According to The Visitors Voice, a publication launched by the Ministry of Tourism to sensitize the public to the views of tourists, 60 per cent of visitors were reportedly disappointed with what they got for their money, and only 50.5 per cent rated room service and food as better than expected.
The Ministry conducted the survey via the June 2003 immigration departure cards for Nassau and Paradise Island visitors.
Jeremy MacVean, president of the Bahamas Hotel Association said that The Bahamas would always be a high cost destination, stressing that the country needs to focus on providing value for the money paid by tourists.
“There is no question we are going to remain a high-cost destination; that’s not going to change,” he told the Guardian. “But we have to make sure that we do give value for that money. That’s achievable by meeting visitors’ expectations. We have got to walk the walk.”
Of the 17,882 visitors that answered the question on hotel value for money, 47 per cent said they thought the value was better than expected, 53 per cent rated hotel value as at or below expectations, and 4 per cent said they were unlikely to recommend the destination based on this criteria.
Some of the criticisms included: Substandard rooms; hotels needed remodeling; and poor service by hotel employees. The general consensus among the negative comments made by visitors was that for the price they expected better.
While there were properties that were making “great” efforts to ensure that their property and facilities were in excellent condition, Mr. MacVean said, there were others that needed to “spruce up” their appearance. He thought that to single out the good or bad would be inappropriate.
He maintained however that the properties that are not in good shape drag the general impression of the entire destination down. If some one has a negative experience due to the condition of the property or the service, “that’s not just damaging to that one property it’s damaging to the entire destination,” he said.
He said that this is a concern within the hotel association and has been the subject of discussion and will remain on the agenda for the future.
Addressing the guest’s complaints on the service received from hotel staff, he said that the association is hoping that the new CaribCert programme would help to raise the level of professionalism in the industry. “If you get your associates treated as professionals and certified as professionals, hopefully they will act more professional,” he stated.
Mr. MacVean dismissed the possibility that the current downturn the industry is currently experiencing may be related to the comments received from visitors. He cited hurricane scares, Sept. 11, the poor United States economy and a lack of destination marketing by the Ministry of Tourism as the most likely causes.
Mr. MacVean applauded the Ministry of Tourism for sensitizing Bahamians on the issue, emphasising that, “When we receive negative comments, we have to react to them.”
By Martella Matthews, The Nassau Guardian
