With the 5th Annual Andros Business Outlook right around the corner, islanders say they are anticipating the forum to do just what the 2017 topic suggests: “Break Barriers! Promote Success”, when the community meets to discuss transformation on Thursday, October 26, 2017 at the Dreams Villas in Davis Creek.

Attendees will hear from speakers at the 5th Annual Andros Business Outlook including: Peter Douglas, General Manager for The Bahamian Ministry of Tourism in North and Central Andros; Jeff Birch, a past president of the Bahamas Out Island Promotion Board and now owner of Small Hope Bay Lodge in Fresh Creek Andros; Kerry Fountain, Executive Director, Bahamas Out Island Promotion Board; Carlton Bowleg, MP & Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Marine Resources; Brian Hew, owner of Kamalame Cay; Brett Lashley from the Office of The Prime Minister; Scott Young, Sales & Charters, Tropic Ocean Airways; Wellington Miller, President, Bahamas Olympic Committee and Kimberley Castellanos, Social Media Coordinator, Tambourine.

Two of the speakers - Peter Douglas and Jeff Birch – expect that the Outlook will present an excellent and timely opportunity to the stagnant economy of Andros, and encourage more local direct investment to the largest island in the Bahamian chain.

Douglas said he is counting on the Outlook to be the perfect opportunity to raise awareness of island’s dire state.

“It means so much,” Douglas said. “It means we get our voice out there, meaning that we get to speak to the country, to the Government to say the condition of Andros.

“There are several states. The first state is the general economy and then everything that supports that: the infrastructure, the human resources, and then there’s attractive attributes for investors.”

According to Douglas, the economy of Andros is still suffering from the devastation of recent hurricanes and needs all the help it can get.

“The island is in desperate need of direct flights from the United States of America (U.S.A.) to boost our tourism from a flat line,” said Douglas. “Our tourism numbers are not dropping, but they are not rising as high as they could, if we had a direct flight from the U.S.A. When we had good airlift, you could see the vibrancy of the tourism.”

“My whole appeal is that this is the place for Bahamians to invest. I keep appealing ‘come home and invest, your money is not going to die’.

“We need more local direct investments from Androsians. Andros has a huge population in Nassau and Grand Bahama and throughout the world who are very affluent people.

Ninety percent of Andros is still open for Bahamians to take advantage of domestic direct investment – they can definitely get more for their buck.”

For Birch, the Outlook is a way to bring unity among islanders.

“The Outlook requires some dedication and planning to try to create some unity and allows a networking opportunity and sharing of information that otherwise most business people and participants would not understand in a very straightforward, intimate fashion.”

This year, in particular, Birch hopes the Outlook will bring solutions to those who depend heavily on fishing for a living.

“It’s very difficult for a community to survive off of a seasonal business,” said Birch. “You need consistent business and we really need to empower the locals.”

Stories shared by Douglas and Birch are the very reason Bahamas Business Outlook, was established by Joan Albury.

Albury is the president of the country’s largest communications agency, backed by a strong, 20-year old legacy of creating beneficial networks across the public and private sectors and throughout the archipelago.

“I saw a need for island communities to come together, regardless of race and creed in one common place to network and find solutions to issues on their islands and help one another,” said Albury. “We are our brother’s keeper. Bridging any gaps are key to that and that’s the whole thrust of Business Outlook series—to bring that success.” Andros is one of seven islands that comprise the Bahamas Outlook series. The other islands are: Eleuthera, New Providence, Grand Bahama, Andros, Long Island, Exuma and Abaco.

To sign up from the island of Andros, email Peter Douglas at pdouglas@bahamas.com or register online at www.tclevents.com