By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

Grand Bahama business leaders yesterday argued that smarter marketing, and not more development, is the key to spreading the economic benefits from Carnival's $600m Celebration Key project.

Dillon Knowles, president of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, speaking after several of the island's MPs urged the creation of a new cultural hub near the cruise line's private destination, instead called for better promotional efforts efforts to encourage passengers to venture beyond Celebration Key and explore the wider Grand Bahama.

Warning that local businesses are missing out on potential revenue, he added that the focus should be on properly marketing Grand Bahama as a whole. Mr Knowles said many cruise guests mistakenly view Celebration Key as a standalone island, unaware they are on Grand Bahama. This misconception, he argued, limits the economic impact of tourism on local businesses beyond the port.

“I'm not sure that the location is the issue. I think the bigger issue is that Carnival has marketed Celebration Key as their own exclusive island, and guests generally don't know that they're on a bigger island with other things to do,” said Mr Knowles.

“I don't know that building another facility is the solution to the problem. I think the bigger solution is the appropriate marketing of what Grand Bahama has to offer, so that people desire to come out of Celebration Key and partake in the other activities on the island and not just stay in Celebration Key.”

His comments come amid debate about how best to leverage the influx of cruise visitors expected to arrive at Celebration Key. Carnival anticipates bringing over two million visitors annually to the destination once fully operational.

Speaking in Parliament, Kwasi Thompson, Opposition finance spokesman and MP for east Grand Bahama, suggested the Government consider purchasing a large plot of land currently listed for sale by the Grand Bahama Port Authority adjacent to Celebration Key. He proposed transforming it into a cultural and commercial hub akin to the Port Lucaya Marketplace.

Mr Knowles, however, pushed back on the idea of creating yet another marketplace, highlighting a history of relocations that have done little to address the root issue - getting tourists to leave the port area.

“We could keep moving the marketplace. We moved the marketplace from the Bazaar to Port Lucaya. Now it’s suggested we move the marketplace from Port Lucaya to East Grand Bahama. I think we have to figure out how to get the people to come to where the marketplace is, more so, in my opinion, than trying to move the marketplace again,” said Mr Knowles.

He added that local vendors and tour guides already offer strong experiences that reflect the island’s culture, history and natural beauty, ranging from authentic Bahamian cuisine and handcrafted goods to guided eco-tours and heritage excursions. However, these offerings often go unnoticed by cruise passengers who remain within the confines of Celebration Key, unaware of what lies beyond.

Mr Knowles argued that the key to bridging this gap lies in co-ordinated, destination-wide marketing campaigns designed specifically to reach cruise travellers before and during their visit. These campaigns, he said, should highlight the diversity and quality of experiences available across Grand Bahama, helping to position the island as more than just a stop on an itinerary but a destination worth exploring.

“They do have pretty decent products at the moment. If we can get the marketing campaign going that allows the travelling public to know that they exist and what they have to offer, that would be the first start,” said Mr Knowles. He also emphasised the need for local businesses to continue evolving and differentiating themselves in a competitive tourism market.

“Beyond that, there's always the issue of being innovative, being unique, not doing what somebody else is already doing, but coming up with ideas that the customers would like. Business is difficult, but simple. Difficult in that you have to execute well, but simple in that a business's job is to find out what people want to pay for and sell it to them,” he added.