The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A senior Family Island hotelier yesterday said TV coverage and associated publicity will likely be “the biggest” lift-off from The Bahamas hosting the landing of a SpaceX rocket booster on February 17.

Emanuel “Manny” Alexiou, the Bahamas Out Island Promotion Board chairman, told Tribune Business it was critical that any publicity show The Bahamas “in a positive light” as he suggested the event was unlikely to prove a massive draw for foreign visitors and produce a significant boost in hotel occupancies.

But, given that SpaceX is owned by the world’s wealthiest man, Elon Musk, who is also heading Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), as well as seemingly being one of the US president’s top confidants and advisers, he added that there were potentially significant diplomatic gains from hosting the booster landing.

Speaking after the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation announced that the relevant government agencies were meeting with SpaceX in Florida to finalise preparations, with a further 20 scheduled landings set to take place in Bahamian waters beyond February 17, Mr Alexiou told this newspaper the major benefit will likely be to further raise awareness of this nation with potential visitors and real estate buyers.

Pointing out that it was critical the event results in a “positive spin”, especially if all eyes and attention are focused on The Bahamas, he added: “I don’t see thousands of visitors coming to stay in hotels to watch it. I cannot imagine it will be very close to populated areas.

“If it’s spun positively, or innovatively, we’re close by [the US]. I think that will be the bigger benefit... Obviously the US is our neighbour and we want to have a good relationship with the present administration.” However, debris from a failed SpaceX launch last month rained down, and fell on, parts of the Turks & Caicos.

Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism, investments and aviation, in a statement said officials from the Royal Bahamas Defense Force, the Bahamas Air Navigation Services Authority, the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) and the Port Department were meeting with SpaceX ahead of the launch.

“This landmark moment will make The Bahamas the first international destination to host the Falcon 9 rocket booster landings. This historic event, set to take place off the coast of the Exumas, marks a significant leap for The Bahamas into the realm of space tourism,” Mr Cooper, also the island’s MP, said.

“The collaboration between Bahamian officials and SpaceX positions The Bahamas as a key player in the growing space tourism industry, with 20 scheduled landings to take place in Bahamian waters on autonomous drone ships. The country will be the exclusive location to witness these remarkable events, offering unique economic opportunities and advancements in technology.

“The relevant senior officials will remain on hand during the launch sequence and launch and ascent. They are fully engaged to ensure all safety, regulatory and operational measures are in place for the scheduled landing. Every effort is being made to facilitate this historic event while maintaining the highest standards.”