Slowdown in Bahamas' Stopover Visitors Began in August with 3.5% Dip

• Data from the Central Bank of The Bahamas’ Monthly Economic and Financial Developments (MEFD) for September 2024 revealed that in August, air arrivals softened by 3.5% compared to the same time last year, though cruise arrivals were up 24.8%.
• Total arrivals increased to 0.9 million visitors in August, up from 0.7 million visitors in the same period of 2023, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism. Sea passengers rose by 24.8% to 0.8Mn, which contributed to the outcome. However, air arrivals declined by 3.5% to 0.1Mn visitors, reflecting a moderation in bookings amid the increased hurricane season activity.
• Initial data revealed that the tourism sector’s gains during the review month were reflected more robustly in the cruise market. Conversely, stopover was more constrained by accommodation capacity, as well as partially disrupted by the busier than normal early start to the hurricane season, despite no direct impact on the archipelago.
• The Central Bank also noted that, in September, the short-term vacation rental market in the country saw room nights sold fall by 1.3% to 24,921 when compared to the same period in 2023. Additionally, occupancy rates decreased to 29.1% from 32.7% and hotel comparable listings decreased to 34% from 36% in that same period.
• Last month, Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper expressed concern over the underperformance of stopover visits in September and October. However, he noted that the forward-looking projections for the remainder of the year suggest the country could still be on track to surpass last year’s visitor records, bolstered by cruise visitor numbers, which increased 19% year-over-year.

Source: (The Nassau Guardian)