Skift Take
The Bahamas is at danger of a tourism slowdown if it does not press back versus the media’s concentrate on a current State Department travel alert.
Dawit Habtemariam
The Bahamas saw a January downturn in short-term rental bookings– and, to a lesser extent, hotel appointments– following report about an uptick in murders and a U.S. State Department alert to travelers.
In January, short-term rental reservations fell 7.3% compared to the very same month in 2023 after seeing months of growth, according to AirDNA.
Appointments per home and occupancy at short-term leasings were down 10%, according to Key Data.
Hotels, which tend to be concentrated in tourist areas, saw weekly occupancy decreases year-over-year in between 2% and 14% throughout January, according to CoStar’s STR. But typical everyday rates increased year-over-year, so greater prices may have played a factor in preventing reservations.
Travel Alert Stimulates Alarm About Bahamas
The drops follow a current travel alert from the U.S. federal government. On January 24, the U.S. Embassy in Nassau, Bahamas, launched an alert that warned U.S. residents that 18 people had been killed in Nassau considering that the start of the year. “Murders have taken place at all hours consisting of in broad daylight on the streets,” it checked out.
The New York Times, CNN, and CBS News published stories highlighting crime in the Bahamas.
The prime minister’s office launched an official statement on January 30 on the Bahamian tourism board’s site, reassuring travelers that the nation is “alert, mindful, and proactive” and that the archipelago “remains a safe and inviting location.”
Regardless of the federal government’s peace of mind, short-term rental reservations fell 6.4% between January 28 and February 3 from the very same week last year, according to AirDNA.
In early February, 2 American tourists were drugged and attacked at a resort on the Grand Bahama island. Authorities jailed the suspects: 2 resort staffers. There’s now a continuous examination being carried out by the local authorities and the FBI.
The State Department hasn’t altered its assistance level: “The total Travel Advisory for The Bahamas remains the same at Level 2, which advises U.S. citizens to exercise increased caution in The Bahamas due to criminal activity,” a State Department spokesperson informed Skift.
Level 2 lags Level 1, which is the best classification. Under Level 2, the destination is safe for Americans to take a trip to, however they are encouraged to be extra mindful when there. Many popular locations like Morocco, France and the UK have a Level 2 Travel Advisory.
Where the Violence in the Bahamas Is
The murders happened in a location called “Over the Hill” in Nassau. While the violence is concerning, Over the Hill has actually been long understood to have incidents of gang retaliatory violence, said Frank Comito, an expert and previous CEO and director general of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourist Association.
Many tourists hang around in the resorts and hotels at Baha Mar Blvd and Cable television Beach rather. These areas have extensive public security monitoring. On the Cable Beach strip, hundreds of people stroll daily.
Nassau was among the most popular global locations for Americans in 2023, according to reservations information by Amadeus Market Intelligence.
The Bahamas generated over 9 million visitors, according to the Bahamas government.
Bahamas Tourist Faces Media Frenzy Threat
Extensive unfavorable media coverage of a part of a place can cause massive traveler drops to a whole destination. When wildfires strike the western portion of Maui in August, numerous tourists canceled or prevented trips to the island. 2 months after the fire, tourist costs was approximately $100 million lower than compared to the level in October 2022.
What might make the circumstance even worse is an occurrence involving a traveler that gets widespread media coverage. Aruba’s tourist market, for instance, took years to recuperate after the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in 2005, said Comito.