By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
A CABINET minister yesterday challenged the Bahamian resort industry to find more "innovative" ways to counter the loss of business to the cruise ships.
Brent Symonette, minister of financial services, trade and industry and Immigration, told the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association's (BHTA) quarterly meeting: "We have to come up with ideas of countering the age-old problem of the cruise industry taking your business. We can't keep saying yes, yes, yes.
"We have to find more innovative ways; whether it is creating a better environment at the dock, better transportation, better attractions inland and so forth. I'm trying to challenge you to stop talking about it and let's move forward."
Dionisio D'Aguilar, minister of tourism, previously told this newspaper that the Bahamas must reset its relationship with the cruise lines and "be a little more aggressive" in ensuring it earns a greater share of the economic activity generated by millions of passengers coming to its shores annually. He added: "They make all the money, and we have nothing."
Mr Symonette yesterday urged the the Bahamian tourism industry to push the Government for the creation of a downtown management authority, saying: "We need to take control of our city. You have to put the pressure on to get it done."
He called on them to voice not only their concerns but offer solutions to the Government on issues impacting the industry. "If you don't know what the problem is, how do you expect us to know? That's the real issue," Mr Symonette said. "We have to come up with solutions. It's easier for us to look at your ideas and tweak them than for us to come up with the ideas ourselves."
Responding to a question by Cheryl Bastian, manager of Swain's Cay Lodge, over frustrations surrounding the payment of fly fishing permits, Mr Symonette revealed that the Government is working on an Internet portal to allow for these transactions.
"These people who come in to fly fish are high net worth individuals who fly in their private jets. They are law-abiding people and the last thing they want is to be scared about is a fly fishing permit," he said.
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