourist Mecca, a vacation dream with enchanting civilization-to-civilization experiences.?
Many of those experiences will take place at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island, with its huge casino, world-famous marine habitat and other attractions. To these, Kerzner International is adding, among other things, 1,200 new rooms, a dolphin encounter facility, four new restaurants, additions to the Atlantis timeshare project and a second 18-hole golf course. All this will cost $600 million and bring the company?s total investment in The Bahamas to $1.7 billion.
Hotel improvements
Other hotels in Nassau and Paradise Island are also sprucing up. Along the Cable Beach strip, the Radisson Cable Beach & Golf Resort renovated its 18-hole golf course in 2003. While golfers head to the course, gamblers flock to the Crystal Palace Casino. At SuperClubs Breezes, Bahamians, as well as tourists, buy day passes to enjoy great food and aquatic sports. Breezes is an all-inclusive resort that offers a variety of activities and entertainment, including a climbing wall, a trapeze on the beach, stage shows and disco dancing.
Sandals Royal Bahamian, which recently completed renovations to the main entrance, boasts a world-class European spa, eight gourmet restaurants, seven pools and a magnificent private offshore island with two beaches, a pool and a restaurant.
Out west, The South Ocean Golf & Beach Resort is renovating its 18-hole golf course and plans to improve the lively pool area on the beach.
In the centre of the city, the historic British Colonial Hilton has rewritten the menu at its Portofino Restaurant. General manager Michael Hooper of the Hilton is the most recent winner of the coveted Cacique Award for Hotelier of the Year.
New Out Island resorts
Investments are pouring into the Out Islands. The newest addition to the Four Seasons chain is an exclusive resort at Emerald Bay, Exuma, which opened December 16, 2003. With 183 rooms, an 18-hole golf course, full-service spa and 17-acre marina, the $300-million investment is the largest in the Exumas.
British developer Peter de Savary reported in February 2004 that his ultra upscale resort at Winding Bay in Abaco was ?dead on schedule? for an opening later in the year.
In Freeport, Minister Wilchcombe was on hand to open the new Isle of Capri Casino at Our Lucaya, saying that ?Grand Bahama?s time has come.? The 38,000-sq-ft casino employees 320 people.
?Our government is committed to the Family Islands, said Minister Wilchcombe, who is also the elected representative for West End in Grand Bahama and Bimini. ?My ministry is boldly challenging the status quo and moving with resolute haste to improve our product, and market all islands of The Bahamas.?
Grand Bahama, while serving as home to major resort chains, such as Westin, Sheraton and Crowne Plaza, is also poised for success outside of the hotel industry, says Willie Moss, president of the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA). According to Moss, the group?s focus for development lies in real estate development, tourism, business services and industry, with considerable resources geared toward maritime services.
The GBPA also plans a $10-million renovation of its cruise ship terminal to accommodate an increase in ship calls, as a result of Carnival Cruises increasing its travel to Freeport by 100 per cent, as well as the addition of Royal Caribbean Cruises to the Freeport schedule.
Moss also highlighted the GBPA?s plans to develop a 700-acre ?sea/air business centre,? drawing largely on the proximity of Freeport Harbour to the Grand Bahama International Airport.
Out Island promotion
Above all, Wilchcombe says his government ?is committed to the Family Islands.? Senior Director of Family Islands at the Ministry of Tourism, Angela Cleare, says the Ministry has adopted a 14-point plan for improving visitor experiences, including a National Family Island Development Plan and the promotion of a ?signature event? for each island.
?We are determined to improve the experience of our visitors,? says Wilchcombe. ?We are determined to improve the Bahamian character? and we are determined to improve the environment in which our tourism industry operates.?
To do that, Wilchcombe launched a new domestic campaign aimed at tourism awareness and involvement, themed Give More In 2004. ?Give more,? says the Minister, ?not only to our visitors but also each other. (The campaign) is rooted in a message of love and positive attitudes and reminds us of the importance of tourism to our growth and to our prosperity.?
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