Contributing to the discussion was parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Tourism in Bahamas John Carey who in his speech noted that it was no secret about the economic dependence of the Caribbean on the tourism sector. In fact, he noted the region’s dependence on tourism continues to expand as other more traditional sectors such as export-oriented agriculture sugar, rice, bananas face an erosion of preferential treatments.
According to Carey, The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism has long ago concluded that tourism is in fact everybody’s business. “As one of the first Caribbean countries to fully embrace tourism as a viable engine to drive economic development, The Bahamas has benefited immensely from this decision.” He cautioned, however that while there is no doubt about the economic viability of tourism as a tool for development, it also brings with it some challenges. “In terms of economic impact, The Bahamas last year (2005) welcomed five million visitors for the second consecutive year, but more importantly, realised some $2 billion in direct foreign revenues supporting our local cur rency relative to the US dollar.”
“Cruise visitors to The Bahamas totalled 3.4 million in 2005 with an excess of 1.6 million passengers coming by air as stopover visitors. In terms of visitor spending, air arrivals spend on average $1,200 per person compared with the estimated $70 per person spent by cruise passengers. However, both groups provide direct economic opportunities for significant sections of the business community.” The parliamentary secretary revealed that two thirds of the employment in The Bahamas is linked directly and indirectly to tourism activities, and it supports the relatively high standard of living as The Bahamas’ per capita income is roughly $16 000, driven by tourism and banking. Notwithstanding, he explained that there has been high leakage due to a significant import bill to satisfy Bahamians and visitors’ demand for goods and services estimated at 70 to 80 per cent.
The Nassau Guardian
