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Bahamas Tourism Opportunities Advanced During the Prime Minister’s China Trip
By Lindsay Thompson, BIS
Jan 15, 2015 - 3:10:03 PM

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NASSAU, The Bahamas – Minister of Tourism the Hon. Obie Wilchcombe underscored the importance of the Prime Minister’s recent trip to China, which focused on opportunities to invest in The Bahamas’ tourism product.

Key amongst the plans discussed during the trip, January 6 – 11, 2015, were the Chinese Government promoting The Bahamas as a key destination and travel to The Bahamas, and the need for direct air travel from China to these islands.

Minister Wilchcombe, who accompanied the Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie and other Government Officials to China, highlighted tourism and investments aspects of the visit during a Communication in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, January 14, 2015.

In Shanghai the Prime Minister and his delegation were welcomed by the mayor of the city, who hosted a luncheon meeting for senior municipal Government officials.

Mr. Christie outlined investment, touristic and trade opportunities and the need for direct air services between The Bahamas and China. In this regard, the Mayor pledged his support in advancing those iniativites as well as ties between Shanghai and The Bahamas.

“It was underscored that Shanghai offered the greatest opportunities for outbound travel from China to The Bahamas than any other city in China,” Mr. Wilchcombe said.

Moroever, the Head and senior executives of the China National Tourism Administration pledged to cooperate with The Bahamas in fostering Chinese travel, promotion and training, to “immediately” include The Bahamas as a destination on their website, to train 20 Bahamians in Chinese language, and the facilitation of services required by Chinese tourists, Mr. Wichcombe said.

Also during discusisons, the chief executives and their teams from Hainan Airlines and China Eastern Airlines spoke on the establishment of both direct charter and scheduled air services to The Bahamas as well as travel arrangements with affiliated, connecting international American, Canadian and European carriers.

“Hainan expressed interest in hotel investments and management opportunities, and exploration of strategic partnership discussions with Bahamasair,” Mr. Wilchcombe said.

He said the Prime Minister achnowledged that a momentous occasion in the existence of China and Bahamas relations was the signing of the Mutual Visa Exemption Agreement in 2013, which was of paramount economic importance in advancing the growth of outbound tourism from China to The Bahamas, considering that about 100 million Chinese now travel abroad annually on vacations and of that number about two million visit the United States, The Bahamas’ closest neighbour.

“In order to further facilitate tourism, trade and investments, the Prime Minister appealed to the Chinese leaders for the completion of an Air Services Agreement between both countries, in respect of which a Memorandum of Understanding was executed and the terms of the Air Services Agreement were agreed before our departure from China,” Minister Wilchcombe said.

The Prime Minister also covered with the Chinese leaders several other tourism related iniatitives of particular importance to The Bahamas and the fostering of economic, social and cultural ties between our two countries.

Such included specific initiatives and strategies in conjunction with the Chinese Government, relevant agencies and Chinese companies to grow tourism and direct flights from China to The Bahamas.

Also discussed were:

· Chinese investment by China Construction and Engineering Company of $150 million in Baha Mar Resort project, funding of Baha Mar ($3.5billion) resort project by China EXIM Bank, and the acquisition and $200 million redevelopment expansion of the Hilton Hotel property by China Construction Company;

· Opportunities for further infrastructural investment in The Bahamas through concessionary loans and public/private sector partnerships;

· Grant funding of a multipurpose auditorium to facilitate various indoor sports, vital to the development of the country’s youth, sports and sports tourism; and,

· The allocation of the $8 million grant funding from the Chinese Government for various public sector projects with social, economic and touristic benefits.

The completion of a Memorandum of Understanding between Ocean University, one of the world’s leading marine science centres of research and The Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute, was also executed before departure from China,” Minister Wilchcombe said. “This initiative has direct benefit for the linkages between agriculture, fisheries, and educational tourism and skills development.”

He added, “Confirmation of the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the Provisions of Goods and Services addressing climate change with a grant of $3 million by the Chinese Government to the Government of The Bahamas was also discussed. The MOU is now ready for execution by the respective parties.”

Joining the Prime Minister and his delegation for meetings and presentations to travel-related companies and the media were the Chairman and CEO of Baha Mar Mr. Sarkis Izmirlian, his Senior Vice-President for Government Affairs and his Senior Vice-President resident in Hong Kong.

Mr. Christie also addressed a representative group of Bahamian students in Beijing at a reception hosted by his delegation. The group represented some 200 Bahamians now pursuing various disciplines at Universities in China.

“The occasion was taken to apprise them of the opportunities which would be available in the tourism sector in The Bahamas and to encourage them to promote The Bahamas as a special destination for Chinese tourists,” Minister Wichcombe said.



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