Posted by: Editor on Sep 29, 2006 – 11:03 AM
newsandinfo With the sun shining brightly on The Bahamas, its tourism industry is expected to make hay this year end. Travel + Leisure’s RED-HOT island is ranked one of the top visitor export earners in 2006, raking in as much as 71.5% of total world travel and tourism exports. Further down the road, The Bahamas will climb a notch up to fifth position as the world’s largest visitor export earner in 2016, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.
However, there is a problem. Projections above were drawn on ideal situations. One need not look further to 2016 with twinkle in his eyes.
On January 1st, 2007, the Western Hemisphere Tourism Initiative issued by the US Departments of State and Homeland Security kicks in. All Americans returning from the Caribbean need to present a passport at immigrations.
American visitor market to the Caribbean represents 51% of all total visitor market share. It is the largest market segment in the region double the size of the second regional visitor market share. US market share to The Bahamas is a whopping 86.6%. Numbers from the Travel Council don’t add up.
Destinations where the US market share is highest will be most impacted by the new passport mandate. “Among them, the Bahamas has 25% of US visitors coming traditionally without a passport,” said Richard Miller, Executive Vice President, World Travel & Tourism council whose analysis revealed The Bahamas tends to lose $446 million on the horizon. He added: “On a relative scale, the percentage of visitor exports in jeopardy will reach 21.7% for The Bahamas.” Some 13,300 jobs are at risk.
For this very reason, Club Peace & Plenty on Exuma faces the music before travelers ring in the New Year with the big bang.
This resort on the beautiful Bahamian Out Island of Exuma offers to cover the cost of the passport. Barry Benjamin, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the family-owned Peace & Plenty said, “We want to make it possible for everyone to visit the Peace & Plenty in Exuma, The Bahamas and all of the Caribbean islands by offering to pay for the NEW passports of anyone who don’t already have a passport, but not renewals of any kind. We will pay for up to 4 passports per reservation (up to 2 adults and 2 children) of 4 nights or longer.” Bookings need not be made by one family. Any combination of guests will do.
Benjamin requires guests should make the reservation before 12/31/2006 and complete the stay at the resort on 1/2/2008. “They will need to bring the US government receipt for the new passports and of course, the passports themselves,” he said. Refunds only apply to the cost of the document. Shipping and handling will not be covered.
Guests can come anytime before 2007, according to Benjamin. “The program starts today. Reservations should be made strictly before the end of this year to qualify for this offer,” he said.
“Anybody who can litigate the cost, we applaud,” said Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) adding they continue to appeal to the US government to postpone the initiative. The CTO chief said cruise lines, airlines, commissioners and ministers of foreign affairs in the region beef up support for a call for delay.
“In the meantime until we hear a definite postponement, we’d ask everybody to operate as if it’s going to happen and to make certain they make provisions,” added Vanderpool-Wallace.
In total, US $2.6 B in tourism business and 188,300 employments are in jeopardy in the Caribbean by the close of 2006. The Caribbean will also lose on the impulse market due to the time required to obtain the passport. Alec Sanguinetti, Director-General and CEO, Caribbean Hotel Association said, “Further, the move to separate sea and air arrivals will have a devastating effect on land-based tourism such as properties, local tour operators, sight-seeing tourist attractions etc.”
A number of travel agents and resorts, whose livelihood depends on selling business to the Caribbean, is concerned about the ruling’s impact. They work alongside the CTO lobbying for postponement. “Representatives of the Caricom ascertain the US government is aware of the potential impact to the Caribbean,” confirmed Vanderpool-Wallace.
Because of the real major concern, the CHA head said they have done additional lobbying. “We have sent our concerns to 30 Congressmen and Senators combined and to all travel associations. There will be a permanent shift from the Caribbean as some American citizens will not go to the extent to get a passport and instead travel the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico or within the country. There will be a permanent loss of business,” said Sanguinetti.
“Every opportunity we find, such as the meeting of foreign ministers of Caricom with Secretary Condoleezza Rice on September 25th at the United Nations, we address US authorities on the unintended consequences of this decision. We don’t think they are doing so deliberately,” added the CTO chair.
US Department of Homeland Security has no issue with Caribbean tourism entities’ offering to pay passports. Wallace said with a family of four, a $400-$600 tag on a vacation may deter people from taking one. “We’re making sure we are not affected to the degree it is estimated. Rest assured, we will do everything we can to move along,” Vanderpool-Wallace said.
Sanguinetti said: “We received several letters from Congress and the Senate acknowledging the outline we sent. Though hopeful, we just have to keep the pressure on.” He fears with only 3 months to go, no solid campaign has yet been mounted.
Without further ado, Barry Benjamin forges ahead and jump-starts a good deal. Peace & Plenty resort’s US business is a sizeable 85%. “I am doing this to bring attention to the needs of our guests. Many of them who have come for years do not have a US passport or probably are not aware of the initiatives by the DHS. Assuming that nothing has changed, they can come and go to their favorite place in the Bahamas anytime they please,” said Benjamin who hopes to play a significant role in the tourism industry by starting the ball rolling.
Source: travelvideo.tv