I cannot understand why The Tribune keeps this column going. The writer is always biased and not impartial. Why do we need this column? Why not a column about our activities in our own Commonwealth countries to which we have been attached from our beginning? If we want U.S.A. news we can watch their television or go on their news websites.

The necessity for tests of people who are fully vaccinated is driving potential visitors to other southern destinations who are far more sensible and welcoming. The Bahamas has lost large numbers of visitors over the past nearly two years by making it almost impossible for people to comply with the entry requirements especially the three/five day to entry rules. There have been so many complaints from the travel industry, regular visitors and others about these difficult, expensive and time consuming measures. However both the former and now the current government stubbornly continue with these anti-tourist measures. How we will ever revive our tourism industry to pre-Covid levels is difficult to see at the moment. So many of the tourists we have put off, including longtime regular visitors, have gone elsewhere, enjoyed their new destinations, and may never return to us. All those in government and its staff who promoted all these measures have a lot to answer for to our unemployed fellow citizens who rely on tourism for their livelihoods and for businesses in our local economy who have suffered as a result of the unemployed not having cash to spend on services and necessities.

The Health Visa is bad enough to discourage tourists. There have been so many complaints how it suppresses tourism. Now we are back to the PCR test again where most people could not get tested, wait for the results and scan the documents to get a Visa in the five day period to arrive in Nassau. Soon we will not have a viable winter tourist season if all these rules keep piling on. People will either stay at home or go somewhere else which is far easier to enter.

This is a very encouraging article to read. Yes-we are proud of our Westminster system of government which has adapted itself to our country very well. Let us be proud of our history and heritage.

The Health Visa's purposes are twofold- first it is a tax on visitors entering the country and secondly the Minister says it is for gathering data! It basically has nothing to do with "Health" matters. It has successfully turned away a lot of visitors who can go nearly everywhere else in the Caribbean and Central America without all the hassles we place on visitors. Why bother going through all the expensive time consuming hassles when they can go elsewhere?The Bahamian people are the big losers yet the new Minister is keeping it on for international visitors. We will never recover our pre-Covid totals. . People who came here before are going to other places now.

A great honour for those appointed by The Queen to be Her Majesty's counsel. We can hope that they will be loyal to The Crown in all their undertakings.

The Health Visa is a disaster for tourism. So many complaints from travel agents and even regular visitors. Why bother coming to our country with all the hassles and expense of the Visa when they can go nearly everywhere else with no problems. The average tourist just wants a sun and sea vacation. They can go other places. It is bad marketing. Just requiring a proper double vaccination certificate is enough for everywhere else.

If those advocating a republic ever brought that on then there will be little foreign investment anywhere in The Bahamas. Investors will go to "greener pastures".

We desperately need a revival in tourism. That is the lifeblood of our economy. There have indeed as the writer says been many complaints from interested people about all the hassles caused by the Visa. Yet Chester Cooper claims it is needed for marketing information. Originally it was for health reasons. As very few could comply with the foolish rule that all the requirements had to be met within a five day period very few could comply so we had very few tourists. The Minister and staff have never told the public why a tourist presenting a double vaccination certificate at airport check in is not satisfactory. The Government and its friends in the online payment system were all making money with the Visa fee. Yet the tourism sector was badly damaged and hotel workers and local businesses have suffered by lack of employment and business. Why should anyone want to book to our country with all the time consuming rules for entry when they can go nearly everywhere else without any problems?It would be interesting to hear Chester Cooper's comments on these facts. The Government needs to abolish the Visa for everyone immediately.

With all the rules and the cumbersome Health Visa I wonder why anyone would want to be bothered going through with all these procedures just for a trip to our Bahamas. It is now one of the most difficult countries in the world to visit. A lot of tourism has been lost by forcing the Visa on international visitors. Yet the hotel workers union and the business community stayed silent and they were the biggest losers!