NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Bahamas Out Island Promotion Board (BOIPB) Executive Director Kerry Fountain yesterday acknowledged that while room nights sold for Out Island member properties have decreased by nearly 13 percent over the first ten months of the year, room rates have held steady. He encouraged Out Island hotel properties to “raise your rates if you have to.”
Speaking at the BHTA’s 72nd annual general meeting, Fountain emphasized the importance of maintaining quality service to retain and attract visitors.
“From January through October, in terms of room nights sold, we were 12.34 percent behind what we did last year,” Fountain said. However, he noted that room revenue painted a “rosier” picture, with revenue down just five percent compared to the same period last year and the January-to-October period in 2019, a record-breaking year for tourism.
“Room nights sold have gone down, but room rates are holding steady, even compared to 2019, which was a record-breaking year. Where does that all fit? It points to the need for the Family Islands to raise your rates if you have to, but we need to maintain the service. That’s something we need to focus on, and we need to measure,” Fountain said.
He also highlighted that consumer travel expectations have increased, and when expectations are not met, the perception of value for money declines. Fountain added that the BOIPB’s website has experienced significant traffic, resulting in leads for member properties.
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