Tourism Minister Concerned About Low Repeat Visitor Numbers

On Wednesday, Minister of Tourism and Aviation Neko Grant, said these figures ought to make Bahamians "very concerned about why many visitors are not coming back to The Bahamas, especially Nassau and Paradise Island."

Mr. Grant said he is committed to increasing the repeat visitor rate of Nassau and Paradise Island.

"Imagine how much better off the industry would be if Nassau and Paradise Island and a rejuvenated Grand Bahama Island enjoyed repeat business at a level comparable to those in our Out Islands," said Mr. Grant, who held a press conference at the British Colonial Hilton Hotel in downtown Nassau.

"We must ask ourselves, what are the things that we’ve not been doing that we can be doing, and that we ought to be doing to cause more, if not all our visitors to come back to The Bahamas as repeat visitors?"

Mr. Grant said because tourism is the country’s number one industry, Bahamians should consider how important each individual’s role is in the tourist experience in our country.

"Our successes in the tourism business define the successes that will be enjoyed in the other sectors of our economy," he said.

Mr. Grant restated the FNM government’s commitment to increasing the level of Bahamian ownership of tourism-related enterprises, and he said the government will implement a policy to empower Bahamians to participate in the industry.

"We will require of foreign investments the maximum use of Bahamian-produced materials, and we will also place special emphasis on further development of tourism and hospitality education and training," he added.

He said the global environment of tourism has become increasingly more competitive, and Bahamians must have an understanding of the tourism business, which should be demonstrated on a daily basis.

" We will embark on a campaign of this kind of national awareness, and will undertake a sustained beautification and anti-litter initiative throughout our islands," he said.

"We must remain resilient to the threat of increased global competition and even closer to home the lingering threat of Cuba whenever the travel restrictions of today are lifted."

Mr. Grant said immediate attention will be paid to the Family Islands to create a more business approach for small hotels and cause for improvements to airport facilities.

"We expect to add entertainment programmes that will help us further enhance the experience of our visitors," he said.

"This is essential to ensure the success of our Out Islands."

Mr. Grant also said that he doesn’t think it takes a lot of money to fulfill the promises made for the tourism sector; it just takes a lot of creativity.