ACKLINS - The recent visit of one of the Noble Caledonia cruise ships to Atwood Harbour, Acklins highlighted the urgent need for a trained tourism officer to be stationed on the island, according to Roston Cox, local government chief councillor.
"A number of tourists visit Acklins on a daily basis by way of airplanes and yachts and there is no representative from tourism to assist them," he said in an interview.
"I believe that it is prudent for the government to move now to train a native of Acklins to fill this position. Had there been a local officer on the ground in Acklins, things would have been more organized for the arrival of the cruise ship."
Cox told The Nassau Guardian that tourism workers had to be sent from Nassau to help prepare the harbor and arrange tours for guests from the cruise ship which visited the island on January 27.
The cruise ship caters to 300 retirees and elderly vacationers and first visited Acklins in April 2012. During both visits less than 100 people came ashore.
Anita Pratt, a local business person and artisan, was critical of the way the cruise was handled.
"I extended a lot of funds to set up for this cruise only to discover that the guests were not informed by the ship's personnel before they came off the ship that there were stalls set up for those who wished to purchase crafts and T-shirts."
Pratt was also upset about other aspects of the cruise.
"While the visit probably looked good on television it, however, had many glitches. Four bus tours were planned and only one was done. Tourists expressed the desire to see the island to experience its natural beauty, but everything was cut short. Better planning needs to be done in the future if the island is to benefit from these cruises," she said.
Cox was critical of the way funds were spent in preparation for the cruise.
"I don't feel that the Bahamian government, and in particular the good folks of Acklins, got value for the $80,000-plus that was spent to prepare Atwood Harbour for the visit of the cruise ship, Noble Caledonia," he said.
"I believe more could have been done with that money like the construction of a permanent restroom block, instead of bringing 'Potty Johns' out of Nassau."
Cox also criticized the government for not making certain changes after the 2012 cruise visit.
"The Ministry of Tourism was told by the cruise line that they will return back in April 2012, but nothing was done to prepare for future cruises. No training for guides, and no construction of facilities, no signage, no sitting area, no cleaning of the cave and no repairs done to the light houses at the harbor site," he said.
"Local government council office in Acklins does not have any funds. Our budget was cut by 12 percent. We can barely take care of the financial commitments we have now. So, certainly they don't expect us to do those things on the skeleton budget they gave us."

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