NASSAU, Bahamas — A Cabinet minster last night said he was “not particularly bothered” by a widely-circulated video labelling The Bahamas’ the world’s most unsafe cruise destination because it was “patently untrue”.
Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism, told Tribune Business his ministry had decided to respond to the video – which branded this nation as more unsafe than crime-ridden nations such as Venezuela and Guatemala – because it was “causing consternation among Bahamians”.
He added that the video lacked credibility, and the ministry’s New York-based public relations firm had confirmed it was “receiving very little play” internationally – resulting in his lack of concern.
Pointing out that cruise lines will never take passengers to unsafe destinations, Mr D’Aguilar said they brought some 3.6m visitors to Nassau annually, and the level of crime they experienced was “negligible, minimal”.
He added that the video’s ranking of The Bahamas as the most unsafe destination, based on alleged “pick pocketing, muggings and robberies”, paled into insignificance when set against the armed robberies of cruise passengers in St Lucia and “armed gangs” in Mexico and Guatemala.
All were cited in the same video, and the Minister also dismissed speculation that it may be an attempt to exert further leverage over The Bahamas by the cruise lines. http://www.tribune242.com/news/2019/feb/04/cruise-crime-video-patently-untrue/
