JAMAICA’s former tourism minister projects the tourism industry won’t recover from the COVID-19 crisis until June 2021 and will see 80 percent recovery only by winter of next year.

Damian Crawford’s projections come after the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association reported the industry has experienced “near complete suspension”.

Mr Crawford, in a paper shared with The Tribune, noted that World Travel and Tourism data shows the Bahamas ranks ninth in the world for dependence on tourism, fifth in terms of what tourism contributes to employment and sixth in terms of tourism’s export contribution.

For the industry to recover, he says potential tourists must first be convinced their own homes are safe.

“Our first bar on the Gantt chart, will therefore be dependent on the estimated end of new cases emerging in the United States, in particular the NY tri-state, Canada and Britain,” he said. “The mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, suggests that the peak is expected at the end of April.
…Continue reading‘Tourism Industry Won’t Recover Until June 2021’

Press Conference Remarks, Update on COVID-19, Response by The Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis, Prime Minister, Sunday, 19 April 2020. Read the full statement here

Bahamian tourism is going to “have to live with” COVID-19 and devise measures to reassure both visitors and industry employees that the sector is safe, a Cabinet minister warned yesterday.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, told Tribune Business that the Government needed to work with both the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) and other stakeholders in developing protocols to create the necessary “comfort” once borders re-opened and travel commenced.

Arguing that The Bahamas was “going to have no choice” but to introduce such controls, Mr D’Aguilar said the country needed to begin thinking about this now and learn from the measures other countries are putting in place.
…Continue readingTourism Has ‘No Choice’ To Devise Virus Safeguards

John Watling’s Distillery Ltd. has switched gears to produce a hand-sanitizer for The Bahamas.

Globally over 600 spirit manufacturers are now making hand-sanitizer to combat the global pandemic.

…Continue readingJohn Watlings jumpstarts production of hand sanitizer

The BHTA continues working on behalf of our Members. Our office at Fort Nassau is closed in accordance with the recently released updated Order; we are operating remotely.  Please know, we are here for you; to field  comments and questions; and/or to connect you with relevant resources who are equipped to respond to inquiries and provide further insight as needed. Keeping informed is KEY. Communication is KEY. Social Distancing is Survival.  …Continue readingBHTA Working Remotely

The Central Bank of The Bahamas has arranged with domestic banks and credit unions to provide a 3-month deferral against repayments on credit facilities for businesses and households that were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This accommodation will be revisited in June 2020, for appropriate changes that may still be warranted.
…Continue readingDeferral of Loan Payments for Borrowers Displaced by COVID-19 Pandemic