Priscilla H Carey
11-09-03, - 11:10 PM
Recently we traveled to Russia in search of new business for our real estate business; this was our first visit to the country formerly known as the Soviet Union. And as with something one does for the first time; our excitement was indescribable. I want to share with you through Bahamas Issues my impressions and observations about a great nation we must acquaint ourselves with, for it is a nation with great potential for our market. As for them our Island nation is too small and practically unknown.
I am convinced; we cannot afford not to pay attention to these countries and assume we know all there is to know about them because we really don’t know them. We limit our potential for growth as a nation if we continue to believe that the world revolves around us; The Bahamas because it does not.
This first visit we traveled to the city of Moscow through Havana, Cuba. We arrived at Jose Marti’s airport when night had already fallen; approximately at 7:30 p.m. and spent one night in a Cuban bed & breakfast we found comfortable by Cuban standards. Looking through the jet’s window we were surprised to see about EIGHT or more large transatlantic planes parked at the airport’s gates with blinking lights and fuel trucks refueling them.
Among those we saw were, AlItalia the Italian airlines, Air France, Swiss Air, Air Canada and others we could not recognize. We also saw Continental Airlines and American Eagle of American Airlines. To our dismay we concluded; these planes are flying into Cuba direct from European cities bringing TOURISTS to these shores.
The following morning we boarded AEROFLOT the Russian airlines and prepared for the twelve hour direct flight to the city of Moscow. Our plane probably had 300 seats, there were only a few empty seats left in business class. We arrived in Moscow the following morning at around 8:00 a.m. Russia is 8 hours ahead of The Bahamas’ time.
We stepped outside of the airport and into the cold weather driving through highways and streets crowded with buses, private vehicles, and electric trains similar to those seen in the streets of San Francisco. It was a gray and rainy morning; we could see well dressed Moscowian people going to work everywhere. Our sunny islands were behind.
Even though we were in unfamiliar surroundings; we quickly learned to appreciate the awesome building structures and a city, busy just about like any other city in Europe. Our hotel The Radisson, part of the American chain; is located in close proximity to the Russian President’s office building from where President Putin runs this large INDUSTRIAL nation.
The city of Moscow alone has approximately 11 Million people. There are other major cities in Russia; St. Petersburgh is another large beautiful city with great wealth in history and resources.
According to the CIA world fact book http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/rs.html#Intro Russia’s area has 17,075,200 sq. km. land 16,995,800 sq. km. Is approximately 1.8 the size of the United States. Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture; Mount Elbrus is Europe's tallest peak
Population: 144,526,278 (millions)(July 2003 Est.)
The Nation’s Ethnic Groups are: Russian 81.5%, Tatar 3.8%, Ukrainian 3%, Chuvash 1.2%, Bashkir 0.9%, Belarusian 0.8%, Moldavian 0.7%, other 8.1% (1989)
Literacy: 99.6%
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.35 trillion (2002 Est.)
Labor Force: 71.8 million (2002 est.)
Exports: $104.6 billion (2002 est.)
Imports: 60.7 billion (2002 est.)
Currency: Russian rubles per US dollar - 31.2651 (2002)
Russia is an Industrial nation with its labor force by occupation:
agriculture 12.3%, industry 22.7%, services 65% (2002 est.)
Religion: Russian Orthodox, Muslim, other. The church buildings in Moscow are hundred of years old with its beautiful and unique designs and are visited daily by people who come to pray. We visited a small and very old Christian church where we stopped to lit candles and say our prayers.
Through an interpreter we spoke with Russian business people and other professionals who were delighted and curious to meet us. For the most part their reaction was similar in that The Bahamas is unknown to them. Nonetheless, they were very interested in our promotion and information about our islands.
After our meetings and conversations we learned about the Russian people vacationing in Spain and Cuba, doing their offshore investments in Cyprus, conducting export and import business with Europe and Asia. We learned The Bahamas is not in their map of countries they consider good possibilities for tourism and investments.
Sadly, we also learned The Bahamas does not have a Diplomatic Representation in this key industrial nation; and that before 1999 Russian citizens could visit The Bahamas without a visa; but a visa must be obtained if they wish to visit our islands since then.
We also learned that although Russia has its problems like so many other countries in the world; since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Russians are seeking to do business worldwide; both outside and within. They are people concerned with the same issues you and me are concerned about; concerned to live in a better world today. They worry about the same things we worry about.
We learned the color RED as in the Red Square, means BEAUTY, not communism and that the GPS (guided point system) 0 is in Red Square, this system is used globally for guidance, as for example; guiding airplanes, and Vodka is drank to keep you warm.
Isn’t it amazing The Bahamas government has NO Embassy in a country of the size an importance of Russia! We ask ourselves: Is It any Wonder Why The Bahamas is Unknown in Russia?
Is high time our government and us as citizens wake up and smell the coffee to the reality that if we don’t pay attention NOW to our surroundings and competitors in tourism and banking; our competitors will be the only ones to benefit NOW and into the future.
We cannot afford not to have The Bahamas Diplomatic Representation in Russia and not to promote The Bahamas in this market with huge potential. We can learn the Russian language as many of them are learning the English language.
You see, our flight back to Havana was another large AEROFLOT airplane with about 300 seats, there was not one empty seat onboard but it was full of passengers who with the exception of a dozen of us stayed in Havana.
Remembering the large airliners we had seen at Havana’s airport before; observing the amount of people in our flight we did our mathematics and realized that the world does not revolve around us; but in fact, we are missing BIG TIME to our competitors already on this side of the world; not to mention Europe and Asia.
As business people we will continue to work to present our islands in the best possible way with our resources; but it’s very difficult and frustrating without the proper OFFICIAL infrastructure preparing the way.
To our government I need to say: Wake up before is too late!
In light of this first fact-finding visit What Do You Think Our Government and our country need to DO in this and the Latin American markets in terms of tourism?
Priscilla Hudson-Carey
Associate Broker
Century 21 C. Investments Realtors
And a Christian writer
http://www.myhomeinternational.com (http://www.myhomeinternational.com/)
http://www.cinvest.com (http://www.cinvest.com/)
I am convinced; we cannot afford not to pay attention to these countries and assume we know all there is to know about them because we really don’t know them. We limit our potential for growth as a nation if we continue to believe that the world revolves around us; The Bahamas because it does not.
This first visit we traveled to the city of Moscow through Havana, Cuba. We arrived at Jose Marti’s airport when night had already fallen; approximately at 7:30 p.m. and spent one night in a Cuban bed & breakfast we found comfortable by Cuban standards. Looking through the jet’s window we were surprised to see about EIGHT or more large transatlantic planes parked at the airport’s gates with blinking lights and fuel trucks refueling them.
Among those we saw were, AlItalia the Italian airlines, Air France, Swiss Air, Air Canada and others we could not recognize. We also saw Continental Airlines and American Eagle of American Airlines. To our dismay we concluded; these planes are flying into Cuba direct from European cities bringing TOURISTS to these shores.
The following morning we boarded AEROFLOT the Russian airlines and prepared for the twelve hour direct flight to the city of Moscow. Our plane probably had 300 seats, there were only a few empty seats left in business class. We arrived in Moscow the following morning at around 8:00 a.m. Russia is 8 hours ahead of The Bahamas’ time.
We stepped outside of the airport and into the cold weather driving through highways and streets crowded with buses, private vehicles, and electric trains similar to those seen in the streets of San Francisco. It was a gray and rainy morning; we could see well dressed Moscowian people going to work everywhere. Our sunny islands were behind.
Even though we were in unfamiliar surroundings; we quickly learned to appreciate the awesome building structures and a city, busy just about like any other city in Europe. Our hotel The Radisson, part of the American chain; is located in close proximity to the Russian President’s office building from where President Putin runs this large INDUSTRIAL nation.
The city of Moscow alone has approximately 11 Million people. There are other major cities in Russia; St. Petersburgh is another large beautiful city with great wealth in history and resources.
According to the CIA world fact book http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/rs.html#Intro Russia’s area has 17,075,200 sq. km. land 16,995,800 sq. km. Is approximately 1.8 the size of the United States. Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture; Mount Elbrus is Europe's tallest peak
Population: 144,526,278 (millions)(July 2003 Est.)
The Nation’s Ethnic Groups are: Russian 81.5%, Tatar 3.8%, Ukrainian 3%, Chuvash 1.2%, Bashkir 0.9%, Belarusian 0.8%, Moldavian 0.7%, other 8.1% (1989)
Literacy: 99.6%
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.35 trillion (2002 Est.)
Labor Force: 71.8 million (2002 est.)
Exports: $104.6 billion (2002 est.)
Imports: 60.7 billion (2002 est.)
Currency: Russian rubles per US dollar - 31.2651 (2002)
Russia is an Industrial nation with its labor force by occupation:
agriculture 12.3%, industry 22.7%, services 65% (2002 est.)
Religion: Russian Orthodox, Muslim, other. The church buildings in Moscow are hundred of years old with its beautiful and unique designs and are visited daily by people who come to pray. We visited a small and very old Christian church where we stopped to lit candles and say our prayers.
Through an interpreter we spoke with Russian business people and other professionals who were delighted and curious to meet us. For the most part their reaction was similar in that The Bahamas is unknown to them. Nonetheless, they were very interested in our promotion and information about our islands.
After our meetings and conversations we learned about the Russian people vacationing in Spain and Cuba, doing their offshore investments in Cyprus, conducting export and import business with Europe and Asia. We learned The Bahamas is not in their map of countries they consider good possibilities for tourism and investments.
Sadly, we also learned The Bahamas does not have a Diplomatic Representation in this key industrial nation; and that before 1999 Russian citizens could visit The Bahamas without a visa; but a visa must be obtained if they wish to visit our islands since then.
We also learned that although Russia has its problems like so many other countries in the world; since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Russians are seeking to do business worldwide; both outside and within. They are people concerned with the same issues you and me are concerned about; concerned to live in a better world today. They worry about the same things we worry about.
We learned the color RED as in the Red Square, means BEAUTY, not communism and that the GPS (guided point system) 0 is in Red Square, this system is used globally for guidance, as for example; guiding airplanes, and Vodka is drank to keep you warm.
Isn’t it amazing The Bahamas government has NO Embassy in a country of the size an importance of Russia! We ask ourselves: Is It any Wonder Why The Bahamas is Unknown in Russia?
Is high time our government and us as citizens wake up and smell the coffee to the reality that if we don’t pay attention NOW to our surroundings and competitors in tourism and banking; our competitors will be the only ones to benefit NOW and into the future.
We cannot afford not to have The Bahamas Diplomatic Representation in Russia and not to promote The Bahamas in this market with huge potential. We can learn the Russian language as many of them are learning the English language.
You see, our flight back to Havana was another large AEROFLOT airplane with about 300 seats, there was not one empty seat onboard but it was full of passengers who with the exception of a dozen of us stayed in Havana.
Remembering the large airliners we had seen at Havana’s airport before; observing the amount of people in our flight we did our mathematics and realized that the world does not revolve around us; but in fact, we are missing BIG TIME to our competitors already on this side of the world; not to mention Europe and Asia.
As business people we will continue to work to present our islands in the best possible way with our resources; but it’s very difficult and frustrating without the proper OFFICIAL infrastructure preparing the way.
To our government I need to say: Wake up before is too late!
In light of this first fact-finding visit What Do You Think Our Government and our country need to DO in this and the Latin American markets in terms of tourism?
Priscilla Hudson-Carey
Associate Broker
Century 21 C. Investments Realtors
And a Christian writer
http://www.myhomeinternational.com (http://www.myhomeinternational.com/)
http://www.cinvest.com (http://www.cinvest.com/)