We are playing with Fire! Nassau is the biggest Attraction the country has to offer. That the Government is unabashedly surrendering our very livelihood to the Cruise industry is 'Insane.' Nothing Mr Maura is saying puts the Bahamas first. Everything points to a huge increase in the number of Cruiseships USING the Bahamas and shows their intention to flood our country..not only Nassau...but every island with their ships. 113 new ships on order...!!! You can bet they are ALL looking at the Bahamas.
It is note worthy that the according to Mr. Maura The Bahamas is the only viable option for the Cruise industry for the forseeable future!!! He then goes on to paint a dismal picture for the future for the Cruiseshipping industry while floating a 130 million dollar bond offer ..which is now looking more like 200 plus but doesn't ever say what the ROI will be for the Bahamas. And we all know that this industry delivers the lowest per capita yield of all in the different sectors of Tourism. To be real cruise passengers cannot support our hotel industry. It is a Parasitic industry that eventually kills it's host if you read what one company says about going ashore in Nassau you would be shocked. Having 3000 plus passengers sitting on a cruiseship docked at Woods Rogers Drive does little fir New Providence . And the culture and people it brings with it are totally alien to our culture. Nassau has become just another cruiseport offering cheap goods and people hawking high priced low value merchandise. Ask the tour operators what percentage of the tour price they retain. It's a rip off. And as for our hotels.. it is so sad to see the line of poorly dressed persons heading to the casino on PI. What the government is allowing now will KILL what's left of our landbased hotel industry. Just look at the history of both sectors over time. Whereas the hotels in the past had the larger market share today the ships now command the higher percentage. The numbers tell the story of where we are headed. Our country should be investing in itself. Not in Sand Castles!! Imagine what a 200 million investment in one of our family islands can do for it's people and our bottom line! You only have to look at the salaries of Cruise companies executives to realize who is making the profit from this industry. It is NOT the country...Cruising killed Baystreet. It is going to do the same to the rest of the Bahamas. COVID is a wake up call. we need to be very careful how we answer that call.

The writer is very wrong and should really reyract.this story. Four Seasons did not lose any monies here as it never owned a hotel here. It merely managed the facility for Emerald Bay.
Four Seasons pulled out because Emerald Bay could not survive under the poor contract deal it signed with Emerald Bay. The writer seems politically motivated. If you really want to know what happened try starting with the Contract between the twonparties.
More businesses fail due to poor management than poor staff. stop blaming bahamians for these failures. Look instead at the huge management fees and exhorbitant salaries paid foreign staff compared to local staff for the same job. And for that matter very little training is done by those brought in. After a few years here they work harder to stay here complaining that bahamians are unable to learn the job. I have personally know instances where Bahamians had to train thier imported supervisors.
I am speaking as someone who held top positions a major hotel chain and in the industry for over twenty years and enjoyed a very successful career.
Most of these failures thT you mentioned were caused by initial under capitalization. Companies that come here and are allowed to purchase land, semi develop it then sell lots at highly inflated prices, line their pockets and then look to the Government to BAIL them out. Or flip the properties and disappear leaving the next under capitalized entity and the country holding the bag. Then YOU cone with half a story blaming Bahamians for the closures.
Another reason for these closures is poor getting by the authorities when agreeing to let knowing unsuitable characters to make promises the never intended keeping.Who never had the monies to do projects. Heads of agreement that were never adverted to. Some of these deals will shock you in the manner in which they are brought about. And all to provide a few low end jobs.If any shame is to be had it is on some of our leaders who are overly complicit in these dealings..some obviously NOT above board and to the unscroupolous supposed developer who should never have been allowed to "invest" here in the first place.
Yes, we have some worker with terrible attitudes. Who know the job but fIl to perform. That is more the exception that the norm. Most of us are hard working, long suffering people, sometime too quick with a smile and totally open and friendly.
This country pioneered tourism. Sir Stafford Sands developed the Tourism model adopted by many destinations in the Caribbean and elsewhere that allowed them to have an economy.
And he did that with his own bahamian people. So it is annoying to say the least to read this utter trash by writers who prefer to make up stories rather than research and write the truth.
Having said all that..i do believe that bahamians need to wake up to the reality that WE alone are responsible for our Good name. The country is too open. Time to close ranks. More later.

This is the first mistep by PM that is worth noting. Most of the MPs in the house are brand new and have done nothing to deserve a pay raise.
As for persons in tbe departments making more that the MP...some if not all of these people are career persons who have spent a life time in those positions and more qualified. They probably have not had a raise in ages.
Then there is the question of What does an MP do to warrant bring paid any way? MOST of them do littlevus anything for their Constituencies and constituents. Just check. There is NO job description for an MP. These guys have been rapingbud for years with nothing to show for it. Out of 29 large islands only a couple are truly developed..abd those that are leave the Bahamian in fire straits. So let's see about attaching some merit to the present salaries. ....before we consider raises.
And paying someone to stop from bring corrupted in oxymaronic