The Tribune

Dear Editor,

A recent article on cruise tourism raises an important discussion about the future of tourism in The Bahamas. While I agree that the country has become very reliant on cruise tourism, I respectfully disagree that cruising itself is the problem. The more important question is: Are Bahamians properly leveraging the extraordinary opportunity cruise tourism has created?

For more than half a century, cruise tourism has brought millions of visitors to The Bahamas, created opportunities for entrepreneurs, generated employment and supported retailers, restaurants, tour operators, taxi drivers and countless small businesses. It has also sustained Downtown Nassau through good times and bad.

The cruise industry has delivered the volume. What The Bahamas does with that volume is the issue. If millions arrive but only half venture ashore, spend a few hours exploring, complain that there is too little to do and too much hassling to endure, then leave without a compelling reason to return, that is not a cruise industry problem. It is a Bahamian tourism challenge. The goal should be more time ashore, greater spending with Bahamian businesses, repeat visitation and more reasons for ships to remain in port longer.

Today's traveller is different from the traveller of even a decade ago. Visitors no longer travel simply to shop; they travel to experience destinations. They seek authentic food, music, history, people and stories. They want to participate, not simply observe. Nassau has been slow to adapt to the new reality.

The Bahamas is also an expensive destination, but there is nothing wrong with that if the experience justifies the price. The objective should not be to become cheaper, but more valuable. Premium prices require premium value.

Value also requires variety and originality. Bahamians cannot simply reproduce the same experiences under different names, or copy what someone else has already built. How many water parks are really needed? History, art, food, music, architecture and crafts can all become compelling experiences when presented creatively and authentically. Visitors need reasons to keep exploring and opportunities to discover something different.

The private sector has already recognised this shift. When John Watling's Distillery opened more than a decade ago, there were only three major organised tour companies operating in Downtown Nassau. Today there are Jeep, ATV, walking, bicycle, vintage car, double decker buses and food tours, among many others. The market has evolved because today's visitor wants more than a transaction; they want an experience.

The Straw Market illustrates the opportunity. A straw bag sold across a counter is a product. A straw bag a visitor helps weave alongside a Bahamian artisan becomes an experience and a story. The first straw worker who sets up a ‘Weave with Me’ experience will reap the rewards. 

At John Watling's Distillery, we see the value of interaction daily as visitors pick mint from the garden and watch our cocktail craftsmen use what they picked to make a mojito. Since we created the simple mint garden, mojito sales have exploded. The ingredients have not fundamentally changed; participation has increased the perceived value.

The same principle should apply to what visitors buy. Bahamian businesses serving tourism should make every reasonable effort to carry, serve and promote Bahamian products. Hotels, restaurants, bars, retailers and attractions should showcase locally made spirits, beer, food, art and crafts. Visitors should encounter products that reinforce their sense of place, not try to sell the same products they can purchase back home. The more visitors buy Bahamian, the more tourism dollars remain in the Bahamian economy.

Downtown Nassau should also be viewed not as a collection of problems, but as a canvas with incredible artistry that just needs to be refined. The history, architecture and culture are already there. Consider the area bounded by Nassau Street, Meeting Street, Blue Hill Road and West Bay Street. Within this compact area are the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, Graycliff, John Watling's Distillery, the D'Aguilar Art Foundation, Educulture (Junkanoo Museum), Tasty Teas and several 200 year-old churches and cemeteries. 

Nassau does not need to be reinvented, It needs to be restored, connected and brought back to life.

That starts with getting the basics right. Deteriorating roads and sidewalks, neglected public spaces, derelict buildings and overgrown properties diminish Downtown for residents and visitors alike. Asphalt roads need to change to cobble stone streets. Government has a responsibility, but so do property owners. A premium destination must look, feel and act like one.

Before building more attractions, existing historical assets should be repaired and maintained. The forts need attention. Rusting cannons should be cleaned, painted and preserved, grounds maintained and history properly presented. Once restored, these sites can be brought to life through concessions, tours, demonstrations, performances and cultural programming. What is needed is action, accountability and leadership.

The Nassau Cruise Port should connect naturally with Downtown. The fence separating the port from Woodes Rogers Street creates a physical and psychological divide between two areas that should function as one destination. Security must remain paramount, but the cruise port should be the front door to Downtown, not a destination separated from it. Those who venture beyond the port are often met by a confusing and sometimes intimidating array of people waving brochures and signs, competing aggressively for their business. This is not the welcome we should provide. Visitors should step into Downtown feeling comfortable, confident and eager to explore. 

People matter just as much as infrastructure. The new Royal Bahamas Police Force statues are a welcome addition, but they cannot replace the officers in their distinctive white pith helmets who greeted visitors, answered questions, provided security, directed traffic and posed for photographs. Those human interactions are part of the destination experience.

Cruise lines are investing billions in private island destinations because they deliver experiences their guests want. Rather than blame them for their success, we should remember that this is not about us; it is about the visitor. Cruise lines and Bahamian business owners must work more closely together, through initiatives such as Welcome Ashore, to create a true two-way partnership that benefits passengers, local businesses and the cruise industry alike. Nassau should not try to replicate the private islands. A cruise line can build another beach club or water park, but it cannot manufacture our history, architecture, culture or people. That is Nassau's competitive advantage.

Tourism success should therefore be measured by more than arrivals. Visitor spending, time ashore, satisfaction and repeat visitation matter too. Today's cruise passenger should also be viewed as tomorrow's potential stopover guest. The true measure of success is not simply how many people arrive, but how much value each arrival creates.

The cruise industry has already delivered millions of potential customers to the doorstep of The Bahamas. What happens after they arrive is largely a Bahamian responsibility. The task is to give them compelling reasons to venture past the port, explore, participate, buy Bahamian, spend with Bahamian businesses, stay longer and return. Cruise tourism is not the problem. The question is whether Bahamians are fully leveraging the opportunity it provides. The cruise industry has delivered the volume. Now Bahamians must increase the value.

Pepin R. Argamasilla

Managing Partner

John Watling's Distillery