New Providence resorts are reporting high occupancy levels during a time that is traditionally known as a “softer period, and it may be because of Hurricane Wilma.
Hurricane Wilma’s impact on popular tourists destinations like Cancun, Mexico are translating into positive results for The Bahamas, said Robert Sands, Baha Mar’s vice-president of administration and external affairs.
“We (had) the Free National Movement convention going on but we do believe that part of the increase in demand this early in the upcoming season may be attributed to the lack of availability of rooms in two sun destinations, Cancun and South Florida,” Mr. Sands told The Bahama Journal.
He said that because storm victims had to be put up in various hotels in some affected areas, there was a decline in the availability of rooms in those destinations.
The three Baha Mar Cable Beach Resort properties – The Radisson, Wyndham Nassau Resort and The Nassau Beach Hotel – are currently operating at 100 percent.
Mr. Sands said that this season business is up 10 to 15 percent and since the end of the summer the hotel has seen an increase in bookings, compared to previous years.
He anticipates that this trend will continue for the rest of the year.
“We are certainly looking forward to a bumper winter season and the bookings indicate that it will happen,” Mr. Sands said.
“To deny the positive impact of Wilma on occupancies would not be correct. Yes, it has attributed to increased demand on hotels in New Providence and Paradise Island.”
He also said that increased airlift to The Bahamas has played a role in more stop-over visitors, because now there are more options in air travel.
“The increased airlift has resulted in a high demand for weekday bookings, instead of just booking for the weekend,” said Mr Sands.
Another positive aspect of the increased hotel occupancy is job creation in the hotel industry. It has also reduced the need for shorter work schedules and temporary employee lay-offs.
The back-to-back political conventions and a religious leadership summit have only contributed a small portion to the hotels’ robust season, said Mr Sands, adding that the bookings generated from those events represented only 10 percent of business.
Mr. Sands anticipates that between 150 and 200 rooms will be used for the Progressive Liberal Party’s convention this week. One hundred and twenty-five rooms were booked for the FNM convention and Bahamas Faith Ministries International’s leadership summit had booked rooms in all three of the properties.
However, he noted that the conventions and other activities contributed significantly to business in the surrounding shopping areas and restaurants, which are also benefiting from the hotels’ 100 percent occupancy rate.
“Once there is a high hotel occupancy everyone benefits and benefits differently. Some customers may dine in the hotel and a number of persons choose to dine within the area. So certainly business is being generated in the Cable Beach area,” Mr. Sands said.
“During convention time Bahamians coming from the Family Islands use the opportunity to combine convention with doing certain business in Nassau, which also impacts positively on other types of businesses within the New Providence area.”
The British Colonial Hilton hotel in downtown Nassau and the Comfort Suites Resort on Paradise Island are also reporting 100 percent occupancy levels.
Those resorts also anticipate that high bookings will continue past the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
By: Bianca Symonette, The Bahama Journal
