Top government officials and the Ministry of Tourism have received a commitment in principle to move forward on dramatically simplifying visas for millions of Chinese tourists.
The news comes shortly after The Bahamas signed off on a $40 million loan from the state-owned Export-Import Bank of China on Thursday. Brent Symonette, minister of foreign affairs and deputy prime minister, told Guardian Business the issue of Chinese visas was also on the table.
“We’re working through the mechanics. We have agreed we’ll do it,” he said. “But the mechanics of going through another country … it’s a little more complicated than we thought.”
The process, stretching back to when Guardian Business first reported on the matter in September of last year, is a collaborative effort between the Department of Immigration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Tourism. Once completed, millions of Chinese will have ready access to visas to The Bahamas through an online “e-distribution” system.
