March 13, 2026
Revenues generated by the above are immediately exported or do not even touch our shores and don’t circulate our economy, not even once! So how do we as Bahamians benefit. Is it only bankrolling these lousy politicians and their crew?
Hotels, resorts and cruise lines are given financial incentives and exemption of fees for duty, business license, VAT, work permits, vessel fees, opening casinos, exchange control, retail operation and pumping pollution into our waters and air. They also get Crown Land for leases longer than The Bahamas has been independent, seabed leases, political protection, fast tracked through Office of the Prime Minister and Department of the Environment Planning and Protection and political directives. Entirely foreign owned! Every single cruise line (Royal Caribbean, MSC, Disney, Virgin, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Carnival) and resort Baha Mar, Atlantis, British Colonial: zero Bahamian equity.
Yet Bahamians are devastatingly marginalized: told to wait for years with any application, ignored and don’t even arrive at the stage of any of the exemptions or incentives of what foreigners get.
Boutique hotels owned by Bahamians throughout our Bahamas is the only way we can grow sustainably, have ownership and get on to this already unlevel playing field full of foreign bias. Bahamians should be the only priority for exemptions, crown land, incentives, to a more advantageous degree than any foreign project. Fishing lodges, sustainable excursions, greater education and for all Bahamians across the country.
Cruise lines now have ELEVEN “private” destinations throughout OUR Bahamas: Bimini (Virgin), Ocean Cay 1 (MSC), Ocean Cay 2 (MSC), Celebration Key (Carnival), Little “Coco” Stirrup Cay (RCL), Great Stirrup Cay (NCL), Princess Cay (Carnival), Lighthouse Point, El (Disney), Half Moon Cay 1 & 2 (Carnivale, NCL), Castaway Cay (Disney) while Mayaguana, Long Island, Rum Cay are on the giveaway pile! Then once their foot is in the door, Bahamians are banished from even getting close by land or sea! They stick the police on us and threaten, with the police, to lock us up from our own Bahamian Crown Land.
Nassau: the politicians pimp her out for all she has. There’s not the infrastructure to support the stampede, the excursions are skimmed off the top, the contracts given to foreigners and cronies, retail (reserved for Bahamians) is foreign owned and then Bahamians are blamed for her looking so worn out and filthy after been ridden by every John they can accommodate!
Remember when our Nassau town was sort after by the world? Remember the Rusty Nail, Silver Slipper, Drumbeat Club, The Cat and the Fiddle, ZanZa Bar, Banana Boat, Dirty Dicks, Mermaid’s Tavern, The Pink Pussy Cat, The Clipper Lounge, Charlie Charlie’s, The Bahamian Club, The Potlatch Club, Rose Lawn, Goombay Beach Club, Drop Off, even Waterloo! Cruise Lines used to overnight, people would come out the hotels and look where this nightlife was: in the very heart of Nassau. Cruise ships no longer overnight and resorts don’t want you venturing out and warned of imminent danger as a scare tactic, who want to shake the tourists’ pockets in their casinos and bars for every penny. This is what killed our vibrant and world class and renowned night life. Now what we got? Only foreign owned Aura, Bond Bar, Jean Baptiste Jazz Bar and Senor Frogs……
Then these lousy politicians say “Bahamians must do more”!! No! The Columbus Business Model nor the Plantation Model works for Bahamians to prosper, only a life of bondage, debt and servitude. They’ll hire one Bahamian sellout Uncle Tom to be their spokesperson and attempt to convince Bahamians they are lucky to have a job! This neocolonisation of The Bahamas continues by foreign, financial predatory practices and only ONE politician needs greasing to allow it all to happen.
Thank you.
Sincerely yours,
Captain Toby C.S. Smith.
CEO.