The Bahamas is, and will remain totally reliant on tourism for many generations to come

As a positive, we have some of the most beautiful waters in the world, stunning beaches, friendly people, and a mystical image among people from all around the globe. American's and Canadian's can access the country relatively easily, and European's accept the high travel costs to get here, as they want to experience 'paradise' for themselves.

On a less positive note, our country is extremely expensive and really doesn't offer good value for money, especially when you look at other options available within the Caribbean. New Providence is what it is, run down, dirty, and crime ridden. The principal family island are magical, but suffering from years of neglect in maintaining and developing suitable infrastructure to support a growing tourism sector.

There will be always be visitors who seek out the all inclusive hotel, or cruise ship vacations (and that is what has and will drive New Providence), but there has been for nearly a decade a growing group of independent travellers who want to unique experiences that they have full control over, and that is what has created the private home rental market globally.

I can only speak as a member of the community that our DPM represents, that it is transforming our island, and creating massive opportunities for the people of Exuma. Even though our new airport came to a halt over a month ago, as the government hasn't paid the contractor a cent since they started last July, our new stretch of road has not been completed, and should have been finished last year, the people still come, and they want to stay in private homes, and be guide by ;local people to help them have the vacation of a lifetime.

There are two clear sectors in the private rental market, luxury and affordable. I am not against the luxury market who take over $ 100k per year, having to pay VAT, and being able to offset their accumulated VAT costs from running what is a business, and most of those guests will probably be able to deal with the additional 10% VAT charge to their vacation. However to charge VAT on people below the VAT threshold, goes against the very laws of our VAT system, and hurts Bahamians and legal residents of the Bahamas, who are on a limited budget.

All of the monies I earn through renting an apartment stay on island. My guests rent cars, boats, take excursions to see the swimming Pigs, buy food in the stores, go to local bars and restaurants, and spend thousands of dollars per person when they visit. Everywhere else the go they pay 10% VAT on all their purchases. isn't that enough of a contribution?

if I was to increase my prices by 10%, I would lose a large percentage of future guests, who would just decide that the Bahamas isn't value for money. If I don't earn money, I can't spend it on the island, and if my guests don't come, neither can they!

I'm not sure where you are getting your news, but there are already 227 dead, and that is likely to rise significantly.

Exuma doesn't want them for the very same reasons as Harbour Island. It appears to be a reoccurring problem since March 2020 that the Minister of Tourism makes bold announcements for future opportunities for tourism in the Bahamas, without having discussed the plans with all the stakeholders. Put simply his department comes up with hair brained ideas, but doesn't ask the locals what we think before going public,

As an Exuma resident I am thrilled to hear that work will begin next month on our new airport.
My question is how the cost has now risen by $ 21 million in just over a year, to a staggering total of $ 66 million. on the 26th October last year the cost was quoted at being $ 44 million, and that the airport was due be open by the end of 2020. While I appreciate Covid19 has not helped with the timeline for the opening, which at 14 months was pretty optimistic in the first place, I really can't understand where the 50% increase in cost has come from? In these difficult times I would have thought if anything, the cost should have decreased as contractors would be crying out for work for their businesses and staff?

Well thought through and balanced article. I do hope the Minister of Tourism reads this, and stop the plan to kill the golden goose, that as you so righty pointed out shares our visitors money throughout the community and helps build future opportunities for the local population.

It saddens me to see an intelligent and well written article, belittled by citizens of this country. The Bahamas seems to be one of the most xenophobic countries that I have ever lived in, or travelled to. There is nothing wrong with loving our country, or wishing to protect it from outside negative influences, but to be able to this through rational thought, gained through a balanced and informed education, rather than this traditional misguided bigotry. Our politicians are too frightened to admit that not only do we need low paid immigrants to do the jobs that Bahamians feel are either below them, or too lowly paid, but actually we also need some experienced expat entrepreneur, to introduce budding young Bahamians entrepreneurs of the future, to how things work in the real world, outside of the Bahamas, which is still operating in ways that the rest of the world moved on from forty years ago. We are our own worst enemies when it comes to holding this beautiful country back!

Vacation rental homes simply don't compete for the same customer, so putting them in the same box is simply wrong. As a home rental provider I have to compete on value against many other beautiful location throughout the Caribbean. If my prices are to increase by 12% due to VAT, I will lose a significant number of repeat visitors, and new bookings. My only choice will be to take the hit on the tax, and therefore reduce my margin, which in a time when everything in the Bahamas is costing ever more, doesn't sound like the way forward!

I work very hard to ensure that my guests not only enjoy their stay in my home, but that they have a wonderful experience while on island, and so spread the word to their friends and family.

The few thousand dollars a year that I earn helps me survive, and is important to my total annual income. Most importantly, everything I earn stays in the Bahamas, and is almost exclusively spent on island with other local businesses.

Governments throughout the world see the middle class as a cash cow. We pay our dues, we put little if any demands on the state, and we abide by the law (even if we don't agree with all of them).

The large corporations (hotels, resorts, cruise lines, etc.) are offered such incredible incentives to come and do business in the Bahamas, and they give so little in real benefit back to the nation. Any profit they make is taken out of the country.

I would guess that one couple vacationing in a vacation home on a family island for a week would benefit this country financially by 30 times more than a couple on a day trip to Nassau on a cruise ship.

Governments of the Bahamas seem only to impressed by numbers. Big building projects. Big cruise ship lines. We are a small nation, and it’s about time our leaders recognised this. The Bahamas future should be based on quality and not quantity. My customers seek value and that’s what we need to offer all of our visitors now, and in the future.

It's their ocean that we swim in, and they keep the whole eco system in balance being that they are the top predators. Spear fisherman know that when they catch a fish they must get it out of the water and onto their boat as quickly as possible, as the distressed actions of the fish, and any blood will attract sharks in the area that they are diving in. Sharks don't have hands to feel things, so they have to use their mouths, which just happen to have a lot of very sharp teeth. If that shark had intended to harm this American tourist his injuries would have been far more severe (and reef sharks are not normally aggressive). World wide every year approximately 5 people are killed by sharks. Man kills well in excess of one hundred million sharks. The ocean, and the Bahamas need our sharks. Please just admire their beauty and grace, and let them quietly live their lives in peace.

Well put JB

A well written, well informed article that hits the nail on the head. Our tourism industry should focus on quality and not quantity! The same could also be said of the all inclusive resorts that each government seems so keen promote in this country. From my experience here in Exuma, very few Sandals guests ever leave the resort, so once again their tourist dollars are not spent among the many business our island has to offer. The independent traveller is truly the most valuable to this nation. They are the ones who spend money in local businesses and tell all their friends of how wonderful their vacation was and convince them to come experience the beauty of our island nation, and the warmth of our people.