Although the Ministry of Tourism is "acutely aware" of the infrastructural challenges facing Abaco's tourism sector, Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe has stated that the "time is right" for a boost in airlift to Marsh Harbour, which will be "fundamental" in building a more sustainable economy for Abaco.

With two months until the service comes on stream, Wilchcombe rejected the notion that the government has essentially "put the cart before the horse" by focusing on increasing airlift before addressing infrastructural and logistical concerns for local hoteliers and other tourism professionals despite recent concerns from industry stakeholders.

"We are acutely aware of the concerns relating to infrastructure but we are satisfied that respective ministries will afford the attention required to ensure that our product is lifted to levels of expectation of a first class brand. The time is right. Brand Bahamas is moving in a vertical direction with the Family Islands in greater demand. Service quality throughout Abaco is renowned," said Wilchcombe, in a correspondence with Guardian Business.

New Delta Air Lines flights from Atlanta, Georgia into Marsh Harbour begin on December 19. The bi-weekly flights could bring in roughly 7,200 additional visitors to Abaco if flying at full capacity. The airline is additionally launching new routes between its Atlanta hub and Eleuthera in December.

Kerry Fountain, executive director of the Bahama Out Islands Promotion Board (BOIPB), last week addressed the Abaco Business Outlook and stated that the island's stakeholders had considerable infrastructural work to accomplish if they want to capitalize on the increase in visitor traffic.

Immediate concerns facing Abaco's tourism economy, according to Fountain, include the high costs of transportation from Marsh Harbour International Airport to accommodations outside of the island's capital. Fountain noted that guests taking advantage of the new flights would face a steep $85 one-way taxi fare to reach hotels in Green Turtle Cay - something that needs to be addressed possibly through BOIPB assistance on closer government cooperation.

Long before setting foot on the island, however, Fountain questioned local hotels' technological capacity to book guests through distribution sites or even maintain websites. To that end, Fountain noted that the BOIPB had launched an initiative to find website vendors for specific Family Island hotels, with monthly maintenance costs divided between the hoteliers and the BOIPB.

"One of the things I've realized is that we all come to the table with good ideas and good solutions, but we don't come to the table with dollars to actually help hotels to get it done. As important as promoting the service, promoting Abaco, promoting the Out Islands, and promoting the islands of The Bahamas in general are, if we're making the phones ring and making people go to a website that's broken we're wasting our money.

"It's almost like you are hosting a dinner party. What are the preparations that you need to do in order to prepare for your guests that are coming over for dinner? Well, our guests are going to start to come on Delta Air Lines on December 19 and we need to be ready," Fountain stated ahead of the Abaco Business Outlook.

Hotel professionals present at the conference last week also raised concerns over the state of Abaco's roads, which one hotelier argued pose a significant safety threat to visitors. At the time, Minister of Works Philip Brave Davis stated that the Ministry of Works was exploring options to repair the roads.

Wilchcombe touched on the matter, stating: "The expected increase in visitor count is fundamental toward the sustainable objective. My ministry will engage with the promotion board to advance the use of technology for booking, whether at hotels or restaurants or any other offering."

"Abaco is among the gems of The Bahamas. Its unique qualities will captivate and deliver a high-end experience. We are optimistic because more opportunities will open for Bahamians on the island of Abaco," he added.

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