By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Davis administration is rolling out a Frequent Visitors Digital Card (FVDC) to fast-track entry for private yachts and aircraft making regular trips to The Bahamas — a move aimed at boosting efficiency and reinforcing its modernisation drive.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis unveiled the initiative in the House of Assembly yesterday, though key details, including whether a fee will be attached, remain undisclosed.

The FVDC will be valid for two years and restricted strictly to cruising. It will not permit fishing or anchoring.

For private aircraft, a version of the card will apply to propeller-driven planes. This version will be linked to each aircraft’s serial number and limited to leisure travel — explicitly excluding commercial operations and charters.

Mr Davis positioned the card as part of a broader agenda, saying: “We are moving forward with purpose, and with Bahamians in mind every step of the way.” He underscored the administration’s focus on fairness, modernisation, and investor respect.

In a parallel announcement, Mr Davis revealed that the government is intensifying efforts to hold cruise lines accountable, a strategic move following a record-breaking 9.4 million cruise visitors in 2024, up 20.3 percent from the previous year, representing 83.4 percent of total tourist arrivals.

Yet, he warned, government revenue from the cruise sector has failed to keep pace with this explosive growth.

To close the gap, the government is launching compliance actions, including enforcing customs duties and VAT on all imports to private cruise destinations; applying immigration work permit fees for all employees; regulating private utilities through the Communications and Electricity Acts; levying VAT on all services provided for value on cruise islands; and enforcing the policy that reserves recreational watercraft rentals for Bahamians.

“We expect that the economic activity on the private cruise destinations will be the biggest driver of GDP growth in the next three to five years, which underscores the importance of the information I’ve just shared,” Mr Davis said.