By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

LABOUR Director John Pinder said officials are excited about the spin-off economic benefits to come from major resort openings next month.

While Baha Mar this week announced its phased reopening will begin on December 17, Atlantis has also said it plans to begin accepting guests before year’s end.

With the Bahamas’ economic rebound finally within view, Mr Pinder said officials are hopeful both resorts will be seen as a benchmark for opening by smaller hotels and businesses.

However, he said, officials are keeping their fingers crossed that an uptick in visitors won’t spark another surge of COVID-19 cases.

“We are really excited to hear now that Baha Mar is taking steps to try to open before the end of the year,” Mr Pinder told The Tribune yesterday. “That brings relief to at least 1,500 of their workers that I am hearing will be called back to work who are on extended layoffs at this time.

“So that certainly will help them to have a merry Christmas because things aren’t looking so good. We are really thankful that they have made the decision. We hope that they can follow all of the Ministry of Health protocols to ensure the safety of those workers and their guests to ensure that there will be no further spread of the COVID-19.

“But if you have more people now booking rooms to come to The Bahamas, the tourism industry can be fully opened by the spring of next year.

“We know there is a spin off,” Mr Pinder continued. “There is an additional number of persons that benefit from this size property being opened.

“Once they would have reopened, now you are talking about staffers now making it to those other little businesses that normally depend on persons who work in the hotel industry and other areas of the country can now have customers that can come back and patronise their business, so they too can open now.

“Hopefully the other persons in the tourism industry who operate the jet skis and the hair braiders and the straw vendors – eventually all of them will be in the position to start to benefit from this initial reopening of Baha Mar and Atlantis.”

He said the hotel openings would also alleviate the financial strain currently on the National Insurance Board.

The organisation’s total expenditure towards both Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19’s initiatives has amounted to $176m.

NIB has spent $91.6m in unemployment benefit payments to 37,000 beneficiaries since the onset of this pandemic.

As it relates to the government’s own unemployment benefit programme, $56.1m has been spent towards that initiative so far to over 30,000 persons, with $15.6m paid out directly to self-employed people.

“Once they start to work again you don’t have to worry about trying to get any benefits from NIB or any unemployment assistance or food stamps. Bahamians are very proud people. I know it hurts their hearts to tow lines to get this kind of assistance. So I think this is a step in the right direction,” Mr Pinder said.

“We just have to pray that there is no spread that persons will follow all the protocols and not drop their guards,” Mr Pinder told The Tribune.

Baha Mar’s opening was hailed Wednesday by a hotel union official as a “good signal” for the tourism industry.

Darrin Woods, president of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union, added that he hopes the move will help “create a domino effect” causing other hotels across the country to follow.

Mr Woods’ comments came hours after the Cable Beach resort, in a press statement released Wednesday, revealed it will begin its phased reopening starting December 17, allowing for “over 1,500 associates” to return to work in the first phase.

Resort officials said the phased reopening strategy will begin with the resumption of operations at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, followed by Rosewood Baha Mar and then SLS Baha Mar.

Strict protocols inclusive of enhanced safety and health measures will facilitate this reopening to ensure the safety of both staff and guests, officials added.