FREEPORT, Grand Bahama – With increased concern regarding the threat of terrorist activity worldwide and the Spring Break season approaching, police officials have enacted a “heightened surveillance” plan for Grand Bahama.
“A special team of officers has been designated to target venues where spring breakers are known to congregate,” Superintendent Basil Rahming told the Journal yesterday. “This type of exercise has been conducted for the past five years, but will be especially vigilant in its monitoring efforts due to worldwide terrorism precautions.”
Security Council Committee meetings sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism have been held to discuss matters related to spring break surveillance, according to Mr. Rahming. The committee, which also consists of members of the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board, works in partnership with the island’s resorts to ensure that tourists visiting during this period would have a safe travel experience.
“While the large number of expected spring break visitors can pose its share of challenges with regard to personal interaction between police officers and youngsters, we are prepared to effectively monitor all venues and popular arenas.” Mr. Rahming affirmed.
In addition to security concerns, safety is also high on the list of visitor considerations during this period of the year.
“The majority of groups that come into Grand Bahama are escorted,” Executive Vice President of the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board Terrance Roberts said. “There are long time, long standing organisations that book spring break groups and they accompany them.”
According to Mr. Roberts, most of the island’s resorts will be hosting spring breakers, and the island’s Tourism Board is now working in conjunction with local resorts to achieve the end of visitor safety and visitor compliance with hotel rules and regulations.
Two of the island’s major resorts have already begun to put contingency plans in place.
“We will have beefed up security at our resort,” confirmed Mr. Donald Archer, senior vice president of the Royal Oasis Resort. “We will also have Americans coming in as chaperones and they will be responsible for certain segments of the spring breakers to maintain law and order. Our whole approach is that if we have organised functions for the groups, those functions will give them something to do as opposed to getting into mischief. We will even enlist the services of off-duty officers if need be to assist us in this regard.”
A popular entertainment spot for tourists of all ages on Grand Bahama is the Port Lucaya Marketplace, with the Sheraton and Westin resorts at Our Lucaya adjacent to this facility. As such, security at both resorts is a year-round priority, according to assistant director of public relations for the Sheraton and Westin at Our Lucaya, Ernestine Moxyz.
“We are always prepared for any incident that may occur, and the spring break period is no exception,” she said. Ms. Moxyz noted that the Sheraton and Westin do not market specifically to the spring breakers, although plans have been put in place to guard against possible property damage that may occur at the hands of some spring breakers.
“We have limited the amount of adults permitted to one room. We will have two adults to one room as opposed to perhaps three or four,” she said.
The expected challenges during spring break have also been contrasted with the anticipated success of this season. Mr. Terrance Roberts said that tourist arrivals to Grand Bahama over the next few weeks are expected to be favourable.
“It appears that we are going to have one of our more promising occupancy rates in a while,” he said. “With our new non-stop service via U.S Airways and our new non-stop service from Baltimore-Washington via Air Tran beginning March 4, we are expecting a very good showing for the month of March.”
“If we provide this and next months visitors a safe and enjoyable tourist experience during this period, positive word of mouth will possibly bode well for visitor arrivals throughout the rest of the year,” he said.
By Sharon Williams, The Bahama Journal
