By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
The hotel union's president has voiced alarm that "the deck's being stacked against" the revival of the Bahamian tourism industry and wider economy by travel restrictions imposed in its major markets.
Darrin Woods, the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union's (BHCAWU) president, told Tribune Business that workers in all tourism-related businesses "need to step up our game" and "wow and woo" travellers to believe there is still value in vacationing in this nation despite all the deterrents being implemented by the US and others.
With US authorities adding a further layer of cost, bureaucracy and complication to Americans overseas travel plans by requiring that they present a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days prior to returning home, he added that this would inevitably cause the market that supplies 82 percent of The Bahamas' visitors to "second guess" their travel plans.
With much depending on how quickly, and successfully, the US and other tourist source markets roll-out the COVID-19 vaccine and restore traveller confidence, Mr Woods said it seemed that the recovery window for The Bahamas and its tourism-dependent economy was increasing rather than shortening.
And, with the likes of the UK implementing similar travel and quarantine measures, Mr Woods predicted that it may not be until "the final quarter of this year" that the Bahamian tourism industry starts to experience a firm rebound given that the summer and fall months are traditionally the slowest parts of the season.
Disclosing that he had just flown back to The Bahamas on a plane with few tourists and local passengers, he told this newspaper: "It appears that it's going to be very difficult now with the US saying you have to get a test to return.
"It seems like the deck is being stacked against us right now. You're talking about added costs before you start thinking about taking a vacation. It's very concerning. It's already difficult to travel now with some of the things being put in place. It's always been our view that we have to wait and see how the US adjusts to the significant increase in cases in their market.
"People are going to think: Is it worth all the hassle to travel? They could jump in their car and go from Miami to Orlando. It's going to cause people to second guess, and you don't want that in any business. You always want to be the first option."
January is traditionally the slowest part of the winter tourism season, falling between the Christmas and New Year's Eve holidays and the Easter ramp-up that normally begins in February. However, the impact of travel restrictions and surging COVID-19 cases in The Bahamas' key visitor source markets, together with the pandemic's impact on their economies, is already hitting Bahamian tourism hard.
Atlantis previously furloughed some of the 2,500 staff it recalled pre-Christmas citing low January occupancies, while Sandals pushed back the re-opening of its Emerald Bay and Royal Bahamian properties from February 1 and January 28 to February 24 and March 31, respectively.
RIU Paradise Island also closed its doors until March yesterday, furloughing between 85 percent and 90 percent of staff, again in response to low occupancies and forecast business volumes. Mr Woods said this exposed "the lack of confidence that things are going to get better in the short term" among hotel and tourism operators.
Robert Sands, the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association's (BHTA) president, yesterday agreed that the latest industry moves were "a product of how the market is". He added: "Obviously we have top react to business-led demand. I think what you are seeing is simply a number of hotels reacting to what the external market demands are at the moment."
"We in the tourism industry, whether unionised or not, need to step up our game and make people think it's worth coming," Mr Woods added. "Wow them and woo them to make them think they've got to be here, and when they come here treat them good.
"Otherwise things are going to start to dry up. We've still got to hope and pray for the best. If you look around now it's difficult to find US dollars on the street now. We don't have that US currency being exchanged. We have to try and shorten the timeframe between COVID-19 and the rebound. That time seems to be opening up rather than closing."
Mr Woods likened the current situation facing the Bahamian tourism industry and its recovery plans to a boxer. "You can't continue to sustain body and head shots. Eventually you're going to get knocked out," he said. "When you think you have your hands up, and are ready to deliver a good blow, something comes up from the blind side and catches you off guard.
"It's [the travel restrictions] going to have a serious effect as we try and make our way back to the top. It's like a battle trying to climb out of it." The hotel union chief suggested the Ministry of Tourism work to ensure The Bahamas have a "banner off season" during the summer to hasten the start of tourism's rebound.
Comments
Proguing 3 years, 3 months ago
I predicted that the Robinette Biden administration would be a disaster for the Bahamas. Now we have the first measure being put in place and this is just a start of what’s to come. Hotels understand this and are closing again. Where are the fools who supported him?
GodSpeed 3 years, 3 months ago
Don't worry they can just flee to the US with Haitians, Dominicans, Cubans and everyone else. Open borders under Biden, until the US collapses into complete ruin.
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 3 months ago
The shrinkage in tourism industry has literally nothing to do with Biden. You 2 have to be the same person it can be two of y'all.
In 2016 Pamela Musgrove got into a very good discussion with Obie Wilchombe on our then tourism numbers. It was clear Mr Wilchombe didn't have a clue who Ms Musgrove was, repeatedly trying to belittle her points. What she was trying to show him from waaayyy back in 2016, was that Tourism was waning. The numbers were still looked good but the return was not, the client was changing, the number of overnight visitors was decreasing and GDP impact lessened.
In 2018 numerous persons were begging the govt to, instead of increasing VAT and looking for more ways to tax the people, look at ways to grow the economy. Zhivargo Laing went on a rampage telling us that 1% growth was by definition "growth" so the economy was indeed growing, Tourism was just fine as it supported us fir decades and noone calling for growth could suggest any viable alternatives to it.
Here we are in the COVID aftermath with everyone including the govt acknowledging that growth was dismal, COVID just made things worse, and desperately looking for answers for "growth". If govt would just be inclusive and stop listening to persons who tell them what they want to hear we could move light years ahead. A few years ago Donovan Moxey told them don't waste time training Bahamians in tech, itll tske too long, bring in Indians. And here we are.
moncurcool 3 years, 3 months ago
You do know that it is the Trump administration that has put that in place right? Last time i check he is still the President. Don't try to blame Biden for something he has no part in. Let's be factual.
John 3 years, 3 months ago
Jor Biden has issued a ‘One Hundred Day Challenge.’ Not just to vaccinate as many Americans as possible, but to get everyone to wear a mask. The challenge will also involve the discouraging of large gatherings, social distancing and frequent hand washing and sanitizer. With the US having about 1/3 of the COVID-19 cases and deaths, the world cannot recover until that country (USA) brings its cases under control.
GodSpeed 3 years, 3 months ago
Good Luck getting the USA under control with COVID when you have Open Borders under Biden to let anyone with COVID in 😂...they can just walk across the border and spread it freely. Already a caravan of 9,000+ are due to cross the southern border on inauguration day. They've demanded Biden keep his promises of citizenship and free money, that's just his first day. Expect illegal immigration to the US to 100X and that means more COVID coming our way too as the usual suspects take the Bahamian route to get to America.
whatsup 3 years, 3 months ago
Challenge sounds so good.....who the hell wants to wear a mask all day for 100 days?...just the start so we can get used to taking orders. Remember the TWO WEEKS LOCKDOWN last March...that is all they asked for and we all complied without a beep. I know it is Biden is asking for this like President Trump asked for two weeks and this country followed like sheep.
Proguing 3 years, 3 months ago
More bad news from the Biden administration:
"Biden poised to undo Trump directive lifting travel ban on most of Europe and Brazil"
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/ne...">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/ne...
ScubaSteve 3 years, 3 months ago
As well he should. It is clearly the right decision.
proudloudandfnm 3 years, 3 months ago
How is this bad news? This is 100% a common sense move. Seriously. What is wrong with you trumpies????
SP 3 years, 3 months ago
Darrin Woods is another lost soul way out of his depth trying to make sense of the tourism industry with absolutely no hands on experience at the wholesale travel level!
Contrary to Mr. Woods's statement "It seems like the deck is being stacked against us right now". Every competing destination in the region has the exact same obstacles and play by the same rules.
The Bahamas saw a steady decrease in tourism compared to the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Cuba, Panama, Haiti, Barbados, and virtually all other regional competing resort destinations due to successive governments' "firsthand" ignorance of tourism, coupled with a pigheaded inability to listen to front line industry professionals with decades of hands-on experience.
Successive governments were repeatedly warned loudly for decades that our tourism product was losing its appeal with the loss of every native show, night club, duty-free shopping, Bay Street is a disgrace, the inner city over the hill is filthy, jet ski operators and other front line vendors are among some of the most unpolished individuals the country has to offer, etc, etc. ect,.
After 5 decades of Ministers of tourism, NOT ONE can identify an initiative implemented by them that improved the tourism product and visitor experience!
A simple 1975 to 2020 comparison of tourism development between Nassau, Ft. Lauderdale, and Key West shows the frightening remarkable level of ineptitude of successive governments.
Last week the Candian government reported despite COVID-19 recommendations of essential travel only, large numbers of Candians continue overflying the Bahamas to destinations of Jamaica, Mexico, The Dominican Republic, and Haiti.
Ironically, all these destinations offer deep cultural experiences and offer relaxed prohibition laws on marijuana use.
The politicians refused to listen, sat on their hands, stood in Parliament talking bullshyt, cracking jokes, legislating for their own personal gain, and allowed the tourism product to go to hell. Now we find ourselves standing around pointing fingers and making excuses about why we have such dismal tourism arrivals.
proudloudandfnm 3 years, 3 months ago
Um. Its a pandemic. Life will return to normal once the virus is defeated. It can happen quickly if most people get vaccinated. If these idiotic conspiracy theories are taken seriously and most refuse the vaccine it'll take much longer. So do your patriotic duty and get vaccinated...
whatsup 3 years, 3 months ago
What are the side affects of this vaccine?
proudloudandfnm 3 years, 3 months ago
Yinna wait til this new strain gets here. Ya'll think the second wave was bad? Wait. This one ga be the worst...
banker 3 years, 3 months ago
LOL at the Biden rhetoric. Tourism was already waning before the pandemic. COVID just made it clear to everyone what a precarious position that we were in. Is it recoverable? Only if we had some sensible people in government who were not afraid to act to diversify the economy including diversifying tourism. But we don't have any of those kinds of politicians.
avidreader 3 years, 3 months ago
As far as the caravan of refugees from Honduras is concerned, the Al Jazeera network was reporting this morning that the Guatemalan military is in the process of blocking the highway and sending them back to Honduras by bus.
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