Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper said yesterday that Exuma is “two percent above capacity” in airline seats from last year for the upcoming peak travel season, as airlines are ramping up flights to meet the booking demand.
Cooper, who is also the minister of tourism, investments and aviation, said during a speech at the Exuma Business Outlook: “It is refreshing to note that we have long been a vacation rental market focused heavily on affluent family travel. Fortunately, our airline partners recognize this fact, and I’m pleased to announce that when we look at the number of seats coming to Exuma for the upcoming season, we are overall two percent ahead of where we were last year in terms of capacity.
“Notwithstanding the closure of Sandals, all of the major airlines recognized that there is still great potential for visitors to come to Exuma, and therefore they have not only maintained their capacity, they have increased their capacity in some cases.
“In fact, Delta Airlines, they are up 10 percent in capacity with its daily flights from Atlanta. American Airlines continues its twice daily flights from Miami, and is still doing a once-a-week flight from Charlotte, but will be doing, notably, six times a week during the month of January.
“Air Canada continues its once-a-week flight from Toronto. Silver airlines continues its once per week from Fort Lauderdale, and they have indicated to us that they are willing and prepared to expand capacity if we need it, and we’ll be continuing dialog with the Bahamas Out Islands Promotion Board.”
The temporary closure of Sandals for renovation and rebranding has not stopped the tourism growth of Exuma, as airlines are ramping up their capacity to meet the demand that other hotels have in bookings, Cooper noted.
“The Ministry of Tourism is also working closely with key hotels on the island to ensure that their offerings remain attractive and competitive. Our focus remain on maintaining Exuma’s position as a premier destination, while ensuring that we continue to create opportunities for our people.
The transformation of Sandals Emerald Bay into Beaches will create over 850 new jobs once the resort reopens. The construction phase alone is expected to generate 500 jobs, providing a significant boost already to the local economy, and we anticipate that that construction will begin in earnest soon.
“It is anticipated that while Sandals is couples only, the Beaches brand is family oriented, and the island will now see families of four come rather than just two, which means more traffic for airlines, more traffic for restaurants, and more business for tour operators,” Cooper beamed.
He continued: “We’re also focusing on upskilling our workforce to ensure that Exumians are prepared to take full advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead. Initiatives such as job fairs and entrepreneurship programs were launched to support those affected by the temporary closure, and to prepare them for the opportunities that the resort expansion will bring.”
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