Bahamas Cruise Arrivals up 25% in Oct, but Stopovers Down 9.4%

• The Central Bank of The Bahamas, in its Monthly Economic and Financial Developments (MEFD) report for November, revealed that visitor arrivals in October expanded thanks to the cruise sector. Cruise arrivals grew by 25.2% year-on-year and outweighed a 9.4% decrease in stopover numbers relative to the same period last year.
• September and October are traditionally slow periods for the hospitality industry, though last year was an exception, due to revenge travel, following the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The MEFD report notes that “sea arrivals grew by 41.7% to 0.3Mn; however, air traffic declined by 9.3% to 69,109 from the year earlier. In addition, arrivals to the Family Islands strengthened by 19.2% to 0.4Mn, relative to the preceding year, led by a 20.9% expansion in sea traffic to 0.4Mn, which contrasted with the 17.0% contraction in air traffic to 11,036.”
• The report further stated, “Providing some offset, total visitors to Grand Bahama decreased by 27.6% to 27,605 vis-à-vis the prior year, as sea arrivals fell by 31.5% to 24,487, overshadowing the 29.3% growth in the air component to 3,118”. Overall, on a year-to-date basis, total arrivals grew by 16.6% to 9.1Mn, in comparison to the previous year.
• Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, Chester Cooper has stated that stopover arrivals are being stunted by the lack of accommodation in the country. He has called for new hotel rooms, and for more locals to develop short-term vacation rentals.

(Source: Nassau Guardian)