They're not getting off the ship because there is not enough to do" was the message delivered by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper to Grand Bahama's tourism stakeholders and entrepreneurs as he urged them to create more businesses that cater to and provide a real cultural experience for tourists coming to the island.

Cooper spoke at a reception on Saturday evening hosted by the ministry in the Pavilion, Lighthouse Pointe, at the Grand Lucayan resort.

He was accompanied by senior tourism executives, including the newly appointed Director General of Tourism Latia Duncombe, Deputy Director General Dr. Kenneth Romer and senior executives from the United States, Canada and European offices.

"I call on you, therefore, to create more things to do," Cooper said.

"Create more opportunities; get them off the ship. We could bring them here but we cannot extract the money from their pockets. We are relying on you to do that."

He added, "So, tell the stories of the caves and the charm of Grand Bahama Island and the promise of the future. Take them to East End, to West End, and let them experience the true charm and friendly nature of the Bahamian people, so that they can feel our hearts."

Cooper said this is what must be done as tourism executives seek to promote the islands of The Bahamas, particularly Grand Bahama Island.

The minister said it is projected that 500,000 cruise passengers will visit Grand Bahama this year.

"When 10,000 people come and 7,000 stay on the ships, that's not quite success," he said.

"We want them all to come off, experience the island and we want them to come back again and again.

"You will see new and increased air capacity when work begins on Grand Bahama International Airport before March 31, 2023.

"The island has seen a renovated domestic airport terminal; you've seen the return of Sunwing's non-stop jet service and you will see more airlift very soon from Italy, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta."

However, he stressed that the stakeholders must do their part.

Cooper said that when comparing statistics from 2021 and 2022, the numbers indicate that there was a 350 percent increase in tourist arrivals.

"When we compare these numbers to pre-Dorian and pandemic, we can tell you we've returned 80 percent, and we are well on the way," he said.

"That rebound year to year is the most significant rebound that we've seen in any of the other islands of The Bahamas."

While this is a great sign for Grand Bahama, the minister said there is still much work to do.

"Now, I know that there are some challenges and there is still much work to do, but I assure you that the Ministry of Tourism's leadership team is committed to doing that work, and that is why we have the sales leadership and administrative team here," he said.

"The future of tourism looks great, the future for Grand Bahama Island is simply phenomenal. We will continue to address the needs of tourism in Grand Bahama, we will continue to work on the airlift, we will continue to work on the overall capacity and marketing of the island, and I want to call on you to continue to create more excitement about the island of Grand Bahama."

West End Ecology Tour Owner and host Captain Keith Cooper was excited to hear about the tourism ministry's commitment in assisting in the revitalization of Grand Bahama's touristic product.

"The support for the potential of Grand Bahama is overwhelming," Cooper said.

"The people of this island have to pay attention to what it is the deputy prime minister said and what it is we need to be doing. I found a way to make something out of nothing.

"Everybody is looking for an opportunity, but the opportunities are right in front of our eyes. We have them closed right now, but we need to spread them open and look around us and see how we can bless ourselves by blessing the tourists with the experience of this island and to be able to provide economic opportunities for ourselves."

West End Ecology Tours is based in West End, and promotes educational ecology, snorkeling and fishing experiences that are simple, pure and natural.

Chief Executive Officer of Blue Green Outdoors and author H. Rudy Sawyer said he was pleased to escort the visiting senior tourism executives on a tour of East Grand Bahama prior to the reception.

"Even though the time constraint only allowed us to go as far as the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) Lucayan National Park, it was time enough to give me the opportunity to share with them and to point out the great natural attributes on the island of Grand Bahama and, more specifically, East GB," Sawyer said.

"They were able to go into the belly of Ben's Cave, see Gold Rock Beach, to see the wetlands of the Lucayan National Park and to hear the whole story not only of East GB, but certainly of the whole of the island, which is a natural gem as we go through and promoting what we are in tourism.

"I was able to let them know about the 44 beaches we have on the island and to tell them about what they couldn't see, the resilience of the people in the wake of Hurricane Dorian."

He added, "We were unable to avoid seeing the dead Caribbean pine trees, but certainly they were able to get a great understanding, better now than they would have had before [than] by just staying in their offices."

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