The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

The founder of a New Providence-based wellness and sports tourism development yesterday disclosed it has attracted between $30m-$40m in investment and is fully booked for the peak December holiday period as it prepares to welcome international visitors from July 1.

Abdoulaye Fadiga said the Champion Spirit Country Club project, which combines high-end accommodations, sports training facilities and wellness services, is positioning itself at the crossroads of sports, medical and longevity tourism - a sector he believes presents significant opportunities for The Bahamas.

"We are approaching $30m in total investment, and we are planning to invest much more as we continue building residences and expanding the development," said Mr Fadiga. "Today, we are between $30m and $40m invested, and that figure will continue to grow."

The development has been operating in a soft-opening phase, serving primarily Bahamian residents, but will officially begin welcoming international guests next month. "Beginning July 1, we will start welcoming guests from the United States, Canada, Europe and other international markets," said Mr Fadiga.

"Before that, we were only accepting residents of The Bahamas. Now we are opening our doors to the world, and the response so far has been very positive."

While the July launch coincides with the traditionally slower summer tourism season, Mr Fadiga said demand for the property's year-end offerings has already exceeded expectations. "July is a good time for us to begin welcoming international guests because it is traditionally a quieter period during the rainy and hurricane seasons," he said. 

"By October, we expect to be fully operational, and we are already fully booked for the end-of-year period in December."

The Champion Spirit Country Club founder argued that The Bahamas possesses several advantages that could help it develop a stronger foothold in wellness and medical tourism, including accessibility, its climate and international appeal.

"The Government has been very supportive as we opened the club, and I think this project also demonstrates that The Bahamas is becoming involved in longevity, wellness and healthy ageing," said Mr Fadiga. "The country has a lot to offer in wellness and medical tourism."

Champion Spirit is also preparing to launch the Bahamas Longevity Hospital, which is expected to open later this year and will complement the wellness services already available at the club.

According to Mr Fadiga, the facility will focus on advanced treatments, while the club's existing wellness centre provides preventative and lifestyle-focused services such as hyperbaric therapy and other bio-optimisation programmes.

He said the concept is built around providing what he described as a "360-degree" approach to health by combining medical care, fitness, nutrition and recovery services in a single location. "Our goal is to create a complete 360-degree understanding of each person," said Mr Fadiga.

"Too often, people go to a hospital, receive treatment and leave, but the underlying causes are never addressed. We want to help solve the reason they ended up there in the first place."

In addition to a variety of sporting options, a club house, spa, restaurant and children’s club, the development currently offers eight guest rooms, although Mr Fadiga said expansion plans include additional accommodations and residences as demand grows.

He added that the property was intentionally designed to preserve the natural environment and retain the character of the former farm on which it was built. "We did not want this to feel like Miami," he said.  "Miami is only 40 minutes away if people want that experience. We wanted something that feels authentically Bahamian, integrated into nature and built in harmony with its surroundings."