The deal has been made for the beginning of Phase Three of the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island after months of negotiations between Kerzner International and the Government of the Bahamas. This new expansion to the resort promises to be the largest tourism development ever undertaken in the Bahamas and will result in the creation thousands of new jobs for Bahamians. Prime Minister Christie said that he expects that more than 1,500 Bahamians will be employed during the construction period and a minimum of 2,000 permanent will be created at the completion of the new phase, roads will be improved, the airport, BEC and Batelco will be upgraded to match the standards of the Atlantis Resort.

The question is:
What are the Pros and Cons of such a development in the Bahamas?

International investment is one major pillar in this country----so, I think there is much good in the continued investment by Kerzner. However, I do believe that this will mean bringing in a whole new lot of expats for 'top management' and even middle management positions. Why? Because the pool of Bahamians to choose from is just shallow to non-existent! We in this country need to get a good 'wake up' call and realize that we must commit to working much harder and being a whole lot more aggressive about getting 21st century knowledge and skills---being 'Bahamian' just ain't good enough!

It would be interesting to see who get the higher managment jobs with the new extention to the resort. Or are these jobs been offered to non-Bahamians :rolleyes: I hope the Government is allowing this development for the PEOPLE.

I do feel the it would be in the best interest of Kerzner, the goverment and our country on the whole; to go about this pending extension - properly. In aspects of being the number one destination (and the largest, with the new expansion) shouldn't we be training our potential employees as well as the public to maintenance quality service? If we are promoting the Bahamas on such a large scale. The environment and its inhabitants should look and act the part. The port of entry, for example is the first place our tourists experience -- which is in serious need of repairs and steady maintenance. The taxi drivers need to be taught manners. (Imagine the impression our guest get to be met by verbal and physical abuse from their 'respected' cabbies.) Next is the roads... the nearest major hotels from the airport are Westwind, Sandals, Nassau Beach and Breezes. About 15-25 mins. more than enough time to be mildly-violently motion sick from and the tossing, bouncing and jiggling about. I could go on and on. Please don't let this expanding extension of Kerzner Intn'l get to our heads. Please must sure we go about this the proper way so that we as a country can prosper and exceed our expectations.:angel:

the investment expansion will be good, only if we use what atlantis has taught its bahamian staff about expert service to attract more high-end hotels like the peninsula, ritz-carlton and four seasons chain to come in and revamp the terribly shabby cable beach area. people who remember glamourous nassau in the 1950s and 60s are shamed to see what it has become today, with people pissing in public on bay street and throwing beer bottles all around the docks.

let's show the world that we know how it's done, and clean up our public beaches and potters quay dock and make taxi cab drivers fix their windows and use air-conditioning like everyone else in the world does.

opportunity is knocking big time, what we ga do bout it? it is up to the people who want benefits - from big management positions to taxi fares - to rise to the standards expected by a world class resort.

thanks to the previous government for showing us the money!

Fiirst of all if sol gives top management positions to foreingners thats because Bahamains are too busy sitting on there laurels taking up space and are very content with a high school education.

And let me say I work at Atlantis and find the foreingners easier to work with than the black slave drivers who dont know how to handle power and authority . Only he who sees knows.

:rolleyes: Yes this is a great thig for the Bahamas in theory, but are we really going to get the most benefit from it? for instance, what concessions are we giving away this time?.... Are they going to lay off hundreds of bahamians again after the initial fanfare dies down?

Dont get me wrong, I appreciate what it seems to be able to do for our economy. However, I want it to be long term and sustainable, not just temporary. :bahamas:

i want yall to know if bahamains contractors get those contracts that will be good.but i know we will have lots of them going to others than bahamians. if thatmoney was staying in the country it will be real good.
i know lots of contractors i they have allready told me the story we as bahamians don't know bout our country.
this great country is made for others than us if you look good and go to the pubs after work down town and out west and be invited to some of those partys in lyford cay you will cry i mean really cry and don't even go to the immigation building lol man this thing is hey wire.iwent across pi we all thosr trailers is before club med all those are foreign company's with bahamians fronting for them all of them 100% of them.and if you go to check and see where these companies are registered at the polition officers and i mean the p.m. them prime minister them and all others along with him we are at war allmostand don't even know it.
:bahamas:

Originally posted by Marilyn Russell
:rolleyes: Yes this is a great thig for the Bahamas in theory, but are we really going to get the most benefit from it? for instance, what concessions are we giving away this time?.... Are they going to lay off hundreds of bahamians again after the initial fanfare dies down?

Dont get me wrong, I appreciate what it seems to be able to do for our economy. However, I want it to be long term and sustainable, not just temporary. :bahamas:

How is the creation of a huge hotel going to cause 'lay offs?' Don't you need staff to fill jobs at the hotel? The will cause the creation of thousands of jobs, not the depletion.

There will be trickle down effect, when those thousands of workers start spending their money in the economy, thus creating more jobs.

How anyone can see this as a negative is beyond me.

I know that Tourism is the first pillar, and it is the bulk of the economy now. Financial services is going downhill. And you have to be highly educated to even work in the top jobs of financial sector. Having said that tourism is our bread & butter, I can't help feel that we are whoring ourselves. First of all, Tourism drives up the land prices so that we can't afford them. Second of all, our birthright, our beaches now belong to someone else. Thirdly, the bahamians are paid low wages as the lower tier of workers and the tourismprofits are all re-patriated to whoever put the hotel up.

If we had a real diverse economy, with jobs and entrepreneur options, and access to capital to start businesses, then we could stop whoring ourselves with tourism.