Tourism Woes in the Bahamas in the Face of Covid-19

Just 50,000 people bought travel health visas to enter the Bahamas in December, a figure that indicates that arrivals slumped by over 90 percent as stacked up against December 2019, amid relaxed entry requirements.

Bahamian Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said 35,000 of the visa applicants were visitors while the remaining were returning citizens and residents.

The low travel numbers come amid international reports the United States may require all people entering that country from international destinations to present a negative COVID-19 test. If this is implemented, the tourism minister said this would have a significant impact on The Bahamas’ tourism industry.

More than 710,000 people arrived in the country in December 2019. Mr D’Aguilar said 20,485 people bought health visas to enter the country in November.

Mr. D’Aguilar also reacted to a report by Aviation International News, which said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to expand pre-departure COVID-19 testing requirements to all passengers arriving to the United States from international destinations.

The report followed a meeting the National Business Aviation Association had with the CDC and the Federal Aviation Administration. Mr. D’Aguilar said The Bahamas will be significantly affected if the US requires that people obtain a PCR test result for entry.

Source: The Tribune (Bahamas)