<p><strong><em>NASSAU, Bahamas</em></strong> - Bahamas Public Works and Transport Minister the Hon. Neko C. Grant urged Bahamians to take full advantage of &ldquo;the many income generating opportunities&rdquo; that new cruise incentives legislation offers.<br /><br />&ldquo;I encourage all concerned who are catering to cruise visitors to be creative and innovative,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Take advantage of the many opportunities it is intended to create.&rdquo;<br /><br />Mr. Grant was speaking in support of a Bill for an Act to amend the Cruise Ships (Overnighting Incentives) Act in the House of Assembly, June 29.<br /><br />He highlighted some of the opportunities this Bill will provide for Bahamians.<br /><br />&ldquo;It should encourage the return of Bahamian night clubs with native shows,&rdquo; he said.<br /><br />&ldquo;I am saddened when I visit Bay Street in the evening when a number of cruise ships are docked,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Bay Street is in darkness; shops are closed. There is nothing for our visitors to do. We must change that.&rdquo;<br /><br />Hours cruise ships spend in Freeport and Nassau harbors, with a larger amount of passengers, will allow taxi drivers, tour operators, straw vendors, shops and restaurant operators to earn additional income, said Mr. Grant.<br /><br />The casino in Freeport will also benefit because cruise passengers would prefer to spend an enjoyable evening off the ship, he said.<br /><br />&ldquo;However, we must make them want to disembark by providing a memorable experience,&rdquo; he added.<br /><br />Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association research revealed that in this region a cruise passenger spends an average of $100 at some visiting ports and $150 at others, noted Mr. Grant.</p>
<p><br />&ldquo;In the Bahamas, the expenditure is less than $70 per passenger. We are allowing each passenger to take back to the ship $30 to $35 that they could spend with us.<br /><br />&ldquo;If we can increase the average passenger expenditure by $30, we would be able to generate an additional $45,000,000 in revenue by persons and businesses catering to our cruise passengers,&rdquo; he said.</p>