By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Ministry of Tourism is seeking private sector bids to take over management of Junkanoo Beach and improve a key component of Nassau's cruise product.

Dionisio D'Aguilar, minister of tourism, told Tribune Business that the Government is looking to "yield better results" by handing management of the West Bay Street site over to a private company.

Should a management deal be sealed, Mr D'Aguilar said the successful bidder would be responsible for billing and collecting rent from beach vendors, plus "enforcing the rules" and maintaining standards in a bid to improve the visitor experience at a destination that draws a significant number of cruise ship passengers and other visitors.

He explained that the Junkanoo Beach "outsourcing goal" was consistent with the Minnis administration's twin aims of getting the Government "out of business" and creating opportunities for small Bahamian businesses and entrepreneurs.

The Minister added that the move would also eliminate the influence of politically-motivated decision-making, arguing that it had been "proven time and time again" that politicians did not necessarily "make decisions in the best interest of the public" when running commercial assets.

"We felt we would at least explore an initiative involving a company running Junkanoo Beach for us," Mr D'Aguilar told this newspaper. "Governments have tried, have had limited success in running things, and it is much the same thing at Junkanoo Beach.

"We felt that if we injected, or put, a private company in there with a clear mandate and clear standard to maintain we'd yield better results. If we put a private sector company in there to run it, not so much to make a huge profit, they'd be much more mindful to collect the revenues there, maintain the standards, enforce the rules and bring about an improved customer experience at that beach."

The Ministry of Tourism, in a series of little-noticed newspaper advertisements, has been seeking Expressions of Interest (EoI) from private sector participants interested in taking over Junkanoo Beach's management for the past several weeks.

Mr D'Aguilar was unable to say if any offers have yet been submitted, but pointed to the 30-year management outsourcing contract for Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) to the Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) as the sort of arrangement he was seeking for Junkanoo Beach.

For the area is a key strategic asset, located adjacent to the British Colonial Hilton and The Pointe development, and sitting at the eastern entrance to Arawak Cay and the 'Fish Fry'. It is the closest public beach to downtown Nassau and the city's cruise port, representing a draw for visitors and locals alike, and lies across the road from the Courtyard by Marriott and other tourist amenities.

"Junkanoo Beach is the beach closest to the 3.6 million cruise passengers that come through Prince George's Dock, and many find their way to Junkanoo Beach," Mr D'Aguilar told Tribune Business.

"As Minister of Tourism, it would make sense to have someone with a business mind, business background and expertise with running things right to come in and run that on behalf of government.

"The FNM have said we will try as best as possible to put as many facets of government as possible in the hands of the private sector to run. We, in a very small way, are trying to deliver on that promise."

Mr D'Aguilar did not say how the proposed private sector manager will be compensated, although this will likely take the form of a management fee. Who pays this will have to be determined, but the very nature of 'outsourcing' is intended to ensure the taxpayer no longer picks up the bill.

"The belief governments can run things better has been proven wrong time and time again," he reiterated. "We want to see if we can create an opportunity for a private sector organisation to run this on our behalf; bill people, collect revenue when they're supposed to, maintain things and yield better results.

"It creates opportunity. Not for a large company, but a company looking to grow the amenity, improve the experience for the customer and deliver a better tourism product. That's our goal."

Mr D'Aguilar, though, emphasised that outsourcing Junkanoo Beach's management to the private sector - if it does happen - will not be a one-shot 'cure all' for Nassau's cruise tourism product deficiency.

"It's critical but not the only thing we're thinking of," he told this newspaper. "Just by running Junkanoo Beach better, if you think that's going to solve our lack of product and things to do, and available things to do, it's not going to solve that.

"We're taking a component of the cruise product that a lot of passengers use, and we're trying to improve that experience. We want to see if that makes a difference."