He should just fix it. and stop wasting time throwing stones. He may not know, Grand Bahama
lost the towers the Princess hotel and now Our Lucaya, He should show GB his motion
and stop talking to people who can not think for themselves . And many years ago GB lost
the Jack Tar hotel.

"He should just fix it and stop wasting time throwing stones." This I agree with 100%

The Jack Tar is still there - figuratively anyway. Its demolished pieces of toxic waste were used as landfill when Crisco Butt gave it away to Ginn to make Ginn-sur-Mere subdivision, resort and marina, which failed miserably and never got off the ground. Pity anyone who buys that vacant land. The toxic building materials are outgassing into the soil. I wouldn't be surprised that if anyone lives on the land, that there will be sickness and birth defects like Flint, Michigan.

1. Create events that are tailored to the American market - festival travel has increase exponentially with millennial travellers. With our proximity to the eastern US, we should be targeting the Vegas traveller. You create an event at-least once a quarter that will fill heads in beds which will stimulate GDP.

2. You want to increase visitors to GBI? Think about which industries are booming in the US and soon Canada - in the next 5 years you will see Jamaica capitalizing on the decriminlization and weed tourism industry. We will probably wait until they do it and then say "oh, there is something here". Get the kinks out now. Also, allow of small businesses to produce their own strain of marijuanna for export. When it is legal in Canada, whichever destination opens up first will win on the marijuanna traveler BECAUSE THEY CAN SMOKE ON THE BEACH!

AS WINE FOR EUROPE, MARIJUANA WILL BE FOR THE CARIBBEAN! *Let that sink in..*

3. Capitalize on the remote worker. Promote and target professionals who work from their computers to live and work in The Bahamas. Or even target tech companies to open up shop in The Bahamas specifically Nassau.

4. Increase VAT in Nassau and decrease it in GBI. Turn Nassau into a true Metropolis. Increase ways for people to live and work in Nassau only. It needs to turn into a vibrant CITY! and the out islands remain the real island life atmosphere.

5. Start to market the Bahamas more than just a vacation destination - you can go to the beach in Cuba, Jamaica, Aruba but what is the difference with The Bahamas and how can we get away with the astronomical amount it cost to get there, and only when a visitor gets here they realize they can get the same experience in another CHEAPER destination.

This sounds great, and no I'm not a proponent of marijuana, but I don't think this will turn out well. This same boom and jobs and tourism were arguments put forward for the gaming industry. What did we end up with? A mafia with untold unknown negative political influence and money sucked out of the economy in *globbillions*. I mean they were considering giving those guys banking licenses!

I predict we will end up with children between the ages of 8-16 "hooked" on marijuana. They'll go to school high, get high at lunch and walk around like zombies. They will constitute a new spaced out workforce just at the time when we should be cultivating brain power.

I'm certain there will be talk of all the programs they'll put in place to prevent young children from using, they won't do it and it won't work.

I also predict some people will get rich.

But some good ideas there....

With gambling there should be one national lottery that could be taxed.

The fact that these number houses are still open as they suck the majority of our work force money is ridiculous - i am surprised the FNM didn't change this instantly..

I agree with you to come extent when it comes to social ills that MAY come with the leagalization of marijuana. But if you look at the proof with Colorado, within 1 month they made millions in taxes which went right back into the education system..

So think about it.. if you create a new industry which is taxed and you are educating Bahamians to make the right decisions then it is a win win.

And facts show in places like Amsterdam and Colorado the use of Marijuana in youths decreased because of all the education that came with it.

At the end of the day, industries are changing and we can sit here and talk all this talk and expect things to change or blame the previous person. Action speaks and things need to change

>Capitalize on the remote worker. Promote and target professionals who work from their computers to live and work in The Bahamas. Or even target tech companies to open up shop in The Bahamas specifically Nassau.

This is absolutely fooking huge! There should be a special class of residency for remote workers. There should be a law stating that residency permits are approved in 48 hours. The only check should be that they do not have a criminal record and the source of their income is outside the Bahamas. And presto, they are in!! They would bring huge economic offset to the Bahamas because they are paid well. It would create a huge impact on tech tourism -- product expos, technology seminars and courses, and workplace incentives. A Toronto insurance company flies their head office employees to the Cayman Islands for two weeks. Not only that, but it would be the seeds of a knowledge industry here. These types of people are called Digital Nomads and they are also startup prone. They would start up tech businesses and eventually employ local people.

Lifestyle is important to digital nomads, and this is one area where the tired old chestnut of sun, sand, sea and tropical drinks is still a valid appeal -- especially if it is your working milieu.

But sigh, any Bahamian politician is not cognizant or aware enough to even recognise the potential, and since they never heard of it before, there is absolutely zero chance of them doing something innovative like this.

I am one of these Digital Nomads ... and contribute significantly to the
local economy.

It should be promoted as it is very viable to work from GBI and attend meetings on a quarterly basis in Canada and/or the US.

I am a Digital Nomad too - out in the Exumas. Sad to report that wimax has been down here for the last month (no joke) and have been purchasing pre-paid cellular data to get by - when the phones are working. (Thanks BTC...Everyday!) P.S. If the Bahamas got serious about attracting us nomads - something upwards of "up to 8 mbps"would be appreciated. It's the infrastructure, stupid.

It is time to free Free Port!!! Remove all restrictions to US, Canadian and UK persons and companies moving there for comercial purposes. No work permits required. No duty. No BIA approvals. The Government would still make a killing from stamp tax, VAT and company incorporation fees. If this is done, Free Port real estate would pop overnight. In ten years, it could become another NYC with skyscrapers etc. Nassau residents would flock there due to its booming economy and Nassau would become less over populated. The US government would start investing in The Bahamas again. Only sector reserved strictly for Bahamians should be the commercial fishing sector. We would still have the rest of The Bahamas all to ourselves. We have no choice. We are bankrupt! Time to be innovative. Time to put The Bahamas on the map again. It is time to free Free Port or die a slow death of financial stagnation and ruin.

BahamaPundit----What you are suggesting was exactly the way things were in Freeport during the early 1960's. Work permits were no problem, and everybody had a job. After 1967 the goose was cooked. Sadly, it can never go back!

Lol. Make the Bahamas great again, bring our country back...with segregated bathrooms to boot.

@BahamaPundit -- This is exactly what Cayman Enterprise City did. You get work permits for spouse, employees, relaxation of import duties for management AND employees to move to the Caymans, you get telephone, secretary services and office space, legislative mandated approvals in 10 working days, and all it costs you is about $12,000 -- for the entire package. Check it out -- read it and weep: http://www.caymanenterprisecity.com/

I think the festival idea is a good one but not the route of carnival. Let's create wholesome festivals and not be branded hedonism

its always the same story with us bahamians, do something to make things better as long as you dont change anything... what messed up thinking...

I looked for a hotel yesterday in Grand Bahama, there is nowhere to stay. I guess they are limited to cruise ship passengers to make a living. What is going on? Grand Bahamas is a beautiful island with lots of potential. I can't believe it's in the shape it's in. Why is the government not backing getting this Island booming again? It's helps everyone.

On-island Bahamians need to quit looking in the mirror and feeling sorry for yourselves as the world passes you by. It will & is.
All islands have the same challenges, nothing new. Research what others have done to resolve these, while reviewing what mistakes were made by others.
Foreign located Bahamians would love to come Home, if they had opportunities to be contributors to society, as they are wherever they are now.
Break the mirror, no bad luck!

Any other ideas besides tourism? Bahamas has very little growth potential in this area- except in the lovelier and quaint family islands. Grand Bahama just isn't interesting. Never has been.

Grammar correction...given that our newspapers are read by people all over the world.
Headline should read FEWER tourists not LESS tourists. FEWER refers to number whereas LESS refers to wholeness. LESS tourists would mean tourists with missing parts.
Not to be picky..but our journalists should be more careful.

"I ate LESS today because in the cafeteria there were FEWER food choices available".
There are FEWER tourists in Grand Bahama giving us LESS of a chance to make more money.

If there are any tourists who are amputees, then less would be appropriate. The word less is more appropriate for PLPs though, because they are not whole persons -- they have less brains, less intelligence, less integrity, less truthfulness, less altruism .... I could go on, but everyone but PLPs gets the point.

Did it ever enter his mind that there are very few hotel rooms. He will do well to think
before he speaks.

http://tribune242.com/users/photos/2017…

The only significant difference between Freeport and Enterprise City in Cayman is immigration policy. What are we so afraid of here? Liberalise the archaic and self defeating work and residency permit policy - open the place up. Digital nomads are a huge potential market that we are scaring off with protectionist immigration policy. Bahamians currently have nothing to aspire to; nothing to want to be at home for. Foreign influence brings innovation and new opportunity. We have to welcome these people, not deter them.
There is no hospitality in the Bahamas anymore. It's all about what 'they' can do for us - from politicians down to the street merchants. Gimme, gimme, gimme. What about collateral benefit? There may not be direct benefits for all but more people bring more spending, more spending brings more opportunity. Grand Bahama needs a minimum of 50,000 more residents.
What about the second home market in Freeport? Immigration policy continues to screw this up. Actively go after the second home market; actively go after digital nomads. Spend marketing money in business market sectors, not only tourism sectors. Get a clear and concise offering together. Do this, you get that.
We continue to try and use an old model. Times have changed and if we are going to survive we have to change too.
It's not difficult if we can just find it in ourselves to get away from the anti anything foreign mindset.