'Smarter airlines' will consider China direct flight

Mon, Oct 17th 2011, 10:15 AM

China Construction America's top executive in The Bahamas says "smarter airlines" would consider a direct flight from China to Nassau over the next few years. Tiger Wu, the company's Vice President - a subsidiary of the largest construction firm in China - believes the creation of the $2.6 billion Baha Mar resort will spark considerable foreign interest in the region.

"The smart airlines would consider a direct flight," he told Guardian Business.  "An emerging wealthy class of people will be looking for travel and investment opportunities. Also, China's people spend a lot of time travelling - they want to see something different."

Wu explained that the resort concept is not well established in his home country.
Baha Mar, which is a "destination resort" that plans to offer a plethora of hotels, attractions, services and entertainment, is a novelty to most Chinese travellers.

"People will be excited about that," he felt. "They will be curious and want to know what it will look like."

China Construction America, a subsidiary of China State Construction Engineering Corporation, is undertaking the building of the resort, while the Export-Import Bank of China is providing the financing. Wu's support regarding direct flights follows calls by the Bahamian government to simply the visa procedure for Chinese tourists.

In September, Guardian Business reported that Brent Symonette, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the government is "seeking a possible way to speed up the process or eliminate the process entirely".

Together with the Ministry of Tourism, a special "E-Distribution" system is being considered whereby Chinese tourists can apply online. At the moment, travellers must visit one office in Beijing that serves the entire country - making applications limited and inefficient.

Robert Sands, the Vice President of Administrative and External Affairs at Baha Mar, agreed that direct flights from China to The Bahamas makes a great deal of sense, and considering the Chinese government's support for the resort project, it also seems quite likely. He also views the Chinese market is a much-needed diversification of the tourism market.

"Traditionally, The Bahamas has focused on North America, whereas this is a diversification and spreading of risk," he explained.  "Opening up new markets means you are less affected by volatility in other areas."

Turning the issue of laborers, Wu pointed out that, while a spike in Chinese tourism is expected, the imminent influx of workers from China wil be contained and managed. The man camp, now in advanced stages of construction, has everything the workers require.

Work and leisure will be structured and organized, and laborers only leave the camp for planned field trips. In other words, with more than 8,000 Chinese workers expected in Nassau over the life of the project, disruption to the public will kept to a minimum.

"People ask why are there so many coming here and worry if they will stay," Wu said.
"They have family back in China. They are only here to work. They want to complete the project and go back."

There are currently 300 Chinese workers on site in Cable Beach. In March, the population of foreign workers will begin to rise and peak over the subsequent nine months.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian

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