Baha Mar president: CDC travel advisory hurting group business

Baha Mar continues to be concerned about the level four travel advisory rating imposed on The Bahamas by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with the mega resort’s President Graeme Davis explaining that he is confident the rating will be lowered sooner rather than later, given the progress The Bahamas is making in lowering its COVID-19 positivity rate and the increasing number of people becoming vaccinated.

Davis, who spoke to the media on the sidelines of the Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference & Operations Summit (CHICOS), said Baha Mar has seen a surge in visitor numbers since the summer, with occupancy rates better than the benchmark 2019 numbers. According to Davis, the opening of the Baha Bay waterpark “induced additional demand”.

He added that the return of the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and expos) market is of great importance for the hotel. That market, he explained, is being stymied by the level four travel advisory placed on The Bahamas by the CDC that advises travelers to “avoid travel to The Bahamas”.

“Our only concern really is on the group market, MICE market Particularly as you get into corporate governance and risk management there is certainly concern with companies traveling into countries that have a US CDC level four ‘do not travel’ warning. That is a really an impediment for corporations to travel to a destination like ourselves,” said Davis.

“So it is critically important that we as a community and a nation continue to do our part to get vaccinated, certainly following all of the necessary protocols to reduce our numbers. And it’s trending in the right direction.”

Davis said a reduction by the CDC to level three would certainly go a long way to reopening the MICE market for Baha Mar and the country. He said the Bahamas government and US Embassy in The Bahamas are working to spell out this country’s case for having the CDC review its rating.

“We’re optimistic that with the prime minister and deputy prime minister’s efforts along with the charge d’affaires of the US, that we might get to that level three very soon,” said Davis.

“And if we continue on this trend of reducing the COVID cases here and continue to vaccinate, we’ll be in a good position to have a very strong 2022.”

He explained that the resort’s booking pace for 2022 is “well above” 2019 numbers, adding that the average daily rate remains strong as well.

Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Joy Jibrilu told reporters at the CHICOS conference that the conference is a good indication that meeting groups are beginning to rebuild confidence in bringing their business to The Bahamas.

“What CHICOS really speaks to is the return of that group business, that The Bahamas is seen as being safe enough that people will come for what we call group and meetings business,” Jibrilu said.

“This is a key area and sector for the tourism industry and I know our hotel partners are particularly pleased because it’s not just hotel rooms, obviously its all the meeting spaces, it’s all the food and beverage that’s attached to that and so it’s really value-added for them.”

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