Tourism numbers rise

Some excellent news, according to the latest Central Bank report, Visitor performance in the first half of 2011 experienced an upturn, with total arrivals increasing by 14.8 percent up to April. The latest figures were found in the Central Bank’s Monthly Economic Financial Developments (MEFD) June report, which also further revealed the uptick in air and sea travel.
“In April, total visitor arrivals firmed by 14.8 percent, buoyed by a 2.8 percent hike in air arrivals — the first monthly increase for the year — and steady gains in sea visitors of 19.2 percent,” the report stated.
“All of the major destinations recorded improvements, with total arrivals to New Providence up by 6.1 percent and double digit gains in both Grand Bahama and the Family Islands, of 16.1 percent and 29.8 percent, respectively.”
The first half visitor performance also translated into increased hotel revenues for local properties, with Frank Comito, the Executive Vice President of the Bahamas Hotel Association (BHA), saying the 5.8 percent growth in room rates could be attributed to the busier travel period and various tourism initiatives.
“For the first half of the year, we’ve continued to show marginal improvement in occupancy and slightly better improvement in room rates,” Comito told Guardian Business.  “A late easter, a stronger spring break business, continued improvement in group business and the Fly-Free and other promotional campaigns all contributed to marginal increases.”
Comito’s comments come after various hotels in Nassau and Paradise Island collectively posted the highest occupancy levels since 2008, recording an 80.1 percent rate in the first quarter of 2011 according to BHA President Stuart Bowe.
Occupancy levels experienced a small growth of 0.2 percent to 61.1 percent in the second quarter of this year, with the average daily room rate rising 5.4 percent to $219.86.  Comito mentioned that he is optimistic that the summer numbers will be equal or better than last year despite the recovery stage hotels are in locally and globally revenue-wise.
“Thus far, we are anticipating the summer will be on par or slightly better than 2010 occupancy-wise,” he said.  “We expect there to be stronger performance in room rates, still below pre-recession rates, as hotels in The Bahamas and worldwide continue to struggle to improve revenue.
“We are optimistic that we can at least maintain the increases which we realized in the fall of 2010 and build on that.  With advanced bookings, particularly in group business, we are encouraged.”

Bahamas sees hike in cruise visitors

By ALISON LOWE
Tribune Business Reporter

The first ten months of 2010 saw Grand Bahama experience a 40 per cent hike in visitor arrivals, according to the Central Bank of the Bahamas, which also highlighted increases of 8.3 per cent and 14.9 per cent for New Providence and the Family Islands respectively.
Grand Bahama's boost came "entirely" because of the 55.1 per cent rise in the number of cruise visitors coming to the island in the period leading up to October 2010.
Meanwhile, New Providence's increase was made up of a 4.1 per cent rise in stopover visitors and a 10.8 per cent jump in cruise arrivals.
The Family Islands saw a higher 13.5 per cent rise in stopover visitors and 15.1 per cent rise in sea arrivals.
The Central Bank's December 2010 report suggested that based on these figures, tourism sector output had "improved steadily".
Hotels in New Providence and Paradise Island reported that revenues rose 6.2 per cent year-over-year, while average occupancy rates increased by 1.7 per cent to 62.6 per cent and average daily room rates rose by 1.9 per cent of $231.96.

GB tourism performs 'fairly well' despite air arrivals decrease

Tourists in Port Lucaya

FREEPORT - Despite a significant decrease in air arrivals in 2010, Grand Bahama's tourism industry has performed "fairly well," according to officials.
Tourism officials reported that the drop-off in air arrivals had a significant impact on the overall tourism figures for Grand Bahama, which fell short of the one million visitor mark.
However, Tourism Director General David Johnson noted that the increase in cruise arrivals and cruise stop-over arrivals has made up for the loss in air arrivals.
"Given the state of the industry overall, I can say that Grand Bahama had a fair performance," he reported to the media.
"We are not celebrating profits and any strong growth, but Grand Bahama has survived and been able to hold its own by holding the industry at current levels under very difficult circumstances."
The tourism executive said that demand drives airlifts, and the Grand Bahama tourism product has not been competitive enough to create a turnaround.
Mr Johnson told ZNS radio that his ministry is now seeking to come up with a strategy to differentiate Grand Bahama from other islands in the Bahamas by marketing it as an "all inclusive" destination.
"The all inclusive concept seems to be thriving. It is one area we should continue to explore.
"If you can imagine an all inclusive offer in Grand Bahama where (persons) are not confined to one hotel as in Jamaica and other places, and are able to roam between 10 to 20 restaurants at various properties and facilities through the island, that, I think, would be a strong differentiation for Grand Bahama.
"And all of the properties would benefit tremendously from it if they can execute it well enough.
"We are resuming our efforts to come up with a very effective execution of that strategy, that is the most immediate task we are taking on for 2011," he said.

Bahamas sees record arrival numbers

Randy Holmes of Canada will be recognized as the country's 5 millionth visitor. Pictured (from left) are Marilyn Fernander of Bahamas Customs, Randy Holmes his sister Liana Holmes, and Ministry of Tourism & Aviation representatives Betty Bethel and Terrance Roberts. (Photo: Andre Cartwright/Ministry of Tourism)

FREEPORT, Grand Bahama -- The Bahamas recorded 5 million visitors Saturday for only the second time in history, and the country is on track to receive the largest number of visitors in its history as well.
Minister of Tourism & Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace announced the milestone Sunday as he explained a process to recognize and award the 5 millionth visitor. Since the Bahamas has as many as 20 ports of entry into the country, and the arrivals process is not fully automated, it is impossible to tell exactly which visitor became the 5 millionth, Minister Vanderpool-Wallace said. As a result, the Ministry of Tourism & Aviation initiated a process to identify a person to be recognized as the 5 millionth visitor.

Throughout the Bahamas, arriving visitors were selected as candidates to be the 5 millionth visitor on Saturday – the day when statistics showed that the 5 millionth tally would be achieved. Through random drawing, Randy Holmes of Vancouver, British Colombia. Mr. Holmes and his wife were selected when their American Eagle flight arrived in Grand Bahama at 11:45am Saturday.

“We expect that by the end of this year, we will be beyond the numbers we had the first time around, and we are delighted to have this year, the largest number of visitors ever,” Minister Vanderpool-Wallace said.

Although the record number of arrivals has been achieved, the Bahamas still has much work to do to ensure that economic conditions are sustainable, Minister Vanderpool-Wallace said. He said most of the growth was in cruise arrivals. When looking at tourism development, destinations concentrate on growing high-spending stopover visitors, he said.

Minister of Tourism & Aviation Vincent Vanderpool Wallace selects Randy Holmes as the 5 millionth visitor of The Islands of The Bahamas for 2010. Also pictured are Basil Smith, chief communications officer of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (left), and Raymond Francis, executive director of the Bahamas Out Islands Promotion Board (right). (Photo: Derek Smith)

Minister Vanderpool-Wallace said that total arrivals by the end of the year are expected to be about 14 – 15 percent ahead of last year’s total. Stopover visitors would have grown about four or four and a half percent, he said.

However, Minister Vanderpool-Wallace also pointed out that 70 percent of cruises to the Bahamas only visit the Bahamas and no other destination. He said that this was an important source of business for many small businesses, and the healthy cruise arrivals are also providing more business opportunities for Bahamians, especially in tours and attractions.

Caribbean tourism once again on growth track

Photos © Lyndah Wells-

Resorts such as Taino Beach on Grand Bahama Island are expected to see a better year ahead.

By MIMI WHITEFIELD

mwhitefield@MiamiHerald.com

After a bleak 2009, the sun has started to poke out from the clouds in most Caribbean tourism destinations.

Visitors from the recession-weary U.S. were up 6.5 percent during the first four months of this year and most destinations are once again on a growth track, according to the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization.

Arrivals of tourists who stayed longer than just for day trips began picking up in the fourth quarter of 2009, but they were still down 3.6 percent for the year and hotel occupancy fell by 4.1 percent.
Leading the way in the recovery are Jamaica, where arrivals were up 7.3 percent from January to April, the Dominican Republic, up 2.5 percent with 2.2 million arrivals from January to June, and the Bahamas, where tourism stopovers were up 1.6 percent, according to CTO data.

 Photo © Lyndah Wells

Resorts such as Taino Beach on Grand Bahama Island are expected to see a better year ahead.

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Cuba, the No. 2 destination based on number of arrivals, welcomed 1.22 million visitors in the January to May period for a 1.2 percent increase.

The trend was especially noticeable in the Eastern Caribbean, which depends more heavily on European tourists than northern Caribbean islands closer to the United States, said Winfield Griffith, director of research at the CTO.
It appears visitors also are keeping a tighter grip on their wallets.
``Travelers are proceeding with a great deal of caution when it comes to spending because of the global economic crisis,'' said Griffith. ``From what I can glean, I would say spending is down about 5 percent.''
One reason is that during the downturn many hotels and airlines discounted prices. But as the economy recuperates, Griffith said he expects prices will too.
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Tourism chief: It's better in the Bahamas-visitor arrivals were up 10%

Stock images ©2010 Lyndah Wells

By: Gay Nagle Myers

There's reason for optimism in the Bahamas right now. For starters, overall visitor arrivals were up 10% in the first quarter of 2010 over the same period in 2009.

"There's a rebound, we are improving and we can take a deep breath again," said Vernice Walkine, director general of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.

"We are seeing pent-up demand translate into real-time travel, we have some great deals on the table and we have airlift that matches customer demand," Walkine said.

American Eagle, BahamasAir, Continental Express and Delta recently added flights from the U.S. mainland to Nassau, Freeport and the Out Islands, according to Walkine.

Officials appear to have gotten a handle on crime against tourists in Nassau, following armed robberies of several cruise passengers last fall. 

Stock images ©2010 Lyndah Wells

"We are pleased with the measures enacted by the commissioner of police in Nassau," Walkine said. "There is a uniformed and visible police presence in downtown Nassau, at the cruise port, at beaches and attractions. We have policemen patrolling on bikes and on sand buggies and have had no recent reports of incidents or crimes against tourists."

Phase One of the expansion of the Lynden Pindling Airport in Nassau is "ahead of schedule and under budget," according to Walkine.

A new terminal for U.S. arrivals and departures will open in summer 2011, but for now the existing terminal has been "freshened up" with new retail shops and food outlets, Walkine said.

When the new U.S. terminal opens, the current facility will become the terminal for all other international arrivals and departures.

Nassau's famous Straw Market, which was destroyed by fire in 2001, will reopen next year as will parts of the revitalized downtown Nassau, including newly paved walkways and boardwalks. 

Stock images ©2010 Lyndah Wells

Bahamas' tourism officials will continue an "aggressive" program of fam trips to the destination, working in conjunction with hotels in Nassau, Freeport and the Out Islands.

"These trips with our agent partners are critical to our visibility as a destination, especially in the Out Islands, which still are not as well known as Nassau and Freeport," Walkine said.
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