Protestors block entrance to beach-side business Protestors, yesterday, blocked the entrance to Bahamas Adventures resulting in arriving tour buses a ... Chants of No justice, No peace and We are the Majority with a minority problem rang out early yesterday morning, as frustrated Grand Bahamians demonstrated in protest of what they say is Bahamas Adventuresâ monopoly over business in the area. A group of about 35, led by activists Troy Garvey and Kendal Colebrooke of Enough is Enough Movement, stood in the median on Jolly Rodgers Drive with placards as motorists attempted to access the thoroughfare. According to Garvey, Bahamas Adventures located at the former Pirates of The Bahamas site is reportedly a foreign-owned company which has been given the same concessions as Bahamian-owned and operated businesses on Taino Beach. Garvey alleges that the company is being allowed to monopolize revenue flow from tourists visiting the area. In fact, he claims, tourists are being bused to Bahamas Adventures from the Freeport Harbour and are not allowed to patronize other businesses on Taino Beach, which includes the Junkanoo Beach Club, Tony Macaroni and Outriggers. This morning the people are tired, jobless and are in need of work to make an honest living, he said. Bahamas Adventures, a Mexican-owned company has been granted the same rights and privileges as Bahamians operating their businesses on Taino Beach and that is unfair, claimed Garvey. How is it that all the tourists are being channeled from the Freeport Harbour to this one entity, thereby putting Bahamians out of work? Bahamian businesses on Taino Beach inclusive of the Junkanoo Beach Club, Tony Macaroni, Outriggers and others are looking for opportunities to attract tourists to patronize their businesses but are being denied that right due to the monopolization Bahamas Adventures is allowed to have. Those in authority are not informing the tourists of their options along Taino Beach and we (activists and protestors) were made to understand that our visitors are being given a debit card by which to use only with those in contract with Bahamas Adventures, Garvey alleged. Essentially, this means they have no cash on hand to use at the Bahamian businesses along Taino Beach and can only utilize the services provided by Bahamas Adventures and that is ridiculous, said Garvey. Protestors called on Prime Minister Perry Christie; Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe; Minister for Grand Bahama Dr. Michael Darville and Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) chairman, Ian Rolle to rectify the situation ensuring the alleged unjust business practices undertaken at Taino Beach by Bahamas Adventures cease immediately. The prime minister is on-island today and he needs to hear us! said Garvey. Protestors said it is time for Prime Minister Christie and ministers Wilchcombe and Darville to open their eyes and address the plight of suffering Grand Bahamians. After tour buses and taxis were forced to detour in traveling to Bahamas Adventures, officers from the Royal Bahamas Police Force were called to the scene to maintain order; however the frustrations of the protestors were not silenced. Local musician, Wilfred Solomon noted he is saddened by the way the government and those in authority are disregarding the needs of the people and with tears in his eyes he said, I know if Sir Lynden could only see what is going on now, he would be in torment rolling over in his grave to know that the Bahamian people whom he fought so hard for are being ill treated by their own. Protestor Jah Shiloh carried his protest one step further by lying down in the street to obstruct the pathway of the tour buses and taxis in hope that business would be moved or disbursed all along the Taino Beach strip. While the demonstration was orderly, Garvey was arrested and taken into police custody after he refused to move out of the pathway of a H. Forbes Charter and Tour bus on it way to Bahamas Adventures. Cries of Free Garvey were led by Colebrooke and activist C. Allen Johnson, who noted serious discussions on the laws under the Hawksbill Creek Agreement concerning Bahamiansâ rights must be undertaken as well as educational forum regarding natural resources and how it can benefit all. Local Tanio Beach businessman, Anthony â Tony Macaroniâ Fox said, all the challenges incurred by Bahamians whether or not they are at Taino Beach, Freeport Harbour, the International Bazaar, hotels or any area in which tourism has an affect needs to be immediately addressed. All of this begins with Prime Minister Perry Christie, Minister of Tourism Obadiah Wilchcombe and Minister for Grand Bahama Dr. Michael Darville .... and those playing politics on Grand Bahama. We are caught in a situation by which the cruise ship business is being recognized for bringing tons of people into this country but that is not so, Fox claimed. The numbers may well preserve the right to say that this is a hallmark year for tourism in terms of numbers alone, but when you look at the amount of people and those actually spending money on this island is less than 10-15 percent. When you look at the thousands of people that come to this country everyday, especially those brought to Grand Bahama, there is no program in place at the Ministry of Tourism to encourage tourists to be here overnight or come and see the island again, maintained Fox. So again the problems starts at the top and unless a paradigm shift occurs whereby those in power actually mean business when they say we are Bahamians for Bahamians nothing will change in fact, I dear say it will become worse, said Fox. Noting that protests will continue until a change that benefits the majority (Bahamians) occurs, Garvey noted the people will not be moved and he encouraged all Bahamians to take a stand. Calls placed to officials of the Department of Road Traffic and H. Forbes Charter and Tours informed The Freeport News that they were unaware of the demonstration and could not speak to the issue. Officials at the Ministry of Tourism and the Grand Bahama Port Authority could not be reached for comment up to press time and Minister for Grand Bahama Dr. Michael Darville said, he was uncertain regarding the details of the protest and could not give a definitive comment on the issue.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 22:51:59 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015