BY CLEMIA NEELY
Journal Staff Writer

The government anticipates uncertainty in tourism due to the global trade wars that
are ongoing said Minister of Tourism, Investments, and Aviation, Hon. Chester Cooper,
at the Eleuthera Business Outlook.
“Yesterday and today, the world is swirling as a result of the tariff wars, which is
going to result in increase in the overall cost of living, particularly for Americans.
And you would know that 80 percent of our tourists come from the USA.” Minister
Cooper said. “therefore, this will have some resulting impact on our major
industry.”
Minister Cooper reported a 34 percent increase in the number of tourists in Eleuthera in
2023, and a 22 percent increase in 2024. However, in addition to the uncertainty in our
stock market, the world with geopolitical issues is also in a state of uncertainty.
“Countries around the world are in a state of uncertainty, and when people are
generally uncertain about the future, when they are uncertain about geopolitical
events, they tend to stay at home or close to home. Luckily, we’re very close to our
source market, and therefore we expect to continue to fare well, and in many cases,
better than our Caribbean counterparts.”
Minister Cooper is aware that if there is a sever economic slowdown in the U.S., it
will have a significant impact on our tourism industry. The government is
collaborating with CARICOM partners to strategize a response while monitoring
the situation.
He also addressed another issue concerning our tourism industry. There have been
recent U.S. Embassy warnings for tourists regarding swimming related risks. There
have been a number of reports of sexual assault by jet-ski operators, as well as
sexual assault on or near downtown Nassau beaches.
In fact, just this week, a 25-year-old jet ski operator Nicklas Major was charged
with the rape of a 23-year-old American woman. There are reports that another
might soon be charged for a similar violation.
“While these advisories tend to have less impact on places like Eleuthera, Exuma,
and other Family Islands, we ought to be aware that there are many people in the
world who do not understand the geography of The Bahamas. And when they hear The Bahamas, they think Nassau. And when they hear Nassau, they think that that
is the entirety of the Bahamas, not being aware of our archipelago. And therefore,
sometimes there is that impact. But it raises the issue, and it reinforces the message
we have been sending across the country that tourism must always be everybody’s
business.” Minister Cooper said.
Cooper concluded that Eleuthera has been at the forefront of providing quality
experiences and responding to the trends of travelers. Therefore, what happens on
one island affects all the islands of The Bahamas. The U.S. Embassy looks forward
to an update from the task force on its efforts to improve jet-ski safety.