Cruises have stopped going to the idyllic Caribbean city of Nassau following a spate of violent crimes against tourists...
The Telegraph reports that "A series of armed attacks on cruise ship passengers in Nassau has raised fears about the safety of visitors to the Bahamas...
Several Europeans were among a group of 18 tourists held up by two men wielding shotguns during a guided tour of an eco-park close to Nassau last weekend. Their local guide was tied up and a woman hit in the face with the butt of a gun as the robbers took money, cameras, mobile phones and passports from the passengers...
Last month, in another daylight incident, 11 cruise passengers were robbed at gunpoint as they stood at the top of the Queen's Staircase, the city's landmark attraction..."
The Bahamas is trying to combat an increase in violent crime – there have been a record 77 murders so far this year. In the past it was rare for tourists to be targeted...
"It is difficult to promote the islands as a place for people to consider for their holiday when these kinds of incidents occur," said Vernice Walkine, minister for tourism. "We are deeply concerned about a troubling series of events involving rogue elements of our society. We want to assure our cruise line partners that we will work closely with the police until they have rooted out these problems and restored these places and activities as safe for the enjoyment of our visitors."
With the Bahamas tourism industry worth an estimated $2.3 billion a year, these criminal elements need to be eradicated before serious harm is done to the businesses of those that depend on tourist arrivals...
For more on this, follow http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/cruise-news/6669176/Nassau-crime-wave-hits-cruises.html
Barticus.
The Telegraph reports that "A series of armed attacks on cruise ship passengers in Nassau has raised fears about the safety of visitors to the Bahamas...
Several Europeans were among a group of 18 tourists held up by two men wielding shotguns during a guided tour of an eco-park close to Nassau last weekend. Their local guide was tied up and a woman hit in the face with the butt of a gun as the robbers took money, cameras, mobile phones and passports from the passengers...
Last month, in another daylight incident, 11 cruise passengers were robbed at gunpoint as they stood at the top of the Queen's Staircase, the city's landmark attraction..."
The Bahamas is trying to combat an increase in violent crime – there have been a record 77 murders so far this year. In the past it was rare for tourists to be targeted...
"It is difficult to promote the islands as a place for people to consider for their holiday when these kinds of incidents occur," said Vernice Walkine, minister for tourism. "We are deeply concerned about a troubling series of events involving rogue elements of our society. We want to assure our cruise line partners that we will work closely with the police until they have rooted out these problems and restored these places and activities as safe for the enjoyment of our visitors."
With the Bahamas tourism industry worth an estimated $2.3 billion a year, these criminal elements need to be eradicated before serious harm is done to the businesses of those that depend on tourist arrivals...
For more on this, follow http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/cruise-news/6669176/Nassau-crime-wave-hits-cruises.html
Barticus.
