Senior executives from The Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA) Leadership team including, President of the BHTA, Jackson Weech, Immediate Past President, Robert ‘Sandy’ Sands, VP for Family Islands, Victor Karavias, Promotion Board partners; Kerry Fountain, Executive Director of The Bahama Out Islands Promotion Board (BOIPB), Joy Jibrilu, CEO, Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board (NPIPB) and BHTA EVP, Suzanne Pattusch, met with the New Minister of Tourism, The Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin and senior executives from BMOT, Parliamentary Secretary, Randy Rolle, Director General, Latia Duncombe and Deputy Director General/Director of Aviation, Dr. Kenneth Romer to discuss Critical Topics of Interest for the Tourism Industry.
BHTA attendees expressed their sentiments regarding the meeting, where “aligned perspectives and objectives” were discussed. Jackson Weech stated, “We were pleased to participate in a frank, open, invigorating, and insightful dialogue with Minister Hanna- Martin, and senior representatives from the BMOT. We look forward to continuing to build upon our foundation of trust and partnership, intensifying and deepening the level and frequency of meaningful engagement opportunities between our respective organizations to achieve strategic, aligned outcomes for the betterment of the people of The Bahamas.” Weech further stated, “I think it is fair to say we agree, there is much work to be done, and common objectives are best attained through communication, collaboration and the apt leveraging of cross sectoral public and private sector partnership and engagement; the sharing of expertise, experience, insights and the apt allocation of financial resources that will get the job done.”
The BHTA, alongside promotion board partners, during the meeting, highlighted their focus areas, and expressed their enthusiasm regarding working collectively with Minister Hanna- Martin, Team Tourism and respective fellow ministries, quasi-public private sector agencies to advance efforts to achieve common aims. Critical Topics of Interest continue to be, Workforce Development, Youth Training and Empowerment, Visitor Stopover Growth and Airlift Development with a Focus on Family Islands, Improving Critical Infrastructure throughout The Islands of The Bahamas, Enhancing the Bahamas’ Tourism Product, with an emphasis on the Jet Ski industry, and Taxi Experience, supporting Local Sourcing, Entrepreneurship, Protecting and Promoting Authentic Guest Experiences, Bahamian Culture and Heritage, Propagating Broader Inclusion in the Tourism Economy through Optimization of Tourism Spend, and very importantly, ensuring all benefactors who derive benefit from The Bahamas contribute fairly to the public purse, aimed at supporting initiatives to achieve these goals. The BHTA further expressed a willingness and need for the private sector, through representative organizations, such as the BHTA and other associations, to be further meaningfully engaged when The Government is contemplating enactments that impact the tourism community, so they can provide “boots on the ground” perspectives as owners and operators of a vast and diverse array of business that comprise the Tourism Ecosystem.
