The Bahamas Investor

...ut for a thriving niche market—group travel. And The Bahamas is gearing up for the competition. For travel service providers that means providing more than sunny weather and picture-perfect beaches. Group travel ups the ante on the types of services resort operators are called upon to offer, ranging from state-of-the-art conference room technology to specialized cuisine and engaging activities. The diversity offered by group travel makes it “very,......

...st destination and that the industry sustains the country’s robust economy for years to come. Bio Neko Grant, JP, MP Minister of Tourism and Aviation Neko Grant is a Grand Bahamian and represents the constituency of Lucaya in parliament as a member of the Free National Movement. Grant holds a diploma in Business Management from La Salle Extension University, Chicago, and a diploma in International Management from the European Institute of Business......

...dding value here in Freeport, bringing in raw materials for processing and components for assembly.” As far as Gray is concerned, there could be no better advertisement for the SABC. “With that deal done, we’ll be able to show them as a model to other potential users.” Before being signed up to the SABC, says Gray, “the people at Associated Grocers didn’t even know we were here. This is one of the weaknesses we have. Say Bahamas and everybody thin......

...r Canadian dollar, British pound sterling and Euro have made The Bahamas affordable for many who would have once declared it out of their price range. The Bahamas is also exploring emerging markets for investment and tourism opportunities. Minister Laing has led a group of private- and public-sector representatives on a trade mission to China, while the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce facilitated an exploration mission to neighbouring Haiti. On the wh......

...with the movement toward gradual relaxation, but wonders if those pushing for the freedom fully understand the potential risks and implications. “I don’t know if the people calling for the relaxation of exchange controls understand the pros of our current situation. If we weren’t so insulated we would have been far more impacted by what went on with the global markets on a much more direct and personal level and much more quickly,” she says. Alth......

...r Canadian dollar, British pound sterling and Euro have made The Bahamas affordable for many who would have once declared it out of their price range. The Bahamas is also exploring emerging markets for investment and tourism opportunities. Minister Laing has led a group of private- and public-sector representatives on a trade mission to China, while the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce facilitated an exploration mission to neighbouring Haiti. On the wh......

...ahamas, and other offshore banking jurisdictions, were held under scrutiny by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for issues such as money laundering. To remove itself from the OECD’s list of non-cooperative jurisdictions, The Bahamas introduced legislation, namely the Money Laundering (Proceeds of Crime) Act in 1996, which legally recognized money laundering as a crime. Although extra regulatory costs on the financia......

...inconsistent turnaround time for the approval of investment funds licensed by the Commission as compared with competing jurisdictions. Investment fund industry There are approximately 59 fund administrators operating in The Bahamas, of which 29 are banks and trust companies licensed as fund administrators. A remaining 30 administrators are supervised exclusively by the Securities Commission, of which two-thirds maintain some physical presence in T......

...ice. “This represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to reclaim the city for the community and bring people back into downtown,” says Roberts. “We have to look at bringing condominiums, boutique hotels, retail and restaurants to that area, and develop a world-class marina. The government can recoup investment through increased business licence fees and cruise visitor tax, as the city attracts more commercial ventures and more visitors.” Step by......

...result in a shift away from the concept of Bahamianization, a term coined by former Deputy Prime Minister Arthur D Hanna that aims to see Bahamians become greater stakeholders in their own nation. Laing addressed this issue while in Geneva. “We seek to balance our commitment to WTO accession with the firm recognition that small, vulnerable economies, such as ours, must accede to the WTO on terms that safeguard our growth and promote development,”......

...slot ratio—40 table games to about 350 slot machines—than in many casinos (for example, Foxwoods itself has more than 7,000 slots to 380 tables). Fantasy world In today’s casino marketing, says one industry analyst, there is a fine line between appealing to the wealthy and appealing to those who dream of wealth. American casinos have historically made big profits from the latter clientele, while The Bahamas has tended to follow European venues in......

..., FSF members, Spain, and the European Commission • use additional resources from agreed sales of IMF gold, together with surplus income, to provide $6 billion additional concessional and flexible finance for the poorest countries over the next two to three years Compiled by Alex Black Bio Andrew Ridall Andrew Ridall is an international business writer living in Nassau, Bahamas. He graduated from Middlebury College, Vermont, in 2005 with a degree......

...investment strategies. In his opening keynote address, Skousen spoke about forecasts and strategies for 2011 and how the financial crisis creates danger and opportunities in an investment portfolio. Specifically, the economist drew attention to growth in emerging markets, particularly China. “China has put ‘capital’ back into ‘capitalism’,” said Skousen. “China has had real growth rate of 10 per cent for the past 30 years, as opposed to the US, wh......

...y and current partner in aNb Media LLC who also serves as content director for TTPM.com. April Norris, loyal Carnival Cruise Lines guest and mother of two who serves as a trusted advisor to the brand. The new Camp Ocean activities span across 11 key categories of play, including the core themes of active play, games, free play, arts and crafts and digital, coupled with additional categories such as role play, music, party time, science and discove......

...Launched in mid-2006, the new operation is ideal as a consolidation centre for foreign goods—a tax-free hub at which orders can be received from various international suppliers, sorted, reconsolidated into different containers and shipped out to retailers without attracting the taxes and duty that would result if the same order were routed through a port in the US. This business model is already in use by Associated Grocers of Florida, which signe......