The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net      

VISITOR arrivals from the Latin American market have grown by 30 per cent this year on the strength of the Copa Airlines’ Nassau-Panama route, the Ministry of Tourism’s director-general said yesterday.

David Johnson told Tribune Business that the Ministry of Tourism was very “bullish” on the Latin American market, and was pursuing other opportunities to supplement the service that Copa Airlines and American Airlines currently provide.

Mr Johnson explained: “We are very bullish on the Latin American market. The market is responding, and we are pursuing other opportunities that will be supplemental to Copa and the American Airlines’ service. American Airlines has been driving most of our  Latin American  business over the years via Miami. Copa has been an additional thrust that enabled us to grow by 30 per cent this year, and we are committed to continuing that growth.”

Mr Johnson said growth out of Latin American was “significant by any standard in the world today”. 

“It’s quite significant because the entire business from Latin America increased 30 per cent on the strength of this particular service,” he added. 

“We had less than a 7 per cent increase in our traffic to Nassau overall, so a 30 per cent increase in these times is significant. It’s a smaller market, but still, that’s a very significant growth and we were able to sustain that throughout the year. We have not seen that from the time we have been in Latin America  since we have been in that destination.”

      Copa Airlines began its service into Nassau, which is now up to five flights a week, last June.

Mr Johnson said: “Copa has been strong. However, we are concerned with going through the summer now that we have completed a year.

“There are some issues related to vaccination requirements that are impacting on our traffic, and some other housekeeping issues that we are in dialogue with them with and our authorities to see how we can continue to make it easier for persons from Latin America to get on that service and have a better vacation experience. Where we have hit the home run is our Spanish-speaking programsme have really taken off.”

Mr Johnson noted that the ability of visitors from Latin America to travel to the Bahamas with only their passport has been a major benefit to the business.

“It’s not just the Copa service but it’s the fact that the Bahamas government made it easier by waving visa restrictions for visitors out of Latin America to come to the Bahamas with their passports alone. That was a big factor in Copa taking the risk of the service,” he said.