Many of the issues which Patrick Rahming has made are valid. We have become too dependent on large hotel chains and cruise visitors who contribute very little to our economy. Our foolishly difficult entry rules over the past two years have driven many visitors-including previous regular visitors- to go elsewhere where it has been far easier to enter. Big chains like Sandls have,I was told by Canadians, never advertise their Bahamas resorts now but publicity for other resorts in our neighbouring countries. How we will ever recover all the tourism and goodwill previously generated because of our entry policies remains to be seen. A first step would be to abolish the cumbersome Health Visa and its required tests and go back to the winning formulas of the past. Whether Government listens is uncertain. They need a new strategy very quickly.

The money was well spent. The international publicity was tremendously beneficial to The Bahamas. Seeing all the beautiful scenes in our country and the friendly welcome of Bahamians has been a great boost to our tourism product internationally and reaching countries in The Commonwealth who had little or no idea about what our country offered to visitors.

Let us face the truth. The adverse publicity concerning these deaths worldwide does not do our country any good. Another day passes and no information. It does not look very good. We are grateful for all the travel agents who have brought us bookings over many years- the letter writer for over fifty years- so rather than being critical and giving nasty comments- we should listen to their concerns with respect. They are only writing in a spirit of goodwill to Bahamians.

Here is yet another excellent letter from a travel agent friend of The Bahamas. He says that he has been selling trips here for over fifty years. The tragedy at Sandals has disappeared from our news stories the past three days. We have no idea what the autopsy said or when we will be told-if ever. Surely for our ongoing tourism bookings we need to tell the world what happened and what measures will be taken to prevent another similar tragedy. Tourism is our lifeblood. Are Government officials and Sandals listening??

The dreadful situation in Exuma is news in the newspapers and online around the world. We are in trouble. Why has the Health Visa not been abolished? It is a great deterrent to travel. It is expensive and time consuming along with the rapid antigen tests and the ridiculous need for everything to be completed and be in our country by the third day. Many visitors cannot comply and are going elsewhere. Yet the Minister seems divorced from reality.

This is a good letter from one of The Bahamas' longstanding travel agent friends. But the Government does not seem to listen to all the criticisms of its unworkable entry rules. No wonder we are not receiving the number of tourists we should be getting. We have had no reasonable explanation why the Health Visa has not been abolished. The Tourism Minister admitted a few months ago that it was really for "marketing information" and not for health reasons. Both the Government and their associates in the online payment system are making money on these Visas. But it has,according to letters over the past year in The Tribune, been a major cause for tourists to go elsewhere. We need visitors and cannot afford to turn them away with hassles. Many working people do not have the time to go through all the procedures to get the Visa. Our economy is suffering with the decline in the tourism product. The unfortunate deaths in Sandals Exuma has not helped the situation.

The sad story is now all over the British and Canadian newspapers I have checked and some I have seen in the U.S.A. What with the ridiculous and harmful continuance of the Health Visa and all the roadblocks to enter our country this news is just not what we need at this time. People could well conclude that it is too dangerous to visit our country anyway let alone all the complications to enter here and the expensive tests and Visa charges. When will we wake up to reality?

That is a very accurate letter. Also gone in a republic would be Royal Bahamas Police and Royal Bahamas Defence Force. These forces would no longer be a part of The Queen's Forces. We should not be thinking of abolishing our historic democratic foundation of the constitutional monarchy and go down to the status of yet another failed third world republic.The Monarchy has served our neighbour Canada very well since its independence in 1867 and many other Commonwealth countries. We have nothing to benefit by going down the republic route. As in other places investors would flee from our Bahamas.

Another excellent letter from someone who regularly visited our country and would like to continue frequent visits. The Tourism Minister and staff have ignored the many letters of complaint and concern for two years resulting in a massive loss of visitors. Why would anyone be willing to go through all the time consuming hassles just to visit us for a few days.? Busy professional people do not have the time for all these bureaucratic measures. What is wrong with showing a double vaccination certificate at the airport check in, receive the boarding pass and be on their way to our country? That is what is happening to travel nearly everywhere else now. As the writer says - common sense is lacking in these policies.

The Health Visa and the tests have to be abolished forthwith if we are to see a rebound in tourism. People are now unwilling to go through all the hassles to come to our country when they can go nearly everywhere else with no hassles. When will we wake up to reality? The Health Visa has been a great deterrent to travelling here along with the tests and ridiculously short time levels-currently 3 days- to get here. Is there no common sense in the Tourism Ministry?