The Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) warned that the resort booking pace for the 2013 first quarter was currently “behind” 2012 comparatives, although average occupancies for the Christmas/New Year period are expected to be 2-3 per cent up.
Responding to Tribune Business’s questions, Stuart Bowe, the BHTA president, said that despite the concerning early, it was still “too early” to predict the 2013 first quarter outcome with certainty.
Expressing hope that the booking pace would pick up as the period neared, Mr Bowe nevertheless said: “It’s too early to make firm projections, but the booking pace for the 2013 first quarter is behind the 2012 numbers, and we are hopeful that the period fills in.”
No explanations for the reduced booking pace to-date were provided, but possible factors are ongoing US consumer confidence ‘wobbles’ induced by protracted negotiations over Washington’s so-called ‘fiscal cliff’, plus Hurricane Sandy’s aftermath.
The storm’s lingering effects on the US north-east and coast, where 40-50 per cent of the Bahamas’ stopover visitor market comes from, may also have dampened demand for a vacation in this nation.
Either way, the bookings pace outlook will be of concern to both the Bahamian hotel industry and wider economy.
The 2013 first quarter represents the peak winter season, this year including Easter, and is when Bahamas-based resorts make the bulk of their profits. These earnings then carry them through the quieter periods later in the year.
