Tourism officials have called the US Independence Day weekend one of the busiest this destination has experienced since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and this held true for an Eleuthera resort marina, which revealed it experienced 100 percent occupancy.
Harbour Island-based Romora Bay Resort & Marina, which caters to high-end travelers, said all of its slips were booked for the July 4 holiday weekend.
“Every slip at the marina was full. The best part was the smiles on people’s faces. They just looked like they were happy to be back in The Bahamas, like they had missed their boating second home,” said Romora Bay Managing Partner Joe Dargavage.
“The Aquapazza and Sunsets restaurants were both full and happy hour was another level of happy. It felt like people were celebrating just being in The Bahamas, on the water, in the pool, drinking a piña colada or having cracked conch, like they had come home again and were loving every minute of it. Things are looking up for sure but we still have a long way to go.”
Dargavage said after nearly 16 months with little to no patrons, this past weekend was historic for the property.
Noting that Romora Bay has been a staple on Harbour Island for more than 50 years, Dargavage said the island, which is nearly 100 percent dependent on tourism, had been struggling over the course of the COVID-19 travel restrictions. But things are looking up as bookings remain strong into the third quarter of the year.
“Thanks to the hard work of the Ministry of Tourism and the minister, we in Harbour Island are enjoying a resurgence of tourism. The resorts and marinas are busy and the island, the restaurants, shops, golf cart rental business, are all active,” Dargavage said.
“People are back to work and business is back. It’s a huge relief but we should be cautious and bear in mind that we still have a long way to go before we can fully recover from the year we will never forget. At last, we are all seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and the vessels at the end of our docks.”
He continued, “The best part is bookings look strong for the coming months. Our summer 2021 could be our winter season in a normal year.”
The Ministry of Tourism has estimated that there were approximately 400,000 visitors to The Bahamas so far this year and it is projecting strong numbers for the rest of the year, as major hotels and smaller boutique hotels in the Family Islands report strong forward bookings.
The post Eleuthera marina touts 100 percent occupancy over US holiday weekend appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/eleuthera-marina-touts-100-percent-occupancy-over-us-holiday-weekend/
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