By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter 

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas should encourage the creation of more signature cultural and heritage festivals as a means to attract cruise visitors and create economic opportunities for Bahamian entrepreneurs, a local event organiser said yesterday.

Dario Tirelli, founder of Events 242 told Tribune Business a signature festival each month could be a major draw for cruise visitors.

“Every month there should be a go-to festival here,” he said. “Product distributors should partner with private citizens and festival event planners to make it happen. Festivals can generate significant business for local vendors, give them an opportunity to promote their products and provide more money to the government via taxes.

“Bahamians need to start promoting themselves to the cruise industry and create events to draw cruise bookings. That is a really big market. We have about 57,000 people coming off the cruise ships each week. We can use festivals as a draw for them and help generate more spend.”

Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar last week noted cruise ship passengers to this destination are on average spending just $69 while our stopover visitors are spending approximately $1,500. Cruise ship passengers however represent 75 percent of total visitor arrivals yet they only represent 12 percent of the spend. 

Mr Tirelli noted that New Orleans has its calendar booked all year long with famous festivals in the French Quarter.

“New Orleans brags about more festivals than days in the year. They even have tours going into the grave yard. We can create entertainment tours which can help generate more income for people. We can promote more of our heritage and culture and create entrepreneurial opportunities for Bahamians by creating more signature festivals. We know festivals here can be successful. The Summer Junkanoo hosted by the Ministry of Tourism two years in a row was a huge success for local vendors,” said Mr Tirelli.