By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

TOURISM, Aviation and Investments Minister Chester Cooper says he anticipates that tourism arrivals for next year will “be the best” the country has ever seen, with forward bookings for the first half of 2023 already showing promising signs.

Mr Cooper also revealed that visitor arrivals this year were already on pace to meet 2019 numbers, which was a “record breaking” year for tourism.

In 2019, the country hit the highest recorded number of stopover visitors in its history.

However, tourism officials believe that 2023 numbers will surpass that.

“Tourism numbers are exceptionally strong and I’m very, very optimistic about the next few months,” Mr Cooper told reporters before going to a Cabinet meeting yesterday.

“This optimism comes from what we see from our major stakeholders (and) the hotels in particular - Baha Mar, Atlantis and all of the properties even in the Family Islands are reporting very, very strong bookings over the next six months.

“Our airline partners are very happy and when we look at forwardkeys.com, who track forward bookings, we anticipate that 2023 is going to be the best year we’ve ever seen in tourism. This year, we’re going to meet the 2019 numbers and 2019 was a record setting year so once we beat this year next year, I think we’re going to be in a good place.”

Mr Cooper said officials have seen an increase in tourism arrivals across the board, including stopover visitors, cruise passengers and hotel occupancy.

He also said it was important that Bahamians benefit from this “surge” in tourism, adding that “team tourism is working very hard to ensure that we bring the tourists here.”

“The merchants, the vendors, Bahamians who are in business, must ensure that their product is sufficiently enticing to cause them to spend or to cause them to get off the ship, get out of the hotels to experience the tours, the sights, and shops, restaurants and clubs, whatever there are,” the acting prime minister continued.

“So, we’re doing a great job at bringing the tourists. We want to increase the spend. If we can increase the level of spend, that would be even more important to us than increasing the numbers. So, we want to say that 2023 is a record year in terms of arrivals and there’s a record level of spending. That would warm my heart.”

Mr Cooper said the government is also committed to revamping the downtown area.

Downtown owners and tourists have lamented the state of dilapidated buildings among other issues, calling the area an “eyesore”.

Yesterday, Mr Cooper said his ministry continues to receive complaints about downtown and is trying to address it.

He said some five properties have already been demolished over the last several months, adding that this process is expected to continue “where there is noncompliance” from property owners.

“So short term, we’re doing some things,” he added, “and medium to long term, there has to be some sustained investment in downtown. The property owners are committed, certainly to enhance their property values.

“Some of the property owners are responding in kind in terms of the development and cleanup of the properties. Others are not. And where there is not compliance, we will deal with it to the fullest extent of the law.

“There is a great opportunity for the revitalisation of downtown and we see with the development and the opening of the Nassau Cruise Port coming within the next few months. We’re confident that this is going to drive some industry and I hope it can be the catalyst to cause property owners to follow the path of what happens with the Nassau Cruise Port.”

He also revealed plans to launch a marketplace for locally owned businesses that will sell authentic Bahamian craft.

The marketplace is expected to be situated in the new Nassau Cruise Port when it opens next year.

Asked about concerns that the port’s vendors will be selling the same products that Nassau Straw Market vendors peddle, Mr Cooper replied: “I don’t think it will clash. I think the market will cause there to be balance if you will. “

“If you want what the Straw Market is selling, you will go there. If you want authentically Bahamian souvenirs and goods and services made by Bahamians, you will go to the incubation centre for authentic Bahamians goods and services.”

Mr Cooper said the goal is not to cause competition, but to enhance the nation’s tourism product.