The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Two Bahamian resorts have provided further evidence of the industry’s post-COVID rebound by disclosing they are “100 percent” occupied, and “beating 2019 numbers”, for Thanksgiving.

Vernon Moss, the Sandyport Beach Resort’s general manager, told Tribune Business he is “100 percent booked out” for this upcoming Thanksgiving Day weekend. “We’re back. We are booked out for this Thanksgiving Day weekend,” he said.

“Things will dip right after the Thanksgiving weekend is over, but then it picks right back up solid for the Christmas holidays straight into the New Year’s. We’re booked solid. All of my workers are glad to be back making a few extra dollars to take home to their families. Things are so busy now we are even looking at additional hires. We need some new hires.”

Matthew Brear, Cape Santa Maria’s general manager, added: “Since we reopened on November 1 we have been seeing steady numbers. In fact, we have been seeing Spring Break numbers in November.”

The resort is trending at 75 percent occupancy, which is better than good for this time of year. Mr Brear said it is “beating 2019 numbers. Actually, our May, June, July, August, November and December numbers are better than our 2019 numbers”.

The final year pre-COVID, 2019, was a record-breaking year for Bahamian tourism with some 7.25m arrivals. The surge in 2021 arrivals is being caused, at least in part, by what analysts have said is “pent up demand” as a result of US and other travellers having been confined in lockdown for so long.

Tourism numbers for the month of September, a normally slow month, saw 158,000 visitor arrivals.