By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Ministry of Tourism is eyeing late October as the return of its global marketing strategies, hoping by then the country is ready to reopen, Tourism Parliamentary Secretary Travis Robinson said yesterday.

“We are looking at around late October for phase one (of the reopening) and the early part of November, if everything pans out, for the final phase as we go back out and infiltrate the market with the tourism brand of The Bahamas,” he said.

He said about $13 million in ads were put on hold when Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis implemented restrictions last month to again slow the spread of COVID-19. “Since the country readjusted by going back to a lockdown, the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation halted all our marketing overseas to understand what’s happening globally and locally,” he said. “There was a need to ensure the message we were selling about The Bahamas being open for business is unified across all our marketing areas. We have some nine different offices all around the world so there is a need to ensure we are sending unified messages in terms of what people can expect with respect to the restrictions and protocols put in place by the competent authority.

“The situation has been fluid in the country. At one particular time there was the COVID-19 negative test that was required, then there was the 14-day quarantine requirement and then adjustments were made again so hotel properties have been deemed quarantine sites. To ensure we are not back and forth to the global community about our message that The Bahamas is open for business, we are holding our ads. We have been meeting on a regular basis discussing the new marketing campaign that will involve every island of The Bahamas in our new market going forward.”

Mr Robinson said when the country is ready for business again, tourism officials want visitors to get their travel visas quicker than they did when the country last reopened.

“We’ve been meeting with a local company to adjust the process for accepting COVID-19 negative tests from guests,” he said. “One challenge we experienced when guests submitted their tests was the turn around time to issue them their travel visas. “You can have anywhere up to 2,000 to 3,000 visitors coming to The Bahamas each day, even more. The demand to have those negative tests processed manually by individuals at the command centre became strenuous so we are at the table negotiating with a local company about participating in that work. We are looking at the possibility of an automated system and artificial intelligence so when we do reopen, tourists who submit their test can receive their travel visa within ten to 15 minutes. We will ensure we prevent false tests from being approved.”

Mr Robinson also said those who want to give input or suggestions can email him at trobinson@bahamas.com.