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Bahamas re-opens for international tourism on July 1

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The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation, along with the Tourism Readiness and Recovery Committee, a group comprised of public and private sector partners, announced today a collaborative plan for re-opening the country’s borders and tourism sector, as well as the resumption of international commercial travel starting July 1. A press conference provided details of the “Tourism Readiness and Recovery Plan” to be used as an approved, comprehensive guide of health and safety protocol to be followed consistently across the country.  

From procedures pertaining to entering and departing The Bahamas via airports and seaports, to a Clean & Pristine certification program implemented across hotels, restaurants and other consumer-facing tourism entities and touchpoints, the plan outlines extensive health and safety protocols that will be enforced throughout The Bahamas to mitigate risks for all visitors and residents alike.

“Our top priority has and will always be our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our residents and visitors” said Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation Director General Joy Jibrilu. “We must remember that we are living in a new normal in the wake of COVID-19 and a lot is going to change across the tourism sector. We are putting an even greater emphasis on making sure The Bahamas is safe and clean for everyone, and look forward to once again providing travelers with the tropical experience our islands are known for.”

A Phased Approach

The Bahamas’ tourism dependent economy will gradually come back online, following a strategic, phased approach that ensures critical health and safety protocols are being adhered to, and that the Health sector remains well equipped and ready to respond as necessary.

  • Phase 1, beginning on June 15, will allow for international boaters, yachters and private aviation to return to the destination.
    • These smaller special interest groups will allow a more controlled segment to test the country’s new measures.

Also, during this phase, commercial airlines will be allowed to bring in Bahamian citizens, legal residents, home-owners qualifying for economic permanent residency, or the immediate family members or significant others of any of these groups.

  • All returning persons will continue to have to register at a Bahamas embassy or consulate and obtain a COVID-19 test with a negative result.
  • It is anticipated that during this period of time there will be a reduced flight schedule as airlines begin adding The Bahamas to their schedules once again.

Additionally, during Phase 1 hotels will re-open for staff to return to work and put in place all the measures required to ensure they are ready to welcome guests at the onset of Phase 2.

  • Phase 2, beginning July 1, allows for the resumption of international travel, including:
    • Commercial airlines, both international and domestic
    • Hotels and vacation rentals, inclusive of Airbnb and HomeAway
    • Transportation ranging from taxis to jitneys and buses

The timing of the other phases and sectors will be announced shortly.

What Travelers Should Expect

Travelers should expect to follow The Bahamas’ “Healthy Traveler Campaign” that encourages both visitors and residents to continue practicing social distancing measures, regularly wash hands or use hand sanitizers, and pack appropriate PPE such as face masks, just as they would their swimsuits and sunscreen.

At airports and seaports, temperature screenings for all incoming visitors will be conducted by healthcare personnel. Travelers will be required to wear a face mask in any situation where it is necessary to enforce physical distancing guidelines, such as when entering and transiting air and sea terminals, while navigating security and customs screenings, and at baggage claim. When departing, flights will be scheduled to every other gate to provide as much distance between flights as possible, and greater time will be provided for boarding to ensure that physical distancing can be maintained.

In addition, several new procedures will be present throughout the on-island experience, including:

  • Accommodations:
    • Hotels, resorts and vacation rentals will enforce extensive health and safety protocols like enhanced cleaning for guest rooms, public spaces, high touch point areas on frequent, regulated schedule
    • Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes will be readily available across properties
    • Employee health monitoring and temperature check points will be enforced
    • A limited number of guests will be permitted in elevators at one time
    • Unnecessary literature in guest rooms will be eliminated
  • Taxis and Independent Cars:
    • Passengers and drivers should wear face masks at all times throughout their journey.
    • Vehicles must reduce the maximum number of people by 50% (sedans can carry up to two persons and SUVs up to four persons) and passengers should not ride in the front seat.
  • Excursions, tours, local attractions and shopping:
    • Businesses must establish a maximum number of guests and limit the duration of each guest visit to allow for social distancing.
    • When possible, guests will be encouraged to use personal gear (such as snorkeling gear) and businesses will have items available for purchase.
    • Guests will not be allowed to touch products unless with the intent to purchase and cashless sales will be encouraged.
    • Beach chairs must be arranged to allow six feet of social distancing between family units.
    • A regular cleaning timetable and checklist must be established, reviewed, and maintained.
  • Vessel and Ferry Operations
    • Staff must wear a water-repellent or marine grade face mask during all passenger interactions and where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
    • A maximum number of passengers permitted on-board will be reduced by 50% and passenger seating may be assigned to ensure proper distancing.
    • Vessel sanitizing must take place before any passenger embarks the vessel and between all passenger exchanges. All high touch surfaces must be constantly and consistently cleaned during passage and at the end of each day.
  • Restaurants, Food & Beverage Services
  • Buffets will be discontinued until further notice. All meals must be single or prepackaged.
  • Businesses must utilize disposable menus or offer on monitors or static display boards.
  • Staff must wear PPE (disposable mask and gloves).

Reopening of borders will continue to be monitored and guided by The Bahamas government and health officials. Dates are subject to change based on COVID-19 trends, if there is a deterioration in improvement or if government and health organizations deem these phases unsafe for residents or visitors.

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation believes it is an absolute baseline requirement for consumers to have a comfort level that The Bahamas is a safe and healthy destination to visit, and the ultimate goal is for that to remain the case. For more information, or to view the Tourism Readiness and Recovery Plan, please visit: www.bahamas.com.

All COVID-19 inquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Health. For questions, or concerns, please call the COVID-19 hotline: 242-376-9350 (8 a.m. – 8 p.m. EDT) / 242-376-9387 (8 p.m. – 8 a.m. EDT).

More news about The Bahamas.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Anita Johnson-Patty

General Manager, Global Communications

Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation

ajohnson@bahamas.com

Weber Shandwick

Public Relations

Bahamas@webershandwick.com

Founder Shares Importance of The Sandals Foundation

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Founder Adam Stewart Shares Importance of The Sandals Foundation

Founder Adam Stewart Shares Importance of The Sandals Foundation

This is who we are.

What you find inside a Sandals resort is very much outside, too. Beauty. Optimism. Gratitude. But there’s so much more “out there.”

Adam Stewart launched the Sandals Foundation 10 years ago because he grew up seeing it all, inside and out, from angles no one else has ever seen. Until now.

Maybe this isn’t the best time to enter Adam Stewart’s office. The Deputy Chairman of Sandals Resorts International and Founder of the Sandals Foundation has just finished a marathon meeting, which was only slightly longer than the half marathon he’ll be running this weekend.

It’s 4 p.m., putting us mid-way between Adam’s partial lunch and a late dinner. Adam sips on some water to hold him over.

“Are you sure you want to do this now?” you ask.

Adam cannot deny that he’d rather be on the other side of his office door. It’s why he has reminders of “out there” in here. There’s a globe seemingly stopped mid-spin so the Caribbean islands face toward his desk. There are pictures of stunning Sandals swimming pools and golf courses and … hey, that’s Richard Branson!

But positioned closest to Adam is a row of framed 8×10 photos with a singular theme: Family. Adam’s wife and three children sit and stand in various poses a few inches away from him, all day long.

“My family adds fuel to my desire to help our island communities,” he says.

When you ask if he’s ready for this conversation, Adam’s eyes are as convincing as his voice. “Absolutely.” He takes two more sips of water while you start saying, “The 10th anniversary of the Sandals Foundation …”

Adam takes it from there.

You first have to know about my parents.

They planted the seeds for the Foundation when I was growing up here in Jamaica. But they did it very differently.

Dad (Sandals Founder and Chairman Gordon “Butch” Stewart) thought he needed to build a successful business in order to give. Remember, the all-inclusive industry was very young when he started in 1981 — the same year I was born. He believed if the Sandals experience surpassed expectations of guests, then more guests would come. And more guests meant he could create more jobs and meet more needs in our challenged communities. Dad thought of those people as family. That’s why he worked 20 hours a day.

Mom, on the other hand, thought you don’t need much to help people. She had the time to build houses for the poor and make nice clothing for those who couldn’t afford it. In fact, I asked her if she could watch our kids during the marathon this weekend, but she’s working for a charity called Back on the Rack in Kingston, so she can’t.

Me? I’m a hybrid of the two of them.

People didn’t know what was happening behind the scenes.

Both of my parents came from a generation that says, “When you do good things, do them quietly.”

For example, Dad would block off certain days at a Beaches Resort and bring busloads of kids from underserved areas to enjoy a little vacation and learn about tourism — he still does that. He gave any fees he earned for serving as President of Hotel Association to fishermen. He’d only hire independent drivers for airport shuttles so the resorts would be providing jobs rather than taking them away. Only recently have people known that 96 percent of the produce in the restaurants comes from local farmers. Those are the types of business decisions he’s always made to support people who need it.

I could go on and on, but Dad wouldn’t want me to.

In 2009 we decided to take it to another level.

The idea was to do what we’ve always done, but in an organized manner as “the Sandals Foundation.” For several years I’d imagined how much more we could do if we engaged several groups around our efforts:

-Resort guests who love the Caribbean and want to play a role in making it thrive — and enjoy a tax benefit.

-Corporate partners who can make a positive impact on the islands.

-Travel agents who would promote programs like Pack for a Purpose and the Reading Road Trips.

-The 14,000 Sandals team members who live in these communities.

Ten years later we’re implementing over 120 programs and projects annually. It shows that when we work together, there is no limit to the amazing things we can do.

The Foundation is unlike any other outreach organization.

What we’re doing would not work anywhere else. Not in Asia. Not in Europe. We live here, in the Caribbean. Our parents and grandparents lived here. These are our friends and families. We have never had to convince someone who works at Sandals to be a part of the Foundation’s efforts, from the wait staff to the general managers. Not once.

We’re all part of the tapestry of the islands. And the resorts and our customers become part of the tapestry as well.

Our resort guests are in a unique situation.

Ultimately, we want people to come and enjoy the beautiful places we’re so proud to call home. Touch the sand and the mountains and the ocean. But also recognize among the beauty, inside the resorts and outside, is the need for a helping hand. We invite guests to go out with our community ambassadors to experience it for themselves.

Think of the bartender who’s pouring your drink.

A $25 donation might help provide a meaningful education for her children at their local school upgraded by the Foundation’s efforts.. A $50 donation helps to purchase lifesaving equipment at a local clinic which serves our team member, community and visitors.. A $75 donation can help make the ocean more vibrant and resilient improving the livelihoods of local fishermen.. Our mantra is, “We don’t need a lot from a little. We need a little from a lot.” These seemingly small acts are literally transforming communities. I’ve seen it.

One of the coolest things we’ve been a part of …

… is healthcare for children. Sadly, without proper technology in the Caribbean, children with blood disorders and juvenile cancers are oftentimes misdiagnosed. So guest donations have allowed us to partner with SickKids. They’re now connecting highly-regarded doctors in North America with doctors on the islands through telemedicine. It’s literally saving lives.

I think about the life of a 13-year-old girl in Ocho Rios.

She was at a center for pregnant girls, which often means they’re going to be expelled from school. We’re partnering with a place that comes alongside girls to provide tutoring and parenting classes. A situation like hers cannot be the end of that girl’s journey, her dreams. She’s only 13.

Honestly, I didn’t really understand when I was younger.

Mom would pick me up from school and stop on the way home to make clothing for people. As a kid, I’d be thinking, “This is taking three hours.” But it was leaving an impression. When I went to boarding school in Boca Raton, Florida, I started to realize how much I really love the Caribbean. The food. The friendly people. The breezes blowing through homes without air conditioning. The natural beauty. But I also realized the stark contrast between privileges and the great needs in the Caribbean communities.

Mom and Dad were both right.

Mom has helped people on the frontlines for decades. Dad wanted to be an honorable businessman. He stayed in Jamaica to start a business at a time when people were leaving for places where they could make more money, more quickly. He earned trust and integrity. That’s why people in even the most rural communities know Sandals not just as a resort, but as people who passionately want to do good. I think that’s why the Foundation has been able to do so much in these first 10 years.

My son was born shortly after we started the Foundation.

It changed my perspective. And then my daughters were born, and that changed me even more. Before having kids, I could have talked with you about the purpose of the Foundation. But my children have given me a clear vision for why we’re doing this. I mean, what if my children were in the shoes of those in need?
That thought motivates me every day.

Picks up a picture of his kids.
Look how young they are here. I probably should update these pictures, but I guess it’s hard to let go.

The Stewart Family Wants You to Know:

“Every dollar donated to the Sandals Foundation goes directly to a cause. Not 50 percent or 90 percent. It’s always 100 percent. A $150 donation might help build a bathroom at a school or provide air conditioning in a hospital. A $75 donation might help local artisans or a family farm. One gift touches people in ways you cannot imagine. Because a single act of generosity reminds them that someone out there truly cares.”

To put a few dollars to work right away, go to SandalsFoundation.org and click on the “Donate Now” button. The people in our Caribbean communities say, “Thank you for providing hope and opportunities.”

 

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