However, a compromise has been reached which government officials hope will end a boycott campaign against The Bahamas.
Minister Wilchcombe said an incentive will be integrated into the fee schedule to make the increases more palatable.
Following vehement opposition from persons visiting the country by private boat and resort operators fearing a falloff in business, the government promised to re-think the increases.
Minister Wilchcombe said that following that review private boaters traveling to The Bahamas will continue to be charged $300 for vessels 35 feet or larger and $150 for smaller boats.
He explained that the new provision – which takes effect January 1, 2004 – allows boaters to return to The Bahamas within 90 days of their original visit for free.
“What we did was we heard what the local community and the boaters were saying and we took a look at our fees and we decided that what we’ll do is provide for an additional trip within the fee that is paid within a 90-day period so we want it to serve more as an incentive and we understand that it has been received well,” Mr. Wilchcombe said.
At its height, opposition to the increase – from $100 to $300 for the larger boats and from $100 to $150 for the smaller category – sparked a heated conflict between private boaters – predominantly from South Florida – and The Bahamas government.
The Boat Owners Association of the United States also stepped into the fray at that time threatening a response to what it called the “unreasonable” increases.
“A reasonable increase might be warranted if the Bahamian government could show some tangible benefits,” the organisation’s President Jim Ellis said. “But the steep increase as well as the way it was implemented raises a great deal of concern.”
Mr. Wilchcombe expressed optimism that the inclusion of an incentive with the existing fees would be effective in mitigating that type of opposition.
He also noted the need for the government to earn greater revenue from the fees charged to boaters while maintaining good relations with them.
“In building tourism we have to always have relationships,” Minister Wilchcombe said. “We accepted that that there might have been some argument, but we have been able to talk to the marinas, boat owners and others and explain to them that we have a country and we are responsible for the environment and developing the economy.”
He continued, “What we would wish them to appreciate is that when we impose fees we are doing so in the best interest of our nation. I believe that we perhaps did not communicate that as effectively as we should have and when you might have made a mistake or taken a move in the wrong direction I think it’s always good to be able to go back and look at it again and we’ve been able to do that.”
Initial response to the decision has been favourable.
Manager of the Bimini Big Game Fishing Club and Marina Leah Head said Monday that the incentive to foreign boaters is welcome. Resorts in Bimini were among the destinations that felt a backlash most severely.
“We here at Bimini are very excited that this has happened because the economy will most likely change and we’re happy that the ministries of tourism and finance have actually come to listen to what’s going on in the Family Islands,” Ms. Head said.
By Darrin Culmer, The Bahama Journal
