Although Bahamians have recouped some funds following the failed Fyre Festival, Minister of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar said more due diligence is needed before allowing foreigners to come into the country and hold events.

The Fyre Festival was billed as an ultra-luxurious event with headliners including rockers Blink-182 and the hip-hop act Migos. But performers bowed out and organizers were forced to cancel the show.

“We have to ask the question, how many people are coming, where are they going to stay? I mean they had this event on the Exuma regatta weekend, so all of the hotels were used up. How are these people going to provide adequate sanitation, food and beverage and I don’t think those questions were asked,” Mr. D’Aguilar said.

“We got wrapped up in the event with the name of the organizers. People heard Ja Rule and thought, oh they know what they are doing. There was no due diligence done.  Now does this make sense for the destination where they intend to have it? Because at the end of the day, those people left The Bahamas with a bad experience and they are going to associate The Bahamas with a bad experience and that’s the issue.”

Moving forward, he said those persons or entities wishing to hold events must go through the proper channels before being allowed to do so.

“You need to deal with customs or immigration. We’ll connect you with the people. Health and safety, that’s what we will do,” he said.

“At no time though will we take responsibility for the event, we just will facilitate it.”

The promoter behind the failed Fyre Festival music event was arrested last Friday in New York on a wire fraud charge.

Billy McFarland was charged with scheming to defraud investors in his company, Fyre Media, and Fyre Festival that was supposed to take place on the island of Exuma over two weekends in April and May.

McFarland and his partner, the rapper Ja Rule, already face more than a dozen lawsuits filed by ticket buyers and investors in the festival.