The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

TOUR and excursion operators say they need more incentives and tourists in order to scale up operations.

Adoni Lisgaris, the Bahamas Excursion Operators Association’s president, told Tribune Business yesterday the industry needs this boost in order to take up the challenge laid down by Tourism Minister Dionsio D’Aguilar to improve the onshore attractions for visitors

Mr Lisgaris said: “There are no incentives for most Bahamians in tourism outside of if you’re a hotel. I believe for hotels in New Providence they have to be more than ten rooms to get concessions under the Hotel Encouragement Act. To my knowledge, none of the other sectors get any concessions from the government.

“As a Bahamian operator, there’s no tax concessions at all. There are firms that want to enhance their offerings but they have been denied because often times their projects are on vacant land and the government finds it difficult to give concessions to Bahamian entrepreneurs on vacant land.

“They need to have a conversation with operators to see what taxes could be waived or things like that. Or ensure that our marketing materials can be brought in duty free, or vessels, or parts for vessels – the same thing for people who have actual structures.”

Narine Ramotar, owner/operator of Nassau Snorkelling said he doesn’t even feel the government should be pushing the idea of tourism anymore because it seems to be a “dying business now”.

Having closed his company down for the time being, Mr Ramotar is feeling the brunt of the negative economic impact of the COVID-19 restrictions and industry shutdown.

He said: “I have a charter company, I take tours for sports fishing and right now I’m dealing with the SBDC (Small Business Development Centre) and trying to get loans, but they aren’t giving anything out for companies in the tourism business because it is so fragile right now.”

Peter Rebmann, Pearl Island’s managing partner, said while he would like to scale up his operations this year, he “does not know” when cruise ships will be coming back to the Bahamas aside from Royal Caribbean and Crystal Cruise Line that are slated to make their return in June.

Mr Rebmann said: “The strategy of the cruise lines seems to be that they tried to get their ships outside of the United States. That is maybe an opportunity for them to overrun the CDC (Centres for Disease Control) with all their decisions and whatever they claim the cruise lines need to fulfil before they get the green light.”

Mr Rebmann warned, however, that there can be no proper scaling up of Pearl Island until regular sailings from the cruise ships resume and is depending on cruise ship passengers to fund this expansion. In his estimation, The Bahamas needs more than just two ships and may need upwards of 15 regular cruises to confirm their itinerary includes The Bahamas.

He added: “You talk about 5,000 people a month coming to The Bahamas, usually ten to 20 percent maybe are doing excursions, so we’re talking about 1,000 people. Maybe Blue Lagoon can take 1,000 people, but I can’t see how that will, in any way, help Nassau and the wider Bahamas.”

He argued that capturing more cruise ship passengers for other operators may become problematic because the cruise lines are asking that “high level of safety protocols” are put in place for their guests, including little to no contact with locals.”