Owner of SuperClubs Breezes Bahamas John Issa said yesterday that growing the hotel industry should be high on the government's agenda, adding that "much greater" attention should be given to hotels as opposed to the cruise ship industry.
Speaking to reporters at the all-inclusive resort, Issa expressed no concerns over the phased opening of his hotel's neighbor, Baha Mar. He said Breezes' product offering is different from that of the mega-resort.
He also pointed out the need to increase airlift to The Bahamas.
"I was very happy when Cable Beach was going to be redeveloped because we are on Cable Beach," said Issa.
"The Nassau Beach (resort) was running down as well as the Crystal Palace Casino. So we are very happy with the additional rooms and regeneration of the beach itself.
"We are a different product. It is very important that we get more air service from more air gateways and more countries into The Bahamas. The country has to expand."
Issa insisted that more hotel developments, aside from large scale projects like Baha Mar, are needed.
"There needs to be more hotel development," he said.
"Hopefully, a lot of it would be on the outer islands, because, from a sociological point of view, there is too large of a concentration of the population in the capital.
"The same thing is happening in Jamaica. That is not good.
"It (The Bahamas) is going to need more hotel development and other industries."
Issa also stressed that The Bahamas' hotel industry is paramount to the country's economic survival, adding that other leading industries are beginning to decline.
"The hotel industry is far more important to The Bahamas today because the international financial industry has contracted," he said.
"With all the 'know your customer' regulations, fear of money laundering and tax evasion, the international financial sectors are under pressure.
"Plus, technology is reducing the number of staff that the banking and financial services industry needs."
"The hotel industry is vital, and therefore virtually all government policy should be geared towards the growth of the hotel industry, which employs a larger number of persons per dollar invested than what an insurance company, bank or manufacturing companies do."
From a survival standpoint, Issa said the government must recognize the need to support the hotel industry.
"In the hotel industry, you earn a dollar and you have to put 75 cents back, because you are constantly upgrading," he added.
"It needs to be given much greater preference than the cruise industry, which has great leverage over governments because they can threaten to pull out.
"I can't pick up the hotel and move it somewhere else."

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