NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Although the sector is experiencing the traditional end of summer “slow period”, Baha Mar expects over 85 percent occupancy in the coming weeks ahead of Thanksgiving and Christmas, with pre-coronavirus occupancy foreshadowed as leisure travel rebounds, according to Baha Mar Senior Executive Vice President Robert ‘Sandy’ Sands.
“Business at the Baha Mar has been very encouraging
“You would be aware that this time of the year is the traditionally the slowest period of the year.
“But as we look forward to winter 2022, we are very encouraged by our advanced bookings.
“I can tell you that we are over 85 percent of pre-COVID results and so, yes, we are getting back to almost 100 percent of where we were pre-COVID, which are very encouraging signs.”
Baha Mar opened its $200 million water park, Baha Bay, in July — an investment that created over 500 job opportunities, with additional availability for future employment in the future.
Sands said the water park has been well received and remains an important addition to the resort’s offerings.
“As a family amenity it has been a very important addition to the amenities that we offer,” he said.
“It has been well received, both by our guests who visit from abroad and also, the general Bahamian public.
More than 180,000 tourists visited The Bahamas in July, according to the Central Bank of The Bahamas’ Monthly Economic and Financial Developments report — up from the nearly 24,000 in the same period in 2020, when international borders were reopened.
In June, 135,000 tourists visited the nation and just shy of 94,000 in May.
Domestic passengers rose to over 101,000 in August, according to the report.
Minister of Tourism, Investment and Aviation Chester Cooper said earlier this month that there is high demand among travelers to visit the country, and steady forward bookings has sparked optimism tourism among officials for better performance in the months to come.
At the peak of the first wave of the pandemic, tourism, along with commerce in The Bahamas, was brought to a standstill as emergency orders with wide-ranging restrictions on businesses and lockdown measures were introduced to mitigate the spread of the virus.
