This warning from the prime minister came at the opening of the first national forum to discuss strategies for enhancing the visitor experience for persons travelling to this country.
Addressing government and key industry partners at the first annual National Tourism Conference, being held this week at the Wyndham Nassau Resort and Crystal Palace Casino, Mr. Christie said the country must offer visitors greater value for their money in order to prevent the further loss of market share to competitors.
Statistics from the Tourism Taskforce on Trade Liberalisation indicate that of the four growth markets in the Caribbean – The Bahamas, Cuba, Cancun and the Dominican Republic – The Bahamas realised the lowest growth rate between 1994 and 1999.
For the mentioned period, The Bahamas’ growth rate in total rooms was only six percent, while Cancun achieved a 17 percent rate of growth, Cuba 43 percent and the Dominican Republic 71 percent.
“Our competitors have been able to gain an edge on us by offering cheaper vacations,” Mr. Christie said.
“They do so because they pay their workers less than we do,” the prime minister said. “We have gone in the opposite direction and have created a high quality product that can only appeal to those vacationers who can afford our rates.”
He continued, “Once we have committed ourselves to this course there can be no turning back and it is now incumbent on us all to maintain the standards that those high-end consumers demand or face redundancy in the fullest sense of the word.”
Addressing the state of ground transportation business in the country, Prime Minister Christie noted the importance of providing a product that visitors feel comfortable using.
Focusing on the taxicab sector, Mr. Christie said the government is in talks with automaker Mercedes Benz and other suppliers to replace all taxis in The Bahamas with “luxury” sedans and vans over the next five years.
“For environmental and quality reasons this agreement will require that these automobiles be replaced on a fixed schedule so that we will never again go back to the unacceptable range and quality of taxi services that we offer our increasingly upscale visitors today,” Mr. Christie added.
Taking the opportunity to address recent media reports that the $600 million Phase III expansion of the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort has been placed on hold until major upgrades at Nassau International Airport have been completed, the prime minister expressed surprise that Kerzner International Chairman Butch Kerzner was reported to have expressed disappointment that no visible sign of repairs can be seen at NIA.
Mr. Kerzner’s statement was reported in the Nassau Guardian article with the headline “Phase III on hold”, yesterday.
“I know that in this country tourism can only work if we have an efficient, attractive and functionally operational airport – I know that,” said Mr. Christie.
“[Atlantis officials] told me they could only expand if we have an airport capable of accommodating the expansion. I accept that. We went out and employed top consultants and we told our partners. We went out and we employed top engineering firms out of Canada and we told our partners,” he said.
Mr. Christie continued, “We went to bid on runway 1432 and we told our partners. To be absolutely sure I met personally with Mr. Sol Kerzner and told him from my mouth to his ears.”
“So Barrie you can understand why as prime minister when I see no evidence that you are going to begin the third phase, but I believe in good faith that you’re doing it. So you would understand that I would be surprised that someone could say, when I told their father, that they see no evidence and they do not know,” Mr. Christie said, addressing Atlantis International Senior Vice President J. Barrie Farrington.
Noting the highly competitive nature of the global tourism industry, Mr. Christie challenged domestic industry officials to utilise newer strategies in promoting the tourism product.
“It is important that we wake up and realise that any qualitative difference that exists between us and our competitors now or comes to exist in the future is and will remain the product of our own effort and our own initiative,” Mr. Christie said.
“We are living in the twenty-first century yet to a great extent the approach that we have been taking to running this tourism industry of ours has been rooted in the twentieth century,” he added.
Speaking at yesterday’s opening, tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe encouraged participants of the workshop to discuss concerns frankly while seeking solutions to many of the industry’s most pressing concerns.
“At last the National Tourism Conference has become a reality and our industry partners now have an unprecedented opportunity to resolve urgent matters,” said Minister Wilchcombe.
“We must find practical and sustainable methods of managing the cost of doing business so that we remain competitive with other destinations. At the same time, we must continually upgrade our product and raise our level of service so that visitors will always be pleased with the quality of the Bahamian experience,” he added.
Highlighting the focus of the weeklong workshop, Deputy Director General of Tourism Vernice Walkine said the forum is intended to suggest methods of improving the tourism product and not focus on existing problems.
“This week is about recommendations, solutions and plans not about problems,” she said. “We agree that it is time to fix the problems.”
By Darrin Culmer, The Bahama Journal
