By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

The Deputy Prime Minister yesterday accused the producers of a widely-circulated video warning tourists not to visit The Bahamas due to high crime levels of “biting the hand that feeds you”.

Chester Cooper, also minister of tourism, investments and aviation, sought to discredit a video that he said has been sent to him 35 times while also suggesting that Bahamians may have been involved in its production and circulation. The impact, he warned, was to undermine the country’s economy and largest industry at a time when winter season bookings are on pace to break previous records.

Blasting those involved as “unpatriotic and un-Bahamian”, the deputy prime minister also revealed that the Government earlier this year spent around $10m to counter the global fall-out from the US and Canadian travel and crime alerts on this nation 

Speaking in the House of Assembly, Mr Cooper said the video appeared to have been crafted by Bahamians for “political purposes” and was not carried by any local or international news network. “This video is a disturbing and misleading mishmash of earlier coverage, and is not being carried by any legitimate US news station,” said Mr Cooper.

“It is evident this was crafted for political purposes; not to inform, but to discredit our nation’s reputation and mislead prospective visitors. What is most troubling about this is that our intelligence suggests that this was done by Bahamians. What kind of Bahamian, for political or whatever reasons, is willing to hurt their own economy and the livelihoods of their very families for cheap political points?”

The video made several strong and unproven statements such as :“Bahamas quickly becoming most violent nation per capita in the hemisphere under the Davis administration” and “under Davis’s administration, murder and horrific killings are at tip of the iceberg as well as a record number of police charged with unjustifiable homicides”.

Mr Cooper said the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation spent almost $10m to combat the impact of negative publicity earlier this year, and it was “reckless and irresponsible” to jeopardise The Bahamas’ leading economic activity and job creator for political gains.

“We spent considerable resources, almost $10m in fact, managing the impact of that bad press earlier this year,” said Mr Cooper.

“We are at the start of what promises to be a record-breaking winter season, with bookings on pace to exceed our previous years. To anyone who had a hand in creating or promoting or circulating this video, let me be clear: This is a fool’s errand. Jeopardising our number one industry for political gain is as reckless as it is irresponsible. It is, in effect, biting the hands that feed you.”

Mr Cooper said those behind the video were “unpatriotic and un-Bahamian” by spreading falsehoods that could impact the lives of thousands that depend on the industry’s success. “Tourism is the economic lifeblood of The Bahamas. And notwithstanding our best efforts to diversify, will continue to be so in all of our lifetimes,” he added.

“It supports thousands of families, fuels our businesses and sustains entire communities. For any political actor to attempt to shame the Government of the day by undermining the single most important sector in our economy shows disregard for the welfare of Bahamian families and is, frankly, unpatriotic and un-Bahamian. When we take aim at the tourism industry, we hurt our entire nation.”