East Grand Bahama MP Peter Turnquest has touted a "very successful" trade mission involving Grand Bahama and the city of Houston, Texas, stating that the mission has already yielded possible tourism development and Bahamian goods export opportunities.
Discussing the exchange between the Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce's (GHBC) and the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce (GBCC) held last week in Grand Bahama, Turnquest said the participants had been "very enthusiastic" about investment opportunities in Grand Bahama, particularly in the resort development and second home markets.
"I think overall it was very successful in terms of exposing what is available to us. We were able to successfully pair at least one of the persons who was interested in trade with The Bahamas with potential customers, and interestingly enough we were able to pair a local company with an individual on the trip trying to see if we can arrange for them to take this product back to Houston for distribution," said Turnquest.
The GBCC hosted over a dozen members of the GHBC, along with officials from the Port of Houston, from November 15-19 seeking partnership opportunities in local hotels, wholesale industries, convention business and other sectors. Turnquest is also hopeful of the opportunities for developing low density, high-end tourism products in the "virgin territory" of East Grand Bahama, while noting the GHBC's interest in possibly building a condominium complex on the island.
"It's all early days, but certainly I think it was a good opening meeting and very successful in terms of exposing what we have here, both in terms of location for inland investment as well as products for export," Turnquest said.
Aside from increasing trade between the two cities, Turnquest hopes that the trade mission and any forthcoming investment in Grand Bahama will ultimately result in increased airlift to the island. However, Turnquest acknowledged that the Bahamian delegation still has considerable work ahead of it before the trade mission would bear fruit. In the short term, Turnquest said that local business owners and the GBCC have agreed to provide the GHBC delegation with additional statistical information on the island before the GHBC returns with initial investment proposals.
"They're going away to put together a proposal, including a marketing proposal, about how they can see something like that being funded and operated here for profit. Based upon the conversations that we've had with them they are very excited about the destination. They are keenly pleased with the infrastructure that we have here, the potential that the island has, and the incentives that are available to investors. So I am very optimistic that we will be able to get something out of it," Turnquest stated.
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