The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

The main economic drive of the Bahamian economy is tourism. The role of the Ministry of Tourism is to promote the country and bring as many visitors as possible. The opposite is currently happening as entry rules for the needed visitors are so difficult that few can complete them.

It would be helpful if The Minister of Tourism and his chief advisors would fly up on one of the few scheduled flights to Toronto these days and attempt to complete the formalities themselves.

First they can try to find the provincial government telephone number where an appointment can be made at one of the government hospitals to get your required COVID-19 test.

That is if the hospital has time to give such a test for those wanting leisure travel.

Many facilities are too busy for such a purpose. They are the only health providers as no private healthcare is allowed. I hope the officials are patient as normally callers wait on the line for a long while until someone answers. Then when such an appointment is made patience will be required for standing in the long lines until you are taken.

Be prepared to wait at least two to three days for the written result. Continue to be patient when you wait in another long line to fetch the results. If driving, please bring enough cash to pay for the expensive hospital parking on both occasions.

Then when you receive the results allow time to use your computer if feasible to scan the results to Nassau for the Health Visa or be forced to go to a store and wait to be served so the staff can do this on your behalf. Bring enough funds for the fees. Then pray that Nassau will return the visa travel permission in time for the flight to get on the ground in Nassau within five days of your test.

They should also pray that if the permission takes longer than expected, which is a good possibility from what we have been told, that they will not lose money on the air ticket and, if a visitor, accommodation costs. Very few can complete all of these requirements in time.

The problem is increased because there are very few flights and how to coordinate a test with flight dates is a nightmare.

Most people do not have the time or desire to carry out all these time consuming expensive procedures just to come to The Bahamas.

If the tourism officials actually tried to go through what they expect visitors to go through they would likely change their rules immediately. No wonder the flights to The Bahamas are nearly empty. It cannot be blamed solely on the health pandemic. Every effort should have been made to design rules which would attract rather than repulse visitors especially this year.

For those of us who have been regular visitors to The Bahamas over many years it is very disappointing that we cannot enjoy another holiday there for the foreseeable future. My travel agent is suggesting we go elsewhere in the Caribbean where they want visitors and have hassle free entry. It has caused our family a great deal of anxiety as we have Bahamian ancestry.

ROBERT WILSON

Toronto, Canada

November 22, 2020.