By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

CAT Island tourism operators were yesterday urged to treat the lack of same-day air connectivity as a "glass half full" despite it being branded "a big killer" for their resorts and other businesses.

Latia Duncombe, the Ministry of Tourism's director-general, while acknowledging the disincentive caused by travellers having to spend up to two nights in Nassau when airline schedules are "not in sync", nevertheless argued that it gave The Bahamas an opportunity to offer impacted visitors "a multi-destination vacation".

She spoke out at the Cat Island Business Outlook conference after Frank Wolfe, the former owner of Shanna's Cove resort, described the lack of same-day air connectivity as well as $1,850 round-trip air fare costs -equivalent to those charged for trans-Atlantic flights to Europe - as the "big disadvantage" stifling the island's tourism growth.

Mr Wolfe, conceding that the carriers which currently serve the carriers, Makers Air and Western Air, are private companies and cannot be forced to change their schedules, asserted that visitors to the island often have to spend two days out of the average week-long stay on Cat Island overnighting in Nassau "whether they want to or not".

He explained that this was because domestic and international flight schedules are not aligned. Western Air's 1pm flight from the capital to Cat Island, Mr Wolfe added, was not best timed to match with incoming flights from the US and Canada given that peak arrival times at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) are typically between 11am and 1-2pm.

"They always miss their flight pretty much," he added. "On the way back it is pretty much the same because they are leaving here at 1.30pm and in Nassau, by the time they get their luggage its 3.30pm and they miss their flight back to the US. From that seven days, they are missing two days being on this beautiful island of Cat Island, Rum Cay or wherever.

"On top of this, once they go to the hotel in Nassau, is the minimum $40 downtown. With going back, it's already $80 on cab driving. Here [on Cat Island], in the south driving to the north is $120 one-way. We're talking about $240 plus $80, so we're talking about $320 roughly on cab driving plus missing two days being on Cat Island.

"This is our biggest disadvantage for Cat Island. It would be much better to have a morning flight or afternoon flight. At least you would have only one night to spend in Nassau. The other side is that Makers Air.... I see nobody from Makers Air here, but it's $1,800-$1,900 round trip for two people. You're going to Europe for this price easy nowadays. This is our disadvantage."

Mrs Duncombe, in response, conceded the challenges created for Cat Island tourism by the lack of same-day air connectivity through Nassau but urged industry operators to focus on the positives and opportunities this creates for multi-destination tourism if The Bahamas was to promote and "package" it correctly.

"One of the things we promote in The Bahamas is what we call a multi-destination vacation," she added. "For me, I wouldn't position it as a disadvantage but to have the opportunity to experience the islands of The Bahamas on one vacation. It's all about how we package it, how we promote it, how we frame it, and then how we manage expectations."

Describing LPIA as a "hub and spoke" for all airlift into The Bahamas, with peak international arrivals and activity occurring between 11am and 3pm, she added that global airlines also have to assess multiple factors including fuel availability when determining their schedules. 

 Mrs Duncombe said Ministry of Tourism officials, as well as the Bahamas Out Island Promotion Board, were constantly talking with the airlines in a bid to convince them to adjust their arrival/take-off schedules "to be in sync so passengers can get into Nassau and out of Nassau the same day.

"In some cases it works, and in cases where it doesn't let's look at what the experience in Nassau is going to be during that time from a value proposition. Let's get it done and determine what they are going to be doing in that time," she added.

 Referring to Mr Wolfe's example of the taxi fares, she retorted: "I don't look at them spending money, no. They're enjoying the destination, so let's make it a very meaningful experience... That two days you are in Nassau, not that you are missing Cat Island, but now you are having a multi-destination vacation in The Bahamas.

"You get to have two stops in our country. So while we would like to see how best we can schedule it so you can have most of the time in Cat Island, let's look at how we can promote it so our visitors can see it's not that you're missing Cat Island but you have an opportunity to explore Nassau as well."

 Mr Wolfe, though, was unconvinced and warned that repeat Cat Island visitors are unlikely to tolerate having to spend two days/nights in Nassau every time they come. "In four to five years of coming to Cat Island, you are not planning four or five times to have two nights every time in Nassau," he warned.

"That's my personal opinion and what I have experienced with a lot of our guests. I agree you can combine in the beginning. We said to them 'just stay one night. Don't miss Nassau. It's a beautiful spot, but you won't come every year and spend one or two nights in Nassau."

 Mrs Duncombe responded by revealing she had questioned the Ministry of Tourism's research director on why so many visitors to Cat Island had marked 'casino' as a reason they visited, given that no such facilities exist in the destination, only to be told this was because they were gambling in Nassau before heading for the Family Island tranquility.

"It's impossible for visitors to explore and experience Nassau in one trip, much less one day," the director-general added. "It's being aware of where the opportunities exist, not looking at the glass as half empty. Let's look at it as half full. What are they going to explore year one, what are they going to explore year two, what are they going to explore in year three.

"We have a menu of options when we look at it. If the flights are not lining up for same day connectivity, let's make it an experience so that they look forward to those two days in Nassau at the same time....... I want you to start being a little more positive and look at the opportunities we have because they are now getting two destinations for the price of one."

Mr Wolfe conceded that he and Mrs Duncombe were "not coming together 100 percent", and reiterated his belief that repeat and long-standing visitors to Cat Island were less likely to tolerate overnighting in Nassau every time it happened.

The director-general, though, concluded: "Our visitors feed off our energy. When we understand the value and beauty of our destination, and what we have to offer as a destination, they will get excited and feed off our energy. We have to make sure we understand the value of what we have.... If we're not buying-in, it's going to be a dreary decision or time for the visitors."