FREEPORT – The future of Grand Bahama’s tourism industry looks very bright says Tourism and Aviation Minister the Honourable Neko C. Grant.
Mr. Grant, who is also the Member of Parliament for the Lucaya Constituency on Grand Bahama was on Friday meeting with executives of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce along with senior tourism officials from Grand Bahama.
He had officials from his Ministry touch on several topics including the Royal Oasis deal, new cruise development and attracting low cost carriers to the island.
Mr. Grant told members of the media following the meeting with the G.B. Chamber at the Office of The Prime Minister in Freeport that the gathering provided them with an opportunity to discuss matters of mutual interest.
He said that the Chamber has invested in a program which has been dubbed “Magic” which is geared towards improving customer service.
“We feel that it is a program that we could endorse as we at the Ministry of Tourism is very, very concerned at the level of customer service here in Grand Bahama and throughout the Bahamas,” Mr. Grant said.
Chamber President Mr. Christopher Lowe explained that they are looking at various programs to be embraced by many of the companies in the private and public sector so that they could assist “in the improvement of our customer service aspect as they relate to tourism and our presentation of our tourist products.
“At the same time we want to make sure that we co-inside with initiatives that the Ministry of Tourism is putting together and they are appraising us because that product affects all of us irrespective of whether you are in the frontline tourist business or in one of the many support businesses. So it is our best interest to join forces and explore all of the possibilities we can to really produce a dynamite product,” Mr. Lowe said.
Continuing Mr. Grant invited the Senior Deputy Director for the Ministry of Tourism, Mr. David Johnson to share some remarks on Grand Bahama’s Tourism future.
Mr. Johnson began saying that “there is no doubt that future of Grand Bahama’s tourism is about to take off.
“But in the very short term, that is in the next eighteen to twenty-four months we need to focus on those things that can make the difference in the short term, while the longer term developments take hold. And our Ministry’s focus will be on making those short term initiative happen and to convert those as early as this coming Fall/Winter period,” Mr. Johnson said.
According to the veteran tourism executive one of the first initiatives they have undertaken is to restore to Grand Bahama Island low cost or low priced airlifts from the main originating market for Grand Bahama, that being the Fort Lauderdale gateway.
He predicted that “Grand Bahama will once again be extremely competitive and be a market leader out of the South Florida gateway to The Bahamas with low cost airfares.
“We have committed to announcing that with a strategic partner within a matter of days so I will not pre-empt that announcement, as it would be improper for me to do so. That would be your next story,” he told the media.
Continuing Mr. Johnson said that “the second initiative they we are undertaking besides re-positioning Grand Bahama to not just the South Florida market, but some thirty of forty markets via Lauderdale is that we have to from a development point of view ensure that Grand Bahama becomes what it can be, one of the most competitive cruise destination in this part of the world.”
The tourism executive said the island is already blessed with a location and has a unique advantage to ports that are north of Fort Lauderdale such is Port Canaveral, Jacksonville, all the way up to the east coast. He said all pass right along Grand Bahama.
Focusing on a new cruise port for the island Mr. Johnson informed that they have a strategic partner who will be meeting very shortly with the Tourism Minister to “secure and nail down in partnership with entities on Grand Bahama a site and a commitment that can cause for this facility to be available and receiving customers within a twenty-four month period.
“That is one of the most significant priorities for us in the short term. It requires an input of about $75 to $100 million but will create output in excess of $100 million each year.
“And it has the ability to cause cruise tourism to move from the three to four hundred thousand plateau that we at today, to the 1.2 million within the first eighteen months and exceeding two million within a two to three year period,” he said.
According Mr. Johnson that is initiative that will also cause for spending “that will be in the hands of the persons in Grand Bahama that have not received that boost. That is those in the tours, transportation, retail vendors, restaurant etc.”
The third initiative as outlined by the tourism executive is the joining hands by the Ministry of Tourism with the Harcourt Group which have taken step to acquire the Royal Oasis property.
He explained that the company already has some 14 acres of beach front property that is adjourning to the Royal Oasis by way of Bahamia.
“They have a very compelling and master plan development project that will integrate the beach into what is the Mall and Royal Oasis and produce a new product and a new experience.
“We anticipate that within eighteen months a first phase of that can be available to receive visitors and breath life into an area that has been obviously without no life, since the hurricanes, for the last three or four year,” he said.
Continuing Mr. Johnson also informed that they are working with the operators of the Our Lucaya Resort to help them improve their occupancy level and their marketing.
He said overall they want to bring a strong new focus to marketing Grand Bahama and more importantly delivering on a very attractive and winning formula for visitors to the island.
Mr. Johnson also informed that they recently met with the Isle of Carpi group at the Westin and Sheraton at Our Lucayan and they have a renewed interest in staying in Grand Bahama.
