By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Family Island hotels say they are “booked solid” for the Easter period, with one disclosing an 80 percent occupancy level for the holiday that traditionally marks the winter season peak and climax.

Cheryl Bastian, owner/operator of Swain's Cay Lodge in Andros, told Tribune Business that while bookings for the Easter weekend have traditionally been weak for her business - because many anglers tend to spend time with their families during the holiday - this April is instead booked solid.

Ms Bastian said: “We’re getting some excellent bookings before and after the Easter Holiday. But that particular Easter weekend for us, we don’t get a lot of anglers in. That’s a family time. But as we’re a fishing lodge, it is definitely a crowd we want to attract and get them going forward.

“For Andros we have to do a different kind of marketing,” Ms Bastian added, pointing out that islands such as Exuma have the swimming pigs while the majority of The Bahamas' marketing spend is focused on the likes of Atlantis and Baha Mar. She added: “We have to enhance the angling, we have to enhance the blue holes and the snorkelling and other things specific to Andros.”

Highlighting the work being done to ensure COVID-19 test kits are available for all travellers to Andros, Ms Bastian said persons can easily access the island if they want to and “that is the reason I am booked solid for the month of April".

Matthew Brear, Cape Santa Maria's general manager, said the Long Island resort is at 80 percent capacity for Easter and “climbing". He added: “With more vaccines, more confidence and experience with testing and protocols, and the nature of our ‘Out Island’ product, all are helping to drive business to Long Island.”

However, Jeff Birch, owner/operator of the Small Hope Bay Lodge in Fresh Creek, Andros, said occupancy remains down and blames “vaccination paralysation” for the low outlook. But the “phones are at least ringing".

Carl Rolle, owner/operator of Rollez Villas on Cat Island, said he expects Easter to be “pretty good".

He added: “The good thing about it is that we see a little creeping, so we are always thankful for small favours because we feel that we have done enough work to satisfy our guests when they come. Easter has always been a really solid period; we are always booked out but we're not booked out at the moment.”

Mr Rolle said “a lot of people have expressed interest” in booking a Cat Island vacation.