Government action is needed NOW to incentivize a reversal of this very damaging trend. Cruise duties must go up and the whole concept of our tourism industry being in the hands of Carnival etc. rethought. They employ hardly any Bahamians and as the cruise industry grows our land based industry the bread and butter of the Bahamian economy sees its market share and market power decline. If this trend continues the Bahamas WILL be markedly and measurably poorer. Trading $1000 visitors for sub $100 visitors is not a good idea!
If we had no cruise ships, and these visitors visited and stayed in hotels, there would be jobs for all (low to high skill).
Then workers would have work, and crime would go down.
Instead only a pittance of spend reaches the real economy from cruise ships, and the work is done by foreign labour aboard the ships.
More, and bigger cruise ships leads to more crime.... This fact proves how detrimental to the local economy the cruise ships in fact are. Funds are chanelled into bigger ships, and not into hotels that hire Bahamian workers.
If we depermit the cruise ships, visitors will come via air, and airlines will add more flights, and the Bahamas will make more money.
eg. Avg spend is $60 per cruise ship passenger on land now $1000 spend if an overnight traveller
Cruise ships are depermitted, and only 20% visit by hotel.......
$200 to the Bahamas versus $60, and that's with only 20% still coming. Cruise "Economics" works for cruise ship company owners, not a tourism based economy!
Cruise ships fly flags of convineance, and hold no loyalties to any "nation", it is an industry fundamentally opposed to building a strong national, all inclusive economy. It is thus fundamentally at odds with where it would seem to me this economy should go.
If cruise ships were good, then why hasn't Nassau done twice as well, when the ships got twice as big?! Its worse off, as ships got bigger, and more came, all of which proves the essential point above.
concerned799 says...
Government action is needed NOW to incentivize a reversal of this very damaging trend. Cruise duties must go up and the whole concept of our tourism industry being in the hands of Carnival etc. rethought. They employ hardly any Bahamians and as the cruise industry grows our land based industry the bread and butter of the Bahamian economy sees its market share and market power decline. If this trend continues the Bahamas WILL be markedly and measurably poorer. Trading $1000 visitors for sub $100 visitors is not a good idea!
On Stopover visitor share off 7% pts
Posted 29 May 2013, 7:58 p.m. Suggest removal
concerned799 says...
If we had no cruise ships, and these visitors visited and stayed in hotels, there would be jobs for all (low to high skill).
Then workers would have work, and crime would go down.
Instead only a pittance of spend reaches the real economy from cruise ships, and the work is done by foreign labour aboard the ships.
More, and bigger cruise ships leads to more crime.... This fact proves how detrimental to the local economy the cruise ships in fact are. Funds are chanelled into bigger ships, and not into hotels that hire Bahamian workers.
On Passengers told to be on their guard
Posted 18 April 2013, 12:20 a.m. Suggest removal
concerned799 says...
If we depermit the cruise ships, visitors will come via air, and airlines will add more flights, and the Bahamas will make more money.
eg. Avg spend is $60 per cruise ship passenger on land now
$1000 spend if an overnight traveller
Cruise ships are depermitted, and only 20% visit by hotel.......
$200 to the Bahamas versus $60, and that's with only 20% still coming. Cruise "Economics" works for cruise ship company owners, not a tourism based economy!
Cruise ships fly flags of convineance, and hold no loyalties to any "nation", it is an industry fundamentally opposed to building a strong national, all inclusive economy. It is thus fundamentally at odds with where it would seem to me this economy should go.
If cruise ships were good, then why hasn't Nassau done twice as well, when the ships got twice as big?! Its worse off, as ships got bigger, and more came, all of which proves the essential point above.
On Cruise tourism like 'Breezes on a boat'
Posted 18 April 2013, 12:10 a.m. Suggest removal