The multi-billion dollar mega Baha Mar resort is “progressing well,” according to Senior Vice President of External Relations Robert Sands.

Mr. Sands recently told the Bahama Journal that “everything is on schedule and within budget.”

“We are very pleased with the work thus far,” Mr. Sands said.

“We are meeting the milestones and timelines for certain completion dates. We are 13 months away from completion so every month you will see a fundamental and radical change to the landscape on Cable Beach. If you drive just along Baha Mar Boulevard you will see the greening of the golf course taking place and the planting of indigenous Bahamian trees so we’re changing the landscape daily so it is fair to say that Baha Mar has transitioned from development to operations.”

Mr. Sands also said the focus is now being placed on other aspects of opening the resort next December.

“We have a heavy focus on operations right now,” he said.

“We want to get the place open, get it staffed, put in place systems, look at sales and marketing, focus on airlift so that all the mechanics can come together seamlessly when we’re ready to open next December. From an employment impact, certainly the last quarter of this year and the third and fourth quarter of next year you will see a dramatic upswing in hiring that will begin to take place with a range of opportunities for Bahamians.”

Baha Mar officials have been on a major recruiting drive at universities throughout the United States.

Mr. Sands said the objective is to not only assist young Bahamians with finding jobs, but to ensure that they return home.

“We’re taking advantage of the best and brightest of Bahamians who would be on the job market and that is what this drive is all about,” he said.

“We are currently experiencing a brain drain in our country too, so obviously we want these young Bahamians, who are the leaders of tomorrow’s Bahamas, to return home. You would have seen recently that we have also visited the College of The Bahamas. We just want to create a pool from which the operators can select the best and the brightest. We don’t only want skill sets but also people with hospitality skills and a sense of delivery so that the person without the degree isn’t left out.”

Baha Mar recently wowed New York’s top corporate, media and travel industry executives, rolling out the blue carpet at an innovative series of interactive “reverse upfront” events that provided an insider’s preview of what will be one of the most compelling and exciting destinations in North America.

Attendees comprised an A-list of top executives from travel consortia, major networks and publishing companies such as Viacom, Facebook, CNN, Microsoft and Universal.

Once completed, Baha Mar will be the largest single-phase resort development in the history of the Caribbean.
The 1,000-acre, $3.4 billion development features some of the world’s most famous hotel brands and is expected to set a new standard of luxury for the hospitality industry.