Minister Neko Grant said NCL is set to bring more than 100,000 tourists to The Bahamas, and 40,000 to Grand Bahama alone, each year starting in July 2008.<br /><br />NCL officials are in Grand Bahama this week, reaffirming the lines commitment as it is repositioning the 1,900-passenger Norwegian Sky to provide three and four day-cruises to The Bahamas. <br /><br />The all-Bahamas itinerary will feature twice-weekly calls on Nassau, Great Sturrup Cay and a once-weekly call on Grand Bahama Island. 'The Bahamas is now in a position to earn between July 2008 and December 2009 some $22 million dollars in terms of passenger spend, with Sky generating almost 50 per cent of this amount,' said Mr. Grant at a press briefing at the Lucayan Harbour. 'Increasing passenger spend will only happen if we do our jobs well. This includes the need to provide more authentic Bahamian experiences as well as a critical requirement for improved service standards in our resorts, our restaurants, our shops, our taxis and our bus systems,' he said. He said that Government Head Tax projections from the Norwegian Sky is expected to be in the region of $7.98 million over the one year period, total Head Tax projections from all NCL ships visiting The Bahamas inclusive of Grand Bahama over the next year and a half is estimated at $21.49 million. 'I am pleased to report that a minimum of 42 calls are expected to Grand Bahama Island over the course of the next year. It is expected that the Norwegian Sky will make 21 calls here by the end of this year, an average of one per week delivering at least 39,900 passengers,' advised Mr. Grant, who said that this would be a tremendous boost to the Grand Bahama economy.<br /><br />He said that the average passenger spend in the region is $100 per person compared with $57.50 per passenger in The Bahamas. 'Thats a difference of $42.50 per passenger or some $3.76 million we are leaving on the table. Thats the kind of money we are talking about. If we were to increase passenger spend on shore from $57.50 per person on average to $100 per person, the regional average, total spend on GBI would jump from $5.09 million to $8.86 million over the July 08 to December 09 period,' the minister said. He said that the Ministry of Tourism has a lot of work to do, including revamping existing tourist offerings and increasing the variety and quality of on-shore excursions available to arriving cruise passengers, as well as increasing the variety of authentically 'Grand' Bahamian gifts and souvenirs. 'Our research shows that approximately 25 to 26 per cent of Norwegian Cruise Lines GBI passengers actually purchase onshore tours compared to 36 per cent in New Providence. In Orlando, Florida some 50 to 60 per cent of the cruise passengers pre-purchase tours on board,' he revealed. 'The point is that there is much room for growth in this area on GBI. The opportunity for expansion of existing and new tours is exciting and the revenue potential is enormous.' He said that of the forty destination activities and tours currently offered on Grand Bahama Island, twenty-two are sold in advance to passengers onboard the cruise vessels arriving weekly. 'Todays visitors are more discerning. They are looking for new and exciting experiences in a friendly, safe environment, which offers a variety of soft adventures and interesting attractions, at reasonable prices and, given the current economic environment, the closer to home, the better,' said Mr. Grant. 'My ministrys goal for this sector is to deliver a satisfying and sustainable destination experience for cruise passengers, and sustainable relationships with the cruise industry which will result in increased calls and on-island spend per cruise passenger,' he said. He said that Grand Bahama has embraced what is called Community Tourism, which will give visitors a more authentic experiences, island-wide. <br /><br />New onshore attractions will be available in July in the settlements of Lewis Yard, Pinders Point, Hawksbill Creek, Eight Mile Rock and Holmes Rock. 'This is what Community Tourism must be about, allowing our visitors to experience first hand the historic, cultural and interesting attractions where they exist in the heart of our settlements and communities,' said Mr. Grant. He urged Grand Bahamians to be more hospitable to the visitors to Grand Bahama, noting that they have allowed passengers to leave with money in their pockets that they want to spend on the island. 'We may not be in control of global events that are daily increasing the cost of doing business worldwide. But we are responsible for how we treat our visitors. We must not allow the competition to beat us on the provision of quality service. This is an area we can improve,' he said. 'My challenge to you all is, to work on elevating service levels. This is what will convert cruise ship visitors to repeat overnight guests and put more heads in beds on GBI,' he said.More than $22 million is set to be pumped into The Bahamas tourism industry over the next year and a half, and according to the Minister of Tourism that money will come from increased passenger spend and from head tax on passengers aboard the Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL).