I thoroughly agree with the letter writer. We have lost large numbers of visitors by these ill thought out policies for entry. The Tourism Ministers in both governments over the last nearly two years have listened to officials who have little idea about all the problems they have created for potential visitors. People cannot be bothered to go through all the onerous and time consuming steps to get a Health Visa. The Visa,itself, seems now to be principally for making money for the Government and their friends who operate the payment system. The current Minister says it gives them "statistics". They got that information for decades through the entry forms which visitors presented at the immigration on entry. It is not now for health reasons. Do the officials making the policies ever look at the news in the U.S.A., Canada or the U.K. where most of the visitors come from? If they did they would see that getting tests these days is very difficult and results are slow. So people cannot get them and get the Visa online and be in our country in 3 or even 5 days. Meanwhile many people have decided to go eto other countries where they are made more welcome and far simpler to entry. How sad for our Bahamaland that our main economic product is being ruined by poor policies. How will we ever recover?

A wonderful Bahamian all round. From humble beginnings to a Knighthood bestowed by our Queen he was the most amazing man. Sincere condolences to his family.

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".