The Tribune

EDITOR,The Tribune.

SPORTS events, are they really worth the cost - how many visitors do they actually bring?

We hear the hype IAAF Relays but you check at the time of the event the host hotel is discounting their rooms 50-54%, anyway athletes do not drink and are conservative as to what they eat (special diets).

So where is it profitable?

IAAF Relays at National Stadium you see a lot of blue and red seats so where’s the meat as they would say? Don’t tell me well we filled beds.

Sunshine Group Marathon... great cause can’t take that from the event but how many runners come in - what is the spend factor, especially as long distance runners do not drink and watch what they eat.

Carnival Festival was the same - $10m for us locals to have Junkanoo yet again.

The Christmas and New Year Parades no different ... they do not pull visitors it is very very much all local.

It’s been said previously that the only event that really brings in the heavy money is Atlantis’s basketball event ... the college alumni are the secret - they drink hard and eat hard and play in the casino what more does a hotel want and wish.

Are we going to continue throwing scarce money after more money for the same zero return?

MOT needs to make public the real economic impact stats.

MARSHALL FRASER

Nassau,

January 24, 2017.