One local tour operator on the island of Eleuthera is confident that his newest service will translate into thousands of dollars being injected into the economy.
Beginning December 4, Eleuthera Adventure Tours Ltd. will offer "A Taste of Eleuthera", a tour of the southern and central part of the island for hotel guests, vacation homeowners and renters. The five-hour journey will begin in Governor's Harbour and end in the settlement of Wemyss Bight.
The company's principal, Thomas Sands, is hoping to initially host an average of 25 people on a weekly basis. He said this newest tour is part of the company's plan to provide these types of services throughout the island of Eleuthera.
"We hope that we are able to host between 20 to 30 people per week. We are starting off with offering the service once per week. Our goal would be somewhere around $60,000 [in sales] for the winter season. Our objective is to build tours on other parts of the island as to generate other sources of revenue," Sands explained.
"The tour starts at Governor's Harbour, bringing tourists into southern Eleuthera and showing along the way the different sites that are known by the residents. It's about complimenting the Eleuthera experience for tourists that are going to be in town for more than a few hours. We hope to encourage visitors to come and visit these various communities in depth on their own."
For the past four years, the company has operated a tour for the Princess Cruise lines, facilitating thousands of passengers during any given cruise season.
"We have moved over 13,000 passengers into the community as far as Tarpum Bay and so the impact from that alone on a ship day, essentially close to 30 people are needed to execute that either through direct employment, service or venue providers," Sands shared.
Sands estimated close to $1 million have been injected into Eleuthera's economy from his tours.
"After every ship season, we put between $200,000 to $300,000 of revenue into the economy that would not be there otherwise. Our contract with Princess Cruise Lines only lands for a short season. So for the last couple years, we've been exploring how to expand the offer to cater to guests that are visiting for longer periods of time," he added.
Currently, Eleuthera Adventure Tours Ltd. employs three drivers, four tour guides and a manager. However, Sands revealed to Guardian Business that the spin-off business opportunities are tremendous.
This latest offering comes after developers broke ground on a $12 million development on Eleuthera, which Prime Minister Perry Christie believes will be a big turnaround for the island's struggling economy. The French Leave Marina and Resort is one of three significant projects recently approved on that island. All together, they will bring hundreds of temporary and permanent jobs, according to the prime minister.

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