New BHTA President Weech Optimistic For 2025

Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) President Jackson Weech said yesterday that most resorts “met or were just shy of budget forecasts” for 2024, and remain optimistic for 2025.

Weech, who is also the vice president and general manager of Atlantis Royal Towers, wrote to Guardian Business via email when asked about the performance of his members for 2024 and the outlook for 2025.

“While it is difficult to encapsulate the overarching performance of the tourism/accommodation sector in one blanket statement; it would be safe to say that most properties were pleased with their end-of-year performance, which included the much-anticipated holiday season, and culminated in the celebration of the new year.”

While the official tourism arrivals numbers are not yet confirmed, Tourism Director General Latia Duncombe has confirmed that total visitor arrivals were 9.1 million up to October 2024. She also said that in 2023, the country welcomed nearly 10 million visitors, a 30 percent increase over 2019.

Weech said: “While some pockets reported that, from an occupancy and revenue generation standpoint, they “exceeded their budget expectations”, the majority of those that have communicated their performance, indicated they met or were just shy of budget forecasts.

“Most properties reported their end of year ended on a positive note, and some indicated the business gleaned during the holiday season was “a relief”, given that 2024 was somewhat of a turbulent year, influenced by a number of disruptors, some beyond our control, others self-imposed, all of which had a dampening effect on tourism performance indicators.

Weech continued: “As it pertains to the tourism industry’s outlook for the first quarter of 2025, all things being equal, many tourism participants have communicated a markedly optimistic but cautious outlook, however it is important to note that this is based on an assumption that their business, the tourism industry, is not impacted by any significant adverse conditions that would disrupt tourism performance.”

Immediate past BHTA President Robert Sands, said in this newspaper last year that 2025 could be as robust as 2023 for stopovers.

Youri Kemp
The Nassau Guardian
Published January 8, 2025