By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Deputy Prime Minister yesterday revealed the Government is crafting a package of tax breaks and other concessions aimed at stimulating the “under-explored” film and TV production industry.

Chester Cooper, also minister of tourism, investments and aviation, told the House of Assembly during the 2025-2026 Budget debate that The Bahamas has been placed “at a serious disadvantage” and become “non-competitive” by failing to offer specially-tailored incentives to lure an industry it has sought to attract for decades.

Pledging that legislation to create this incentive package will be tabled in Parliament “in the coming months”, he also voiced optimism that the opening of the Creative and Performing Arts School of The Bahamas this September will develop a sufficiently-skilled and numerous local workforce able to staff film and TV productions that target this nation.

“In the vein of continuing to invest in targeted niche markets, both to support the growth in the number of visitors, but also to deepen their relationship with The Bahamas, one area that we are looking at that is under-explored is tourism relating to the film and television industries,” Mr Cooper said.

“In terms of the physical infrastructure, we lack dedicated film and television studios, along with all the ancillary equipment and services which support them. In terms of the talent pool, despite the high-level interest expressed by those in the creative industries, we do not have in significant numbers, highly trained, highly skilled talent, in the creative, performing and production arts in sufficient quantity.

“Thankfully, with the upcoming opening in September of the new Creative and Performing Arts School of The Bahamas (CAPAS) we will soon have talented Bahamians trained to world-class level to bolster the ecosystem.”

The Bahamas has long-harboured ambitions to establish itself as a major location for film and TV productions, especially those that are water-based or require a sunny, warm, tropical climate. Numerous films, such as the James Bond classics Thunderball and The Spy Who Loved Me, as well as Silence of the Lambs, have at least been partially shot in The Bahamas.

One of the first investment projects approved by the inaugural Christie administration was the Bahamas Film Studios at Gold Rock Creek in Grand Bahama, which were used as the venue for filming part of the Pirates of the Caribbean series. However, the venture failed to progress and eventually ceased operations.

Mr Cooper, acknowledging that The Bahamas has lost ground to rival jurisdictions, told the House of Assembly yesterday: “In the past, one of the biggest obstacles to productions filming here was the lack of incentives for filmmakers. We are one of the few jurisdictions in this space which do not provide concessionary tax incentives to attract productions.

“This has put us at a serious disadvantage and made us non-competitive. In order to support the CAPAS graduates in finding work, and to build a studio infrastructure here, the time has come to correct this. I am therefore pleased to inform the House that in the coming months, I will be asking my colleagues to introduce legislation to provide a framework for tax and duty-free concessions for audio-visual production and overall production here in The Bahamas.

“This opens the door not only to single productions, but also to the prospect of long-running series being shot in The Bahamas. We wish to be the first country of choice not only for any production which requires a tropical setting, but also which requires talent of the highest order. The potential benefits to tourism, education and culture cannot be overstated.”

Mr Cooper, reiterating that The Bahamas needs to double its hotel room inventory over the next five to seven years “in order to stay in the stop-over game”, also urged resort developers, owners and operators to focus on creating all-inclusive properties targeted at families and couples.

“To continue to grow and compete we must continue to target investment in room inventory, particularly in the all-inclusive space,” he argued. “I have said before we need to double our inventory over the next five to seven years in order to stay in the stopover game. I will talk about some of the things that are happening in this space.

“The all-inclusive model has evolved. It is no longer just for the budget-conscious traveller. It is now a fixture in the luxury market, in the family market, in the couples’ market. Major global brands – Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton – have entered the space in a serious way. If we are to remain competitive, we must ensure our pipeline of hotel investment includes a healthy mix of boutique, luxury and all-inclusive offerings.”

Alluding to the competitive threat, Mr Cooper added: “As we continue to monitor out competitiveness to sharpen our strategic focus, we look to our Caribbean counterparts and some of the gains they have had.

“A number of our regional neighbours – many of them smaller and traditionally lesser-known tourism destinations – embarked on a deliberate and co-ordinated campaign to expand their connectivity through increased airlift. Antigua, St Lucia, St Martin, Grenada, St. Kitts, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, these are so-called ‘boutique islands’.

“We do not concede ground, but to be clear we must continue to sharpen our edge. The advantage of our product is that we have a market to match of similar size and offering. We will continue to expand connectivity, both direct international as well as domestic commuter services,” he continued. “What we must do now is meet the moment with co-ordination, boldness, speed and more financial muscle.”