With new air services being introduced to The Bahamas, some hoteliers are anticipating a booming winter season.
Steve Kappeler, regional director of Operations and Sales for Holiday Inn, reported that business is usually slow during early November, but he said occupancy levels are higher than they were this time last year.
“With the increase in air carriers to The Bahamas and business from Grand Bahama, we expect a 3 percent increase in sales for both The Junkanoo Beach Club and Sun Spree Resort this holiday season,” Mr. Kappeler said.
But at some properties, business levels are lower than they were a year ago.
Arthurita Smith, front office manager of Comfort Suites on Paradise Island, told the Bahama Journal that business is down right now.
She blamed this on two main factors: a falloff created by the September hurricanes and the recent U.S. presidential election.
But Ms. Smith said, “We are expecting a rise in business this holiday season.ﾒ
She reported that the property is booked for Thanksgiving and the first two weeks in December. Business is also looking strong for New Yearﾴs and Spring Break, Ms. Smith said.
In its third quarter report released Tuesday, Kerzner International said Atlantis too experienced lower occupancy levels in the days following Hurricane Frances
In the quarter, the luxury resort achieved average occupancy of 77 percent compared to 79 percent in the same period last year.
But bookings are strong moving forward. In fact, international press reports indicated over the weekend that Atlantis is booked for the holiday period.
Things are also looking up for the downtown business-tourist hotel, The British Colonial Hilton.
ﾓThe first nine to 10 days of November have been great for us this year when compared to last year,ﾒ said Michael Hooper, the hotelﾴs general manager.
“We are going to finish the year with a 79 percent occupancy level, which is up from 71 percent a year ago.”
Now that this freakish and active hurricane season is nearing an end, Mr. Hooper feels that more tourists would be inclined to visit The Bahamas.
The hotels along the Cable Beach Strip are also looking forward to the traditional pickup that usually comes during the holiday season.
The last few days in December are usually the busiest period for the Wyndham Nassau Resort and the other hotels in the area.
The Wyndham is 99 percent booked for this coming Friday, although it tends to experience soft numbers during the middle of the week.
Government officials, meanwhile, are hoping that the majority of Grand Bahamaﾴs tourism plant comes back online by the end of the year.
Prime Minister Perry Christie has said this is essential as 4,000 people, mainly from the hotel sector, were laid off immediately after the hurricanes.
But the Royal Oasis Resort, one of the major properties on the northern island, is not expected to reopen its doors until next April, as it continues to carry out repairs in the weeks and months following hurricanes Frances and Jeanne.
Moving into 2005, the tourism industry is expected to experience a healthy upturn, according to a recent report released by the Central Bank of The Bahamas.
Stephen Gay, The Bahama Journal
