The Counsellors Ltd will conclude its Business Outlook series for 2024 with the 10th Long Island Business Outlook, held on Thursday, November 21st, at the Clarence Town Community Centre. The one-day conference will be held under the theme “Future Long Island, Branding the National Identity, Planning for Success.”
The keynote address will be delivered via Zoom by the Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, Hon. Jomo Campbell. Panelists and presenters include Keiran Chase, Head of Retail, Cable Bahamas; Toni Seymour, CEO of Bahamas Power and Light (BPL), Carlton Adderley, Family Island Manager at Water & Sewerage; Peter Rutherford, Managing Director of Airport Authority; Tracy Cooper, CEO of Bahamasair; Sarah Swainson, Private Charters & Business Development at Makers Air; Mario Donato, General Manager of Cape Santa Maria Resort; Wendy Edler of Flying Fish Marina; Zoe Cartwright, General Manager of Long Island Boat Rentals; Dwight Gibson, Director of Operations & Product Development at the Tourism Development Corporation; Omar Daley of Island Tings; and Nathan Burrows, Sales Manager for the Southern Bahamas at Kanoo. Jandilee Archer, Island Administrator, Michelle Burrows, Accounting Officer, PFC Company Ltd, and Kerry Fountain, Executive Director of the Bahamas Out Islands Promotion Board will be the moderators of the one-day conference.
Long Island Chamber of Commerce President Cheryl De Goicoechea, also a Real Estate Advisor at Engel & Völkers Bahamas stated “We are excited to host the 10th Business Outlook on Long Island once again. We hope people will come out to support the event. This is a great opportunity to ask questions to the panel and let your voices be heard. Long Island’s economic outlook remains largely unchanged from last year. Some business owners report slower activity, but generally, business hasn’t fluctuated significantly. However, it’s increasingly challenging to operate here without a local bank and with constant increases in business fees and taxes. Honestly, our island’s situation feels worse than in my teens, and the future outlook doesn’t look encouraging.”
She added: “It’s hard to believe we can’t have bank services on the island, particularly from Bank of the Bahamas. It would be helpful if the bank were open with tellers only two or three days a week. The single ATM frequently breaks down, causing people to waste time and fuel on long drives only to find they can’t complete transactions. While we’re grateful for the one ATM, there’s a real fear it might be removed one day. We also bear increased costs daily to live and work on this island. Lack of infrastructure stifles growth and investment, and each year we highlight these issues without seeing resolutions.”
Goicoechea also highlighted issues with the lack of airlift to and from Long Island: “Currently, we have only one daily Bahamasair flight, but limited seating due to the poor runway conditions at Deadman’s Cay Airport makes planning difficult. Last-minute schedule changes often leave residents and visitors stranded or missing connections, incurring additional expenses. However, Bahamasair’s communication has improved, reducing wait times at the airport. Private charters are a lifeline for many travelers, but as a real estate agent, I’ve lost potential buyers due to limited direct air access and timely connections.”
She noted that the island has benefited from the addition of the Sheep Runner Ferry Service between Long Island and George Town. “It’s a great option for families who work in Exuma and wish to return home to Long Island for weekends or holidays. It also helps residents access essential services unavailable here,” she noted.
“Healthcare is still very poor on the island,” Goicoechea continued. “We only have basic services at government clinics. Serious symptoms or emergencies require a trip to Nassau, with additional expenses for accommodations, car rentals, and meals, on top of medical costs. Prescription and over-the-counter medication supplies are limited. However, I commend our healthcare staff for doing their best with what’s available. A private doctor also serves residents occasionally, bringing in specialists for short visits. The Long Island Cancer Society provides cancer awareness clinics and support for patients.”
She further commented on the poor road conditions from Salt Pond to Stella Maris, stating, “This area needs serious attention. While we’re pleased that roads from Stella Maris to Seymours have been resurfaced, making for a smoother drive, the northern roads are hazardous, with deep ruts and steep drops.”
“The cost of living here is very high,” she added, “including groceries, gas, and electricity. The government should consider some relief for family islands like ours, perhaps through lower VAT rates or reduced duties on imported goods. Merchants struggle to make a profit while facing mounting expenses.”
Still, Goicochea expressed her hope for a brighter future. “Long Islanders are hardworking people and deserve access to basic amenities and services other islands enjoy. Our students excel academically, yet most leave the island due to limited job opportunities here. We have so much to offer, and we welcome Long Islanders back home to invest and help grow our island. I’m looking forward to positive updates from our panel.”
Zoe Cartwright, General Manager of Long Island Boat Rentals, echoed some of these challenges, including the lack of data on visitors with Long Island as their final destination, limited airlift, high fuel costs, and increased boat registration fees, which strain businesses competing with Nassau, Exuma, Abaco, and Eleuthera.
Cartwright suggested that Bahamasair consider adding a stop in Exuma en route to Long Island, allowing visitors to fly directly to Exuma and then on to Long Island. She also envisioned a smaller-scale airport upgrade, focusing on runway extension and adding security and customs facilities rather than a full $14 million project.
Cartwright added, “Sheep Runner and Makers Air have been great additions. But more than anything, we’re blessed with Long Island’s beauty, seclusion, high repeat visitor rates, safety, resilience, work ethic, and pride.”
Mario Donato, General Manager at the Cape Santa Maria Resort, acknowledged that infrastructure challenges and lack of airlift were among some of the issues impacting the island. “There is certainly a need to improve the roads. Some potholes damage rental cars and cabs. It’s a beautiful island, but if things are getting more expensive, why isn’t the infrastructure improving? That’s what people are questioning—the roads and utilities. There’s also the issue with airlift. We pretty much just have Bahamasair and Makers Air, which has been amazing, but it’s a small charter out of Fort Lauderdale. We need something more reliable out of Nassau. Sometimes, flights get canceled, or passengers miss their connections, so people end up scrambling and missing flights, which becomes a hassle.”
He added, “We have no banks on the island. If you need banking services, you have to go to Exuma, and there’s only one ATM in the south, which hardly ever works. Back in 2005, we had three banks. Tourists want cash, locals want cash, and tourists want to tip, but that’s difficult now. There’s also a need for more activities. We have some boating and fishing, but we don’t have dive companies. I think we could have more activities in general. There are plenty of places to eat and visit. We offer quite a bit of eco-tours, fishing, and scuba diving through third parties, but a dedicated dive company would be huge here on the island. We have die-hard returning visitors, but for first-timers spending a lot of money, if the quality isn’t good, they might say, ‘been there, done that’ because of an okay experience. If they have a great experience, they’ll want to come back. But if things keep getting more expensive, it’s going to be a challenge.”
Joan Albury, President and CEO of The Counsellors Ltd, stated, “The Counsellors Ltd. is once again proud to host and conclude its 2024 Business Outlook series on Long Island. The Long Island Business Outlook will intentionally address a range of issues, spotlight new developments, and provide valuable networking opportunities and Q&A sessions.”
To register for the Long Island Business Outlook, visit tclevents.com or contact Margaret Albury at 322-1000 or malbury@tclbahamas.com.