A tourism insider has told The Tribune that the government should look at hiring new personnel to freshen up the marketing approach for Grand Bahama if it wanted to achieve its goal of attracting substantial visitor numbers and revitalise that destination.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said that although the government had recently stepped up efforts to promote Grand Bahama, a key ingredient in turning the island’s tourism industry around would be to introduce some new blood into this effort.
With hopes high for a strong 2004, the long-awaited recovery of the Caribbean’s tourism industry was said to have finally begun, with arrivals to the region from major market through August 2003 up 6 per cent over the same period in 2002.
This followed an increase of 7 per cent for the same period January – April 2003, Simon Suarez, president of the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) told Caribbean Marketplace conference.
Mr. Suarez said that for nearly all destinations in the region visitor arrivals had been on the positive side for 2003, with emerging markets such as Cuba and the Dominican Republic reporting double digit growth in this area.
Airlift and capacity to the Caribbean for the winter period were also reported to have surpassed levels prior to 2001, further underscoring, “the advantages of the Caribbean as a primary tourist destination, in a world that has seen an increase in uncertainty and apprehension to travel in the last two years”.
Mr. Suarez said that based on the positive forecast for the current winter, the strong euro, and the improving US economy and increased consumer confidence, CHA anticipates a positive 2004 for Caribbean tourism.
By Yolanda Deleveaux Tribune Business Reporter at the Caribbean Marketplace
Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico
