The Bahamas Investor

...best known, unowned brand,”?said Minister of Tourism and Aviation Vincent Vanderpool Wallace Thursday during a panel discussion at the HVS Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference and Operations Summit (CHICOS) held in Nassau. He went on to say that the region is moving to not only own, but also boost its profile. According to Vanderpool Wallace, the Caribbean Tourism Development Company (CTDC)–the marketing and business development unit owned equal......

...details of every stage, while others just sit back and let us do it,” says Wallace-Whitfield, who puts buyers in touch with a reputable attorney who can handle their residency application. From the buyer’s first phone call to their realtor through to their residency being granted can take between six months to a year, according to Wallace- Whitfield, who adds that it varies greatly from client to client. Either way a good realtor is there for ever......

...Stewart responds to questions during a press conference held at the Sandal Royal Bahamian during the official opening of the Balmoral Tower. (BIS Photo/Derek Smith) Pictured left to right: Minister of Tourism & Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace; Sandals chairman Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart; chief executive officer, Adam Stewart; and executive vice-president of the Bahamas Hotel Association (BHA) Frank Comito. (BIS Photo/Derek Smith)......

...arrivals, total arrivals rose by 8.4 per cent,” said MOTA Minister Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace during the mid-term budget debate in March. “This is a sign of the times. The global recession has affected everyone and because of this, people are choosing the cheaper way to travel, which for many, is by cruise ship. In many cases, the cost of the cruise to The Bahamas is often lower than the cost of the airfare to The Bahamas.” Early predictions for s......

...virus pandemic has abated, according to former Minister of Tourism Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace who said this week that islands should take this opportunity to “get their houses in order” so they can maximise the industry when travel resumes. “There is enormous pent-up demand for when the all-clear is sounded,” said Vanderpool-Wallace, chairman of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s Advocacy Committee. “It is important for the private and......

...d to grow this year, according to Minister of Tourism and Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace. He also commented, however, that there was still room for improvement in the industry. At the 21st annual Bahamas Business Outlook conference, held at the Wyndham Nassau resort yesterday, Minister Vanderpool-Wallace told attendees that the tourism sector performed well in 2011, with over 3 million cruise ship passengers visiting the country. The Bahamas......

...industry, according to Minister of State for Tourism and Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace. However, in order to harness their potential in the sector, there needs to be more emphasis on public-private partnership, greater use of technology and enhanced marketing. The Minister made the comments as he opened the First Regional Seminar on Tourism: SMEs and Tourism Development in the Caribbean Region, today in Nassau. The two-day event, which is b......

...e tourism calendar, according to Minister for Tourism and Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace. The Minister, who spoke at the 30th Caribbean Marketplace conference at Atlantis Paradise Island today, said there had been a strong surge in business during November and December 2011. “December was the best month ever in terms of room revenues,” he enthused. “It was an incredible month.” In December air arrivals rose 7.1 per cent year on year and were......

...Bahamas Culinary and Hospitality Management Institute Conference, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace said the country had a well-established tourism industry that was now benefitting from a wealth of local talent at the entry level. “We have come a very long way in The Bahamas. We have been at this tourism business for a very long time,” he said. “We are so much better at getting our best and brightest people into the sector.” According to the former Min......

...me sees this as an opportunity to increase the slice of the pie.” Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, principal partner, Bedford Baker Group, said: “Those countries relying on the US as their primary market are going to have to pay close attention. Cuba will get a lot of news coverage when it opens up its doors to US visitors.” Vanderpool-Wallace added: “A result is that destinations will have to diversify source markets, which will ultimately make the C......

...nsaction having taken place and the foreign agent being paid. According to Wallace-Whitfield, BREA is working closely with officials to build awareness and ramp up enforcement. Sales associates, brokers and developers who attended the meeting returned the full slate of officers and elected new directors. Officers include Christine Wallace-Whitfield, President, Heather Peterson, Vice President, Cara Christie, Secretary, Sara Callender, Treasurer. D......

...last year, the recently appointed Minister of Tourism and Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace echoed Foulkes’s sentiments: “The only way you can continue to be competitive is if that work [dredging the harbour] gets done, provided you do it in the most environmentally sensitive manner to make sure that the benefits that are going to be received are not outweighed by some of the costs, looking at costs in the broader sense.” The Ministry of Tourism......

...esentatives during a marinas workshop held recently, MOTA Minister Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace said, “there is no country in the region that has the potential that The Bahamas has,” adding that the economic impact made from the boating industry could lead to “accelerating development” of other sectors. “What MOB?is doing is falling in perfectly with the strategies of the Ministry of Tourism,” said the minister. “It’s key that [MOB] understands how......

...nouncing the event yesterday, the Minister of Tourism and Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace said that Speed Week could help inject life into sports tourism in The Bahamas. “Motor racing attracts one of the largest audiences of any sporting event on the planet,” he said. “It also attracts an upscale audience. We had no hesitation to embrace the idea immediately.” The revival will take place over five days, commencing with a ceremonial Le Mans sta......

...in the year, the newly installed Minister for Tourism and Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace said that promotion per se was not the problem. “Other areas such as affordability, accessibility, ‘bookability’, have to be addressed before visibility. We need to make it easier to come here. Most tourists now use the Internet to research and book their holidays. Our presence in that arena has to increase.” A cornerstone for that initiative is the baham......