The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet minister yesterday said Sandals Royal Bahamian's re-opening had been further delayed to May 1 because forecast occupancy levels were not "economically feasible”.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, speaking outside the Cabinet Office, said: “Everybody's looking at the economics of it. You have a number of people that obviously want to travel.

“The occupancy levels are what determine whether it's economically feasible, and so they have their advanced reservation systems and they're trying to determine what makes sense. But we understand why they are delaying because they just don't see the numbers yet.”

Sandals has now pushed back its Cable Beach property's re-opening twice this year. It was initially scheduled to return to the market in late January, but that date was extended to March 31 only to then be moved back another month to May 1. However, Sandals Emerald Bay on Exuma reopened last week Wednesday.

Mr D’Aguilar added: “As the world begins to open up, we're seeing the amount of COVID cases decrease substantially in the United States and in the United Kingdom. That all bodes well for tourism. So we expect there to be a turn, certainly as the year progresses.”

Turning to the terminations of around 100 Baha Mar workers on Monday, he added: “There are going to be ebbs and flows in the hotel sector. At the same time as you're having the downsizing at Baha Mar, I believe that they're about to open the SLS and the Rosewood, so you'll see workers being called back to work there.

"So obviously, as we progress through the year, I am of the view that as more people get the vaccine and become emboldened to travel, more people will travel.”

Signalling his believe that tourism, and the wider Bahamian economy, will enjoy slow improvement throughout 2021, Mr D’Aguilar said he expects the country to have a “robust” Christmas.

Despite the total absence of commercial flights from Europe, world leaders warning against travel, and Canada banned all flights to the Caribbean until April 30, he said: “When you come to The Bahamas you need to get a PCR test, you have got to upload and get a visa, you have got to get a rapid antigen test to return back to the United States.

"Some people feel that that's just too much, and so these are impediments that are in place. But we feel that they're necessary in order to protect our people.”

Despite all the travel restrictions in place worldwide, Mr D’Aguilar said he still expects Americans to travel for the Spring Break period. He added: “We expect, over Spring Break and Easter, for more people to make the effort to come.

"But in terms of the mass tourism that we're used to, it's just not there yet. Now, what I will say is in the very high-end niche market, the private aviation and the yacht business, they're doing exceptionally well.”

Pointing to key boating and yacht destinations such as Harbour Island and North Eleuthera, Mr D’Aguilar said he has received reports from marina operators that Christmas 2020 was “better” than the prior year.