The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Out Island Promotion Board’s (BOIPB) president yesterday said business for its member properties has been “blowing up” ahead of the traditional summer slowdown.

Cheryl Bastian told Tribune Business that despite her Andros-based property, Swain’s Cay Lodge, having to close down until September after its fly fishing business “went quiet” with guests opting to book for later in the year, overall Family Island tourism numbers remain very strong.

Voicing hope that this trend will hold through the summer for other properties, Ms Bastian said: “I’m hoping for some of the other lodges that offer boating and marinas to be doing good. Some of our other board members who have facilities for beaching and other amenities, like how they have at Baha Mar and the other Nassau resorts, have been doing better since the requirements have been lifted for COVID travel testing.”

Family Island room revenues and room nights sold are said to be at 80 percent of pre-COVID levels, and Ms Bastian said: “Business over the last year - over the spring, autumn and winter - was very good. It was almost to 2019 levels. We had a great year and we’re encouraged that it’s coming back. We’re continually hoping for 2023 to be even better. We want to exceed 2019 in 2023.”

Tourism arrivals for 2019 were just over 7.2m, with 1.8m of those stopover visitors. Since the economy re-opened following the COVID lockdowns and restrictions of 2020 and 2021, Family Island resorts and marinas have been among those benefiting from pent-up travel demand.

Ms Bastian added: “With our members they are all saying the same: That things are better. All of our fishing guides were engaged. For the hotels around the island, business increased, and for places like Andros it is refreshing to visitors. It is pristine, and it is a great getaway if you are not into the building and being trapped in elevators, putting yourself at risk for COVID-19. It is adventurous and the beautiful landscape is appealing.

“We’ve seen numbers for the Out Island hotels just blow up. We just recently had a board meeting and it was pleasing to see everybody doing much better. As the president, I’m just encouraging them to better their properties and find more activities for their guests.”