The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

VENDORS yesterday asserted that “the best days of Junkanoo Beach are ahead of us” as they voiced optimism that the Ministry of Tourism’s push for greater collaboration will produce “a triple win” for the downtown Nassau destination.

Byron Coley Austin, the Junkanoo Beach Community & Vendors Association president, hailed what he branded as a fresh approach under Glenys Hanna Martin, newly-appointed minister of tourism, with both sides agreeing at yesterday’s meeting to focus on the future rather than the past.

While vendors have previously complained about an “over-zealous” approach by Ministry of Tourism and other government officials towards security, enforcement and compliance on Junkanoo Beach, he said both parties have agreed to form a “sub-committee” featuring representatives from all relevant government agencies and stakeholders who will be responsible for addressing the location’s problems.

Mr Coley-Austin told this newspaper that “priorities” will be security, jet skis, solicitation of visitors by children and the condition of restrooms on Junkanoo Beach. He added that, if all goes to plan, the location - just west of The Pointe resort complex and the British Colonial - could become “the new frontier” for the Bahamian tourism industry.

Noting that most visitors to The Bahamas come for its tropical climate, and sun, sand and sea, he argued that Bahamians need to take charge and own this experience for themselves by “monetising” the beaches and delivering authentic local food, drink, culture and other experiences.

“Today’s meeting was extremely productive,” Mr Coley-Austin said of the meeting with Mrs Hanna Martin and Ministry of Tourism officials. “Our collective decision was to not focus on the past but focus on the future. We have agreed to form a sub-committee where we [the vendors] will have a seat at the table.”

He explained that agencies such as the Ministry of Works, Royal Bahamas Police Force and Ministry of Social Services will be represented on the sub-committee, with the latter two in particular required “to address issues of children soliciting on the beach”. The Association, as well as the Ministry of Tourism and Bahamas Public Parks and Beaches Authority, will also have seats on the sub-committee which is due to hold its first meeting this coming Monday.

“We’ve agreed to immediately address the issues of security, jet skis, solicitation and restrooms,” Mr Coley-Austin added. “Those are the four urgent issues we are going to address, and I feel comfortable and confident that the minister heard us and understood us. I think we are going to be a more productive Association working in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism.”

Whereas Junkanoo Beach vendors have, in the past, had a sometimes adversarial and confrontational relationship with government officials, he said it appears a different “philosophy” is taking root under Mrs Hanna Martin. “She wants to build from the ground level up by including and addressing all the social issues,” the Association president added, “persons from the inner-city coming on to the beach to make a hustle, earn a living.”

Mr Coley-Austin said it was yesterday agreed that proper signage needs to be installed at Junkanoo Beach, along with the presence of tourism ambassadors to tell visitors what they can and cannot do. The message, he added, will be that the location is not a jet ski zone; solicitation “is a no no”; and drugs are not welcome or to be sold.

The Association president said the revised approach to Junkanoo Beach’s development will also involve regular reports and meetings, possibly every 21 days, to assess which objectives have been met and those that remain outstanding so that progress can be measured and the responsible parties held to account.

Randy Rolle, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, will chair the sub-committee. He had responsibility for Junkanoo Beach under the first Davis administration prior to being switched to executive chairman of the Consumer Protection Commission. “Randy understands the inner workings. It was very strategic that the minister chose Randy,” Mr Coley-Austin said.

“He really understands the situation. It was very important to have an organisational approach to getting things done. We love the change. They are really on track to turn this around to make it the viable industry it should be. She [Mrs Hanna Martin] really wants to get the culture and use it with Bahamian authenticity. We love the change.

“I think it was definitely needed. We cannot have the approach of them against us or us against them. It has to be a full collaborative effort where we work together as Bahamians to make it better for all of us. What we agreed is that the Government’s role is just to mediate, facilitate and create an environment where we can be successful,” Mr Coley-Austin said.

“The Government’s job is to sit down with us and create the framework where we can be successful. We want them to win, us to win and visitors to win to create a triple win. For a long time we had an environment where it seemed like we were ostracised, criminalised and uprooted. I believe that, now, are voice is being understood and heard. We’re excited about that future.”

Giving a glimpse of the Association’s view as to what that future may hold, Mr Coley-Austin told Tribune Business: “I think Junkanoo Beach is the new role, the new frontier. For so long we have relied on foreign interests to push the tourism economy. I really believe that, from Grand Bahama to Inagua, tourists come for sun, sand and sea. This is a template for how we manage that experience for the average visitor coming to the islands.

“We want to focus on sun, sand and sea - the lounge chair, eating, drinking and entertainment. We have Fish Fry, but we need to look at a beach experience that creates Bahamian ownership and entrepreneurship so that we facilitate what tourists came for where they don’t have to go to a private resort and pool deck for it. We need to monetise our beaches.”

Noting that Junkanoo Beach has expanded from four employes to around 32 vendors and 300 workers, Mr Coley-Austin added: “The economic impact is significant. The impact has not been stated enough, but I believe this is the new thing for the country. Instead of focusing on retail, we need to focus on the Bahamian beach experience of food, culture and entertainment.”

In an earlier statement on yesterday’s meeting, the Association said: “Today marked a significant and encouraging step forward for Junkanoo Beach and for the future of tourism development in The Bahamas….

”The discussions were positive, productive and focused entirely on the future. There was a genuine spirit of collaboration, mutual respect and shared commitment to enhancing one of Nassau’s most important tourism and cultural destinations.

”We were particularly encouraged by the minister’s support for the Junkanoo Beach 2030 vision, and her commitment to establishing a working framework that brings stakeholders together to advance meaningful development initiatives.”

It added: “Junkanoo Beach has always possessed extraordinary potential. Today, we took an important step towards unlocking that potential through partnership, communication and a shared vision for excellence.

”We leave this meeting encouraged by what was accomplished, excited about what lies ahead, and committed to working alongside the Ministry of Tourism and all stakeholders to build a stronger, cleaner, safer and more vibrant cultural tourism destination.

”The future of Junkanoo Beach is bright. The momentum is real. The partnership has begun. And together, we look forward to building something extraordinary for our visitors, our entrepreneurs, our community and our nation. The best days of Junkanoo Beach are ahead of us.”