The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business 
Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Ministry of Tourism is hoping to “identify a finalist” to take over Grand Bahama’s only operating casino within the next 10 days, the present incumbent having agreed to stay on until February 2013.

Confirming that the casino at the Grand Lucayan Resort was not profitable, David Johnson, the Ministry of Tourism’s director-general, told Tribune Business that a four-five strong list of casino operator candidates was currently being assessed.

Acknowledging that there had never previously been an “integrated partnership” between the Grand Lucayan and casino operator, Mr Johnson said it was a vital amenity to keep open, with about 200 staff employed there.

And it will also work ‘hand in glove’ with the recent agreement made between the Government, Hutchison Whampoa as Grand Lucayan’s owner, and the Sunwing Travel Group to re-open the 500-room Reef Village as a five star resort.

“We’re very busy in tourism,” Mr Johnson told Tribune Business. “We’re absolutely focused on getting things moving in Grand Bahama, getting the casino passed on.

“We’re looking at a shortlist of candidates. We’re seeing two this week, have seen two already and are trying to get down to agreeing a replacement.”

Declining to name any of the contenders, Mr Johnson said there were four to five.

“I think that within 10 days we should have identified a finalist to negotiate with,” he told Tribune Business, adding that the present Grand Lucayan casino operator, Treasure Bay, had agreed to stay on until February 2013.

“It’s an important amenity,” he added. “It’s important for the cruise traffic to Grand Bahama, those passengers when them come off the ship that like to go to the casino.

“It’s an amenity important to keep open, and we’re working with the Grand Lucayan to get more rooms open, more people there, so the casino remains open.

“If it’s going in the wrong direction it can be a vicious circle. But it’s spiralling in the right direction as far as we’re concerned.”

Acknowledging that the Grand Lucayan casino had not been profitable, Mr Johnson said: “We’ve not been able to integrate the hotel and casino in a true partnership. We’re hoping to do that this time around.”