Total visitor arrivals to the Bahamas for July fell by 8 per cent to 466,737, with a 1.7 per cent rise in air arrivals failing to counteract a 12 per cent drop in cruise passengers.
Year-to-date figures for the Bahamas, encompassing the first seven months of the year, showed that cruise arrivals were down by 8 per cent, when compared to the same period in 2004.
For Nassau/Paradise Island, cruise arrivals were up 8.3 per cent for July because Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines brought in more passengers than during the same period in 2004.
The Empress of the Seas made three calls to the destination in July 2005, but no calls in July 2004. Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas made five calls on Nassau/Paradise Island in July 2005, compared to two last year, while the Mariner of the Seas also brought in substantially more passengers to the destination than in July 2004.
Cruise arrivals to Nassau/Paradise Island were also boosted because Holland American Cruises’ liner, the Zuiderdam, brought in more passengers when compared to July 2004. In addition, Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess, which came to Nassau during the period, did not sail here during July, 2004.
In Grand Bahama, sea arrivals were down by 39 per cent in July because the Discovery Cruises’ Discovery Sun brought in less cruise stopover passengers than they had during the same period in 2004.
A cruise stopover is a visitor who comes to the destination on a cruise ship, stays in the destination for 24 hours or more and does not use the cruise ship for their accommodation.
Cruise arrivals to Grand Bahama were also down because Royal Caribbean brought in fewer passengers than in July 2004. Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas did not call on Grand Bahama during the period, but in July 2004 brought in 7,029 passengers. Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas also brought in fewer passengers in July 2005, when compared with the same period last year.
Passengers
Carnival also brought fewer passengers to Grand Bahama during the month, when compared with figures from July, 2004. The decrease in arrivals occurred despite the fact that Carnival operated the same amount of ships.
In the Family Islands, sea arrivals were down because of a number of reasons. The Disney Magic did not make any calls, or first port of entry stops, to Castaway Cay, Abaco in July. During the same period last year, the ship brought in 13,593 cruise ship passengers.
Disney Cruises used only the Disney Wonder to make first port of entry stops into Castaway Cay in July, 2005.
The Norwegian Cruises’ Norwegian Dawn made fewer calls to Great Stirrup Cay, the Berry islands, when compared with its trips in July 2004. The decrease in the number of calls meant that fewer people visited that destination.
Royal Caribbean also reduced the number of ships, and the number of calls, made on Coco Cay in the Berry Islands. The Grandeur of the Seas did not come into the Berry Islands during July 2005, and Royal Caribbean also brought in fewer passengers on the ships that did come into the Cay.
Carnival Cruise lines Carnival Pride also brought in fewer passengers to Princess Cay, Eleuthera, in July 2005 than in July 2004.
Meanwhile, visitor arrivals to the Nassau/Paradise Island destination increased by 10 per cent to 290,395 for July 2005. Air arrivals were up by 13 per cent and sea arrivals were up 8 per cent.
Total arrivals to Nassau for year-to-date July 2005 were flat, although both air and sea arrivals were up for the month. The statistics were released by the Ministry of Tourism.
A shortage of room inventory continued to impact the results for Grand Bahama, which received a total of 65,605 visitors for July, compared to 97,637 for the same period in 2004, a drop of some 33 per cent.
Air arrivals to Grand Bahama were down by 32 per cent and sea arrivals, inclusive of sea-landed passengers and cruise arrivals were down by 33 per cent.
Year-to-date figures for July 2005 showed that total arrivals, air and sea, for Grand Bahama were down 25 per cent. ﾠAir arrivals to Grand Bahama year-to-date July were down 34 per cent when compared to the same period in 2005, while sea arrivals also saw a decrease of some 20 per cent.
Decrease
The Family Islands saw a decrease in visitor arrivals, with total arrivals falling some 23 per cent from last year. Total visitor arrivals for July stood at 110,737, while year-to-date figures for July 2005 showed air and sea arrivals to the Family Islands were down by 7 per cent, when compared to the same period in 2005.
Family Island destinations that saw an increase in air arrivals for July were Andros, with arrivals up by 12 per cent. In Bimini, air arrivals increased by 9 per cent, and Eleuthera went up by 6 per cent. In Exuma, air arrivals were up by 3 per cent. Those destinations that saw a decrease were Abaco, which was down by 5 per cent; the Berry Islands, which was down by 18 per cent; and Cat Cay, which saw a decrease of 3 per cent for the period.
Inagua also experienced a drop of 40 per cent, with Long Island falling by only 1 per cent. San Salvador saw a decrease of 19 per cent in air arrivals.
By Yolanda Deleveaux, Senior Business Reporter
The Tribune, Nassau Bahamas
