DNA candidate laments cruise ship pull out from Grand Bahama

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

WITH hundreds of hotel workers unemployed in Grand Bahama, Nevar Smith, the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) candidate for Marco City, said the island is again faced with bad news after the recent pullout of Norwegian Sky resulted in the loss of millions of dollars to the local economy.

He noted that while the cruise ship will still call on Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay, Grand Bahama is left out once again.

Mr Smith said the news comes at a time when Grand Bahama can least afford it.

“This bad news comes on the heels of the largest hotel property on the island closing its doors and with the only casino around doing the same.," he said in a statement on Friday. "The closure of these businesses alone has left hundreds of Grand Bahamians unemployed and by extension has affected many other people negatively.”

He stressed that the Grand Bahamian economy is poised to lose millions of dollars as a result of the Norwegian Sky pulling out. He wants to know what the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) administration is doing about the current state of affairs in Grand Bahama.  

“My question is what are the leaders of the governing Progressive Liberal Party doing to stop the economic bleeding in Grand Bahama? How long will the residents of this island have to suffer and struggle in this way before getting some relief?

"Where are the new investments and companies on the island that can provide employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for our people? Why does Grand Bahama continue to be treated like the Bahamas’ stepchild and constantly get the short end of the stick time and time again?”

Mr Smith said that successive governments over the years have treated Grand Bahama with contempt and in a half-hearted way.

“The nation’s Minister of Tourism is a son of the soil who also serves as the member of Parliament for West Grand Bahama. With that being said, one would think that the tourism sector on this island would be doing much better than it currently is.

“Some may seek to take comfort by blaming Hurricane Matthew for the dismal state of the tourism sector on Grand Bahama Island. My only problem with that is that the sector has been struggling and stagnant for the better part of the last decade.”

Mr Smith believes that Obie Wilchcombe, the Minister of Tourism, has “truly let the people of Grand Bahama down in a major way”.

Mr Smith is the youngest candidate to be ratified for the upcoming general elections. He was elected as a local government councillor and was voted in as Deputy Chief Councillor. In September, he stepped down to pursue his interest in frontline politics. 

Marco City constituency is a swing seat, with both the PLP and Free National Movement holding it.

Mr Smith said that when the DNA becomes the government, Grand Bahama will be given the attention and support that it deserves. He said the tourism sector will be treated with more respect and Grand Bahamians who are interested in developing attractions that can enhance the tourism product will be given the incentives and assistance needed to succeed.

“A DNA government will work around the clock coming up with creative ways to get more cruise ships back to the island, in addition to getting more hotel rooms in our inventory. Under a DNA government, all Grand Bahamians who are interested will be given the opportunity to actively participate in the development of the tourism sector on the island through various think tanks that will be established," he said.

“These think tanks will be created with the goal of facilitating a more ground up approach to making tourism work in Grand Bahama once again through harnessing the ideas that our people can offer on a regular basis. All hands must be on deck in order for the needed transformation to happen,” Mr Smith said.

Comments

paul_vincent_zecchino says...

Any Bahamian citizen may freely visit any Bahamian resort, hotel or restaurant.

They're free to visit and then return home or go about their other business.

But Cubans may not freely visit Cuban resorts, hotels or restaurants.

Only those Cubans assigned by the communist party to work at resorts may set foot on them, and only to perform their assigned tasks. Then, they're instructed to return home.

Any Cuban who is not assigned to work at a hotel, restaurant or resort and who visits them nonetheless can count on being arrested by castro's goonsquads, and thrown into prison.

That's how it works in the Bahamas as opposed to how it works in Cuba.

So with that sunny little reality in mind, why would any of us want to visit Cuba?

Many of us do and likely will, but not until after the last of Cuba's ruling thugs are gone.

Until then, we're perfectly delighted to visit the Bahamas.

Posted 11 February 2017, 1:41 a.m. Suggest removal

concernedcitizen says...

Where do you get your facts .Cuba is changing rapidly under Raul .I know I go there and my partner in work has a daughter there .The Cuban resorts now have special discounted rates for Cubans to come stay in the resorts in the slow months .Cubans can now own resturaunts etc They can also rent their rooms/homes to tourist and had the largest sign up ever on ABNB when the US travel embargo was eased . It is not perfect but the start toward capitalism is changing things .Google is there working on IT infrastructure .Cubans in Miami are sending money for their relatives to fix up their places for ABNB ,,Home away etc ..As a Bahamian that has been going there since the eighties ,,we in the Bahamas better step up our game ..The service in Cuba is excellent ,they have 4000 Keys/Cays ,beaches like ours ,mountains ,,culture ..Don,t let your right wing ideology cloud your judgement .Cuba has been doing 3 million stopover tourist a year w/ out the US market ,the Bahamas only does 1.3 million stopover w/ the US market .

Posted 12 February 2017, 7:46 a.m. Suggest removal

DreamerX says...

He says, the Tourism minister is from here so we should be doing better? Oh my bad, I thought DNA were against PLP doing favors for their own! Shameless ill advised comment. What you would become a tourism minister and throw all the tourism money at GB!? Please stop.

Posted 11 February 2017, 8:20 a.m. Suggest removal

DreamerX says...

Additionally the wording sounds like the same new age US Political drivel that can be bought by a advisory firm on running a campaign and then fired when you achieve office. smh

Posted 11 February 2017, 8:22 a.m. Suggest removal

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