Barbados’ Tourism Reports over $700,000 in Losses

Projected losses from Tropical Storm Hanna in cruise ship taxes and tourist spending are estimated at just under $761,000 for the period Sunday, August 31 to Thursday, September 4, the Ministry of Tourism reported yesterday. This is based on estimations of head tax and spending per passenger.

There have been a number of cancellations to the Bahamas of ships operated by Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Regal Empress and Discovery Cruises over the past several days, since the then slow-moving and erratic Hanna began affecting the island chain.

“For the most part, the cruise lines have attempted to reroute the vessels between Nassau and Grand Bahama, which has reduced possible cancellations,” the ministry said in a statement released yesterday afternoon.

The ministry noted that requests to berth were changing constantly. The Ministry of Tourism also reported that while hotels have indicated that some guests have made early departures, there has not been an overwhelming exodus.

“For guests who choose to remain in The Bahamas, the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation fully expects that hotels will execute their respective safety and security procedures to the benefit of their guests, as they have always done,” according to the statement from the ministry.

Some travelers have opted not to visit the Bahamas until the storms have passed, but these travelers will not be adversely affected due to The Bahamas Hotel Association’s hurricane cancellation policy, which allows them to cancel or postpone their visit without penalty.