By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

A former Bahamian rocket scientist with NASA yesterday asserted that “Norman’s Cay is sold out” with other nearby destinations also fully booked ahead of today’s SpaceX rocket booster return.

Aisha Bowe, now the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation’s ‘space tourism’ adviser, said hotels and other accommodations near the landing site off the Exuma coast are fully booked. And, once Bahamian vendors start selling merchandise and provide new products that spin-off from this tourism niche, there will be a meaningful economic impact for this nation.

“Norman’s Cay is sold out right now. The tourism has already started, and I offer that as a point to how far people are willing to go to get a great seat. That is not necessarily the most accessible place. It’s not necessarily the most inexpensive place,” said Ms Bowe.

“Once the Bahamian tourism industry, in my opinion, begins to create hats and mugs and merchandise, those things are going to sell out. Imagine that you’re on a cruise ship and you’ve just seen this rocket land, or you’ve just seen it. You go to the straw market in Grand Bahama or you go to the straw market in Nassau. Are you buying merchandise? Absolutely. You’re going to want something to commemorate that event.

“In addition, there are all these other innovative ideas that I’m hearing - from people putting up websites to talk about the best viewing areas to individuals who want to create excursions. There’s no lack of ideas. I think we needed to give it to the people and then have them determine how they want to engage with it.”

Ms Bowe, also founder and chief executive of STEMBoard, said space tourism will not only make The Bahamas more attractive for visitors interested in aerospace but can provide an economic boost through careers directly and indirectly related to the sector.

She said Cape Canaveral in Florida received more than 1.5m visitors last year. This influx generated $3bn in revenue for the destination plus $1.5bn in wages for the 46,000 individuals employed directly or indirectly by the well-known space launch venue.

“What I think is particularly exciting about this is, if we were just to look at the established model, which is Cape Canaveral in Florida, over 1.5m visitors were welcomed last year. Those visitors are representative of about $3bn in revenue and, on average, they stayed for about two days and they were able to watch launches from places that I would argue were not as beautiful as The Bahamas,” said Ms Bowe.

“Those individuals are responsible for a revenue stream that created, both directly and indirectly, about 46,000 jobs, and they’re about $1.5bn in annual wages. If we start to just kind of think about the types of tourists that come to The Bahamas, we’re now adding the likelihood that people who went to go see the launches are going to be here to see the landings.”

Ms Bowe added that the space industry employs various professionals, some of which can be trained locally at the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) or University of the Bahamas (UB). And, once the industry is established here, other companies may become interested in the destination.

“One of the cool things about the rocket industry is it takes all types. They need accountants, they need project managers, they need machinists, they need technical professionals who may go to BTVI or UB,” said Ms Bowe.

“There are other people in addition to SpaceX who may also be attracted to operating here because the infrastructure is here, and that’s what’s exciting to me about this entire thing. It’s a framework that was created that other people can utilise, that gives a living reminder to the possibility of what happens when people dare to dream.”

Ms Bowe explained that the SpaceX booster, once landed off Exuma will have to be barged back to Florida, and both mariners and cruise passengers will be able to catch a glimpse of its return to Earth. These visitors, along with those that travel to view the landing, will be enticed to purchase merchandise and book excursions which will also directly benefit Bahamian vendors and tour guides.

“Once the booster has landed, it takes approximately three days to get back to its home. Along the way, cruise ships and people who are on the water can be able to see it. If we just think about a small segment of these individuals spending, let’s say, $20 because they will want to buy shirts, they will want to buy hats, they will want to buy drinks, they will want to buy merchandise, they will want to go on excursions,” said Ms Bowe.

“That is going to be millions of dollars of revenue that goes directly into the hands of Bahamians. That money doesn’t require filtration to the Government.” She added once space tourism has been established in The Bahamas, she would like to see investments being made new in air traffic control equipment and involving more Bahamians who currently work overseas.

“The first kind of investment area that I would like to see is strengthening the air traffic control apparatus that already exists in the country,” said Ms Bowe

“The next piece is continuing to cultivate Bahamians who work in the aerospace industry. I know people might be familiar with me, but we have several others. These individuals have careers. You can Google them. They’re amazing, and they’re already working in the field, but now for the first time they could come and live where they work, and that’s amazing.”