NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Most Nassau/Paradise Island Hotels are forecasting strong Easter numbers, with occupancies as high as last year and, in some instances, higher.

Robert Sands, the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) President, told Eyewitness News, "Most hotels are forecasting strong easter numbers. Occupancies are high and, in some instances, higher than last year. Most are forecasting higher average room rates."

Officials at the Lyden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) are also reporting that they expect significant passenger traffic in the terminal due to Easter holiday travel.

LPIA officials said in a statement, "Coming off of a strong spring break season, airport stakeholders are now preparing for an estimated 70,000-75,000 passengers between March 28 (Maundy Thursday) and April 1 (Easter Monday).  In 2023, a total of 71,304 passengers were processed, with 2,914 aircraft movements over the five-day period.

Jonathan Hanna, Vice President of Operations at Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) said projections show heavy inbound and outbound traffic across all sectors at the airport over the holiday weekend.

"We're anticipating strong performance across the US, international (non-US) and domestic travel sectors based on our forecasts for the Easter holiday peak," Hanna said. "From an operational standpoint, we've held various meetings with key stakeholders to ensure that we are prepared to meet the increased passenger demand."

LPIA stakeholders include Bahamas Immigration, Bahamas Customs, Airport Authority, US Customs & Border Protection (USCBP), Air Traffic Services (ATS), Airline Operators, the Royal Bahamas Police Force, and the Road Traffic Department. Among the critical talking points during the discussions were proper staffing during peak periods, queue management in the terminal, and passenger flow from drop-off to takeoff.

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