Just for clarity: 1 acre = 43,560 sq ft - 155 acres X 43,560 / 7500 = 900 average lots (of 7500 sq ft) - it makes more sense for households to receive some incentive for going solar. Just use your own roof area,
Do you understand how Airbnb and Homeaway operate? It is just a booking service, they do not own any properties or manage them. Property owners list their property with photos, prices etc. A traveller who wants to come to, for example, The Bahamas, will look to see what properties are available and choose the best one for their purposes. The "Guest" puts in a request and the "Host" then accepts or declines. Airbnb charges a small fee to the Guest and 3% to the Host. Airbnb handles the financial transaction. When the Guest leaves, both the Guest and the Host provide reviews so it is self-policing. This type of tourism appeals to a different market than the hotel guest. Personally we use Airbnb when we travel as we have young children and we want a house or apartment with a kitchen, space and facilities like washing. Hotels are expensive and very inconvenient for families with children. The hotel operators need to realize they are in a different market segment and need to provide a better value proposition anyway. If you look at the properties listed, the prices are typically $200 to $400 per night, but often with a 20% discount for bookings of a week or more. Hosts cannot rent every night of the year - they need to have a minimum of one day between rentals and there are periods of the year when tourist are rather scarce. As an example, a place listed at $300 per night actually translates to an average of $232.50 per night after the weekly discount and the 3% Airbnb fee. Let us assume the property is rented a lot - 45 weeks (which requires some 50 days empty because of cleaning, repairs etc. This is revenue of just under $75,000. The occupancy I have assumed is VERY high and most properties will not be so fully rented. After costs for insurance, property tax, maintenance, cleaning etc, there is not much left over. But the rental income circulates in the economy and the remainder is invested locally (most properties are owned locally). Then you have tourists spending money which is good for the economy and includes some VAT. Also, there is departure tax. This new business model complements the hotel/resort offerings, rather than competes with it.
Good article. For the naysayers, I say that it is better to adopt a world standard which allows The Bahamas to live up to its international obligations and to provide equal rights for men and women. Countries are built on immigration. Naysayers ought to be campaigning for the removal of the rights of male citizens to pass on citizenship to children born to non-Bahamian wives. The logical conclusion would be that, genetically, you will end up with an in-bred population! If there is a concern about unbridled immigration to marry Bahamian wives, then perhaps the Bahamas can implement a financial requirement for foreign spouses. Remember that the issue is about the children of the Bahamian citizen, not spouses acquiring citizenship. As this country continues to deteriorate, with rising crime, illegitimate births, absentee fathers, babies raising babies, corruption in all levels of society and other social ills, I can assure you that there is no rush for Bahamian citizenship from the first world. Permanent Residence is far better. Wealthy people invest and spend in the country, spend only a portion of the year in the country and are not subject to exchange controls. They are here primarily for their own tax planning and lifestyle wishes. So perhaps the so-called "foreigners" are from troubled countries like Haiti. In any case, is the real concern by some Bahamian men that they cannot compete with the foreign men for the love and attention of Bahamian women? Perhaps they will have to up their game, including treating women with respect and as equals! Bahamian citizens should do their own research and clearly understand the real issues and vote accordingly.
aconcernedresidentofnassau says...
Just for clarity: 1 acre = 43,560 sq ft - 155 acres X 43,560 / 7500 = 900 average lots (of 7500 sq ft) - it makes more sense for households to receive some incentive for going solar. Just use your own roof area,
On Utility-scale solar ‘no go’ for Nassau
Posted 26 September 2017, 4:07 p.m. Suggest removal
aconcernedresidentofnassau says...
Do you understand how Airbnb and Homeaway operate? It is just a booking service, they do not own any properties or manage them. Property owners list their property with photos, prices etc. A traveller who wants to come to, for example, The Bahamas, will look to see what properties are available and choose the best one for their purposes. The "Guest" puts in a request and the "Host" then accepts or declines. Airbnb charges a small fee to the Guest and 3% to the Host. Airbnb handles the financial transaction. When the Guest leaves, both the Guest and the Host provide reviews so it is self-policing. This type of tourism appeals to a different market than the hotel guest. Personally we use Airbnb when we travel as we have young children and we want a house or apartment with a kitchen, space and facilities like washing. Hotels are expensive and very inconvenient for families with children. The hotel operators need to realize they are in a different market segment and need to provide a better value proposition anyway. If you look at the properties listed, the prices are typically $200 to $400 per night, but often with a 20% discount for bookings of a week or more. Hosts cannot rent every night of the year - they need to have a minimum of one day between rentals and there are periods of the year when tourist are rather scarce. As an example, a place listed at $300 per night actually translates to an average of $232.50 per night after the weekly discount and the 3% Airbnb fee. Let us assume the property is rented a lot - 45 weeks (which requires some 50 days empty because of cleaning, repairs etc. This is revenue of just under $75,000. The occupancy I have assumed is VERY high and most properties will not be so fully rented. After costs for insurance, property tax, maintenance, cleaning etc, there is not much left over. But the rental income circulates in the economy and the remainder is invested locally (most properties are owned locally). Then you have tourists spending money which is good for the economy and includes some VAT. Also, there is departure tax. This new business model complements the hotel/resort offerings, rather than competes with it.
On Gov’t plans threaten to ‘kill’ vacation rentals
Posted 23 August 2017, 11:51 a.m. Suggest removal
aconcernedresidentofnassau says...
Why didn't the PLP pass legislation to create an independent anti-corruption agency? They had five years to do it . . .
On Gomez hints at PLP anti-corruption move
Posted 21 July 2017, 3:31 p.m. Suggest removal
aconcernedresidentofnassau says...
Who are "they"? And how would a Yes vote lead to increased immigration? And why is immigration a "bad" thing?
On Filmmaker: we will be in trouble if we vote No
Posted 31 May 2016, 11:43 a.m. Suggest removal
aconcernedresidentofnassau says...
Good article. For the naysayers, I say that it is better to adopt a world standard which allows The Bahamas to live up to its international obligations and to provide equal rights for men and women. Countries are built on immigration. Naysayers ought to be campaigning for the removal of the rights of male citizens to pass on citizenship to children born to non-Bahamian wives. The logical conclusion would be that, genetically, you will end up with an in-bred population! If there is a concern about unbridled immigration to marry Bahamian wives, then perhaps the Bahamas can implement a financial requirement for foreign spouses. Remember that the issue is about the children of the Bahamian citizen, not spouses acquiring citizenship. As this country continues to deteriorate, with rising crime, illegitimate births, absentee fathers, babies raising babies, corruption in all levels of society and other social ills, I can assure you that there is no rush for Bahamian citizenship from the first world. Permanent Residence is far better. Wealthy people invest and spend in the country, spend only a portion of the year in the country and are not subject to exchange controls. They are here primarily for their own tax planning and lifestyle wishes. So perhaps the so-called "foreigners" are from troubled countries like Haiti. In any case, is the real concern by some Bahamian men that they cannot compete with the foreign men for the love and attention of Bahamian women? Perhaps they will have to up their game, including treating women with respect and as equals! Bahamian citizens should do their own research and clearly understand the real issues and vote accordingly.
On Filmmaker: we will be in trouble if we vote No
Posted 31 May 2016, 11:40 a.m. Suggest removal
aconcernedresidentofnassau says...
I am surprised that the Minister did not mention the Facebook page already started by the Ministry of Tourism: [www.facebook.com/TravelBahamas][1]
[1]: http://www.facebook.com/TravelBahamas
On Social media key to raising nation's profile
Posted 15 June 2012, 3:15 p.m. Suggest removal