The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter 

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Bay Street merchants yesterday gave a mixed reaction to the Government’s approval of Royal Caribbean’s Paradise Island beach club with some fearing it will suck tourists away from downtown and others arguing it will improve the product.

Charles Klonaris, the Downtown Nassau Partnership’s (DNP) co-chair, told Tribune Business he has “no problem” with the cruise giant’s Royal Beach Club receiving the go-ahead. “I feel like it’s just another venue for tourists to enjoy themselves,” he added.

“One of the prime reasons for coming to The Bahamas is the sea and the beach, as well as shopping. It’s an experience for them to see a magnificent beach on Paradise Island, and I’m sure Royal Caribbean is going to do an excellent job in providing all the facilities at a high level. I think that is needed.”

Royal Caribbean has been given permission to redevelop Paradise Island’s western end into a destination that will offer water sports, entertainment venues and food and beverage offerings to the thousands of cruise passengers it brings to Nassau on an almost daily basis. The Government, in a statement yesterday, said those activities will be operated by Bahamian businesses and entrepreneurs.

But not all Bay Street merchants are keen on Royal Caribbean’s plans. Geralle Gabriel, owner/operator of J&S Luxurious Services, said: “Of course it won’t drive tourists to the downtown area.”

He believes that with Royal Caribbean adding its own entertainment and food venues to what already exists on Paradise Island, tourists will be driven to - and compelled to stay - across the harbour from Nassau rather than exploring the downtown area. “Most tourists that come off the cruise ship want to go to Cabbage Beach. Every tourist that comes to The Bahamas knows about Cabbage Beach,” Mr Gabriel said.

“I don’t believe Royal Caribbean is going to create a ferry to take people between downtown Nassau and Paradise Island. If you explain and break down things for people, instead of just saying things for people to hear so they can get excited about it, then that’s terrible because a lot of people don’t sit down and analyse things and really think about what the situation is really about.”

Chelsie Maura, owner/operator of A Divine Design, Interchangeable Jewellery Store, said: “I believe the project will be good for downtown and it will drive tourists back to the downtown area, but I am not sure that it will drive tourists directly to my store.”

A Divine Design is about a quarter mile away from the East and Bay Street junction, as well as Prince George Wharf, and many tourists rarely to venture to her store unless they are coming from the Paradise Island Bridge and are heading west on Bay Street.

Tanya Bain, retail manager at the Perfume Bar, said: “I don’t think it’s going to impact us at all, because we have the biggest cruise port in the Caribbean that is sitting downtown. So I don’t think that that’s going to have a great impact on us. We’re still going to see customers. They’re still going to buy.”

Ms Bain did acknowledge the potential for Royal Caribbean’s project to create their own shopping area for cruise passengers. “That will be a problem unless they intend to bring more ships. So if they do then there is not much shopping on Paradise Island other than at Atlantis, so I still feel as though some of the passengers would filter downtown,” she added.

“I have a positive outlook for the project until we know if everything that they have will be diverted there, and that there are going to be new shopping areas. Then we will start to have a conversation when that starts to happen.”

Meanwhile, Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism, investments and aviation, has confirmed that the four Crown Land acres included in Royal Caribbean’s project do not include land that was the subject of Supreme Court litigation by Bahamian entrepreneur, Toby Smith, in relation to his rival Paradise Island project.

“This first of a kind project for Royal Caribbean will cover 17 acres - of which 13 acres represent privately held land and some four acres of Crown Land that was included in the lease to Royal Caribbean by the former administration,” Mr Cooper said/

“It is important to note that the land currently proposed under the project has not been subject to any dispute or litigation. Final approval of the project is subject to submission and approval of a standard Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and an Environmental Management Plan (EMP).”