About bcde

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Seeg, Bavaria, Germany

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Bahamas: Bahamas Report:

Bahamian trap: More and more travel agents criticise the marketing practices of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism which are incompatible with an honest information policy. It is irresponsible to deceive potential tourists or investors with false claims about the Bahamas. But many tourists I spoke to they did not catch the real caribbean experience. Official survey revealed that many travelers return home very disappointed and the would not recommend the Bahamas to their family members or friends. I claim that cruise passengers were greeted by a band playing homemade instruments which was really cool but he bad part is that the band was pulling people in to get their pictures taken then insisting that the tourist pay the band for posing. They were also greeted by taxi and horse/buggy drivers, scooter lenders, hair braiders, and merchants who were all extremely aggressive. Not just aggressive in their sales tactics but actually grabbing people and trying to intimidate tourists into buying. Taxi drivers have to have meters in the cabs by law and should be forced to use them. Many tourists I spoke to claim the strange contrast between rich and poor neighborhoods in Nassau. One even do not have to pass the location of the 5 star Gray Cliff Hotel at Blue Hill Road or the Police Headquarters at East Street you find already wide spread slums close to the port. Anyhow the growing number of derelict buildings along the eastern end of Bay Street are contributing to a drop in business in the area, where nearly a third of the shop spaces are vacant. Ants are the winner in Nassau´s downtown area. One can easily imagine that you will find termites and ants among others not only in a few houses, shopping arcades, restaurants, hotels and kitchens. Travelers should not at all surprised when Bahamians might show a friendly attitude towards foreigners. But they do it mostly only as long as they can expect any advantage from them. Even worse: A trip to the Bahamas is always expensive and tourists claim you won´t get the right value for your money. Alleged advantages due to special discounts on cruise ships, cheap prices at the straw market for items produced in China or any savings on rum offers are used up very quick. Bay Street, Straw Market and Potter´s Cay are unsanitary. Complaints touched on everything concerning the straw market from excessive heat, poor lighting and flooding, to unsanitary and claustrophobic conditions. There is only one bathroom for about 3000 people a day. After 7 pm Nassau is nothing else but death because cruise ship passengers mostly return on board where they have more fun, better food and better entertainment at reasonable prices. I even say that the Dollar has in the Bahamas a value of 50 cents only. Dinner for two is about 100$, even the local beer, Kalik, is $34 a case in a shop...more on the outer Cays. Bud is about the same....maybe a little more. I used to think the price of beer is high because of shipping and import duties but Kalik has no duties and a little shipping so what gives? Also, you can buy Kalik much cheaper in the States than it is home country.....hmmm. I would say they charge $34 simply because they can. I guess a cruise out into the ocean is not bad, but after getting into the water and above the reef it is really not very good at all. The coral appeared to be dead and fish were nonexistent. Very disapointing for me and the other people who payed 40 dollars a head. After getting back you might visit Paradise Island where the big attraction is the Atlantis Hotel and Casino. It is nice to look at and quite impressive but if you are not staying there it cannot be too much fun. The highlight of a Bahamas trip was looking a high priced hotel? I got the information that you will find an interesting nightlife the Bahamas. They tell you that they have ongoing events at Arawak Cay in Nassau or at the Lucayan Market place on Grand Bahama but if you ask to published a real timetable for the following week than they won´t tell you because nothing will happen for days. Ask the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism which events are realy going on. Or do you want to stay in the casinos only? OK, where many people are living there is crime, stealing and killing too but from my point of view the Bahamas is a small country with about 300 000 inhabitants. This means to me that the crime, stealing and killing rate should absolutely not so high like in New York or Moscow. The former U.S. Ambassador in the Bahamas, J. Richard Blankenship, said that the more violent crime creeps up, the less secure they will feel, hence, the less the economy will prosper." He also claimed that a drug vessel was confiscated and brought to Prince George Dock in Nassau but some of the drugs on the way to the Coral Harbour Base disappeared. The Bahamas government was forced by the United States to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the confiscated drugs at least after 12 years. I personally agree also that the US embassy even published not only once a travel warning at least for spring breakers. A American family lived the most terrifying moments of their lives: "When leaving the hotel room two gunmen with a local accent forced us to return to our room. We were thrown on the floor, they tied our hands and feet, covered our mouths, kicked our bodies and threatened us with their guns demanding "where is the money". After taking our personal property and inflicting on my daughter and my wife the most inhuman and cruel acts, these men left our room and entered the room across ours, where they perpetrated another attack to an American family of two adults and a small child from New York. About 15 minutes later a lady from the Island of Trinidad was also attacked by the same ruthless criminals. The Bahamas Government should not invest so much money for false advertisements. Less tourists would return disappointed. I am also wondering that Condé Nast Traveler published recently an island report written by Adam Sachs with the headline Bahamas rising. In my opinion our judgement will be wrong if we look only at Atlantis Resort and Casino on (little) Paradise Island or at the (small) Four Season Resort on Great Exuma, which is a gated hotel, away from the real life in the Bahamas. In fact he Bahamas are quite different. If you want to read more about wide spread criminality, corrupt officials, injustice, a legal profession with anti-foreign attitudes, racism, drug trafficking as well as bad service with high prices write a email. You will find my adress at most important search engines. But I have to appologize that I cannot write in proper English. Do you want to check my Nassau-pictures? > www.reporter.int.tc Bahamas Consult Harald Fuhrmann

Bahamas: Happy to share....:

Are we talking about this paradise? Paradise Island was once called Hog Island  one should petition the Bahamas government to change the name Nassau in Hog City. Official surveys revealed that many travelers return home very disappointed and the would not recommend the Bahamas to their family members or friends. I claim that cruise passengers were greeted by a band playing homemade instruments which was really cool but he bad part is that the band was pulling people in to get their pictures taken then insisting that the tourist pay the band for posing. They were also greeted by taxi and horse/buggy drivers, scooter lenders, hair braiders, and merchants who were all extremely aggressive. Not just aggressive in their sales tactics but actually grabbing people and trying to intimidate tourists into buying. Taxi drivers have to have meters in the cabs by law and should be forced to use them. Many tourists I spoke to claim the strange contrast between rich and poor neighborhoods in Nassau. One even do not have to pass the location of the 5 star Gray Cliff Hotel at Blue Hill Road or the Police Headquarters at East Street you find already wide spread slums close to the port. Anyhow the growing number of derelict buildings along the eastern end of Bay Street are contributing to a drop in business in the area, where nearly a third of the shop spaces are vacant. Ants are the winner in Nassau´s downtown area. One can easily imagine that you will find termites and ants among others not only in a few houses, shopping arcades, restaurants, hotels and kitchens. Travelers should not at all surprised when Bahamians might show a friendly attitude towards foreigners. But they do it mostly only as long as they can expect any advantage from them. Even worse: A trip to the Bahamas is always expensive and tourists claim you won´t get the right value for your money. Alleged advantages due to special discounts on cruise ships, cheap prices at the straw market for items produced in China or any savings on rum offers are used up very quick. Bay Street, Straw Market and Potter´s Cay are unsanitary. Complaints touched on everything concerning the straw market from excessive heat, poor lighting and flooding, to unsanitary and claustrophobic conditions. There is only one bathroom for about 3000 people a day. After 7 pm Nassau is nothing else but death because cruise ship passengers mostly return on board where they have more fun, better food and better entertainment at reasonable prices. I even say that the Dollar has in the Bahamas a value of 50 cents only. I guess a cruise out into the ocean is not bad, but after getting into the water and above the reef it is really not very good at all. The coral appeared to be dead and fish were nonexistent. Very disapointing for me and the other people who payed 40 dollars a head. After getting back you might visit Paradise Island where the big attraction is the Atlantis Hotel and Casino. It is nice to look at and quite impressive but if you are not staying there it cannot be too much fun. The highlight of a Bahamas trip was looking a high priced hotel? OK, where many people are living there is crime, stealing and killing too but from my point of view the Bahamas is a small country with about 300 000 inhabitants. This means to me that the crime, stealing and killing rate should absolutely not so high like in New York or Moscow. I personally agree also that the US embassy even published not only once a travel warning at least for spring breakers. A American family lived the most terrifying moments of their lives: "When leaving the hotel room two gunmen with a local accent forced us to return to our room. We were thrown on the floor, they tied our hands and feet, covered our mouths, kicked our bodies and threatened us with their guns demanding "where is the money". After taking our personal property and inflicting on my daughter and my wife the most inhuman and cruel acts, these men left our room and entered the room across ours, where they perpetrated another attack to an American family of two adults and a small child from New York. About 15 minutes later a lady from the Island of Trinidad was also attacked by the same ruthless criminals. The Bahamas Government should not invest so much money for false advertisements. Less tourists would return disappointed. I am also wondering that Condé Nast Traveler published recently an island report written by Adam Sachs with the headline Bahamas rising. In my opinion our judgement will be wrong if we look only at Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island or at the Four Season Resort on Great Exuma, which is a gated hotel, away from the real life in the Bahamas. In fact he Bahamas are quite different. If you want to read more about wide spread criminality, corrupt officials, injustice, a legal profession with anti-foreign attitudes, racism, drug trafficking as well as bad service with high prices write us a email. Visit www.reporter.int.tc for Nassau pictures. Visit also www.the-bahamas.de for general information and www.einwohner.net/bahamas And I just red that a tourist was brutally murdered! Greeting from Bahamas Consult

Bahamas: NEW BAHAMAS TRAVEL WARNING:

The US State Department has once again issued a fact sheet to Spring Breakers at http://travel.state.gov/springbreak_bahamas.html urging them to use caution and good judgment if they travel to the Bahamas. The fact sheet  published in the website at 2004-03-02 noted that while Bahamian police make a special effort to increase patrols and expand surveillance, spring breakers should take every safety precaution during their visit. Nassau is a growing city. Crime and violence have increasingly moved into more affluent tourist and residential areas. The advices: Valuables should be left in a safe place or at home. Do not leave belongings unguarded on the beach while swimming. Passports and other valuables should be left in hotel safes. Walking at night on secluded beaches alone or in small groups is not advised. Visitors found alone or incapacitated have been targeted for rape, robbery, and assault. Know your drinking companions and be accompanied by friends when in clubs, bars, walking, or in a taxi at night. The US Embassy in Nassau explained already last year that crime and drug trafficking have increased to such a level that it is necessary to officially inform younger tourists about the bad conditions they may encounter in the island nation. The American Embassy mentions theft, armed robbery, physical attacks kidnapping and murder of tourists as potential risks. Widespread drug trafficking and dangerous possesion of arms are increasing even on the so called out islands. Bahamas Consult describes the new travel warning "as a bitter blow for the tourist trade In the Bahamas". It certainly isn´t a pessimistic description of the effects of the global political situation, but depressingly, it is based slely on the dangers within the country which is supposed to be a paradise. Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie said that the top growth markets in the Caribbean are the Dominican Republic and Cancun. He confirmed the Bahamas must offer visitors greater value for their money in order to prevent the further loss of market share to competitors. Harald Fuhrmann, Directing Manager of Bahamas Consult, reminds that the tourist satisfaction is very low. Specially in Nassau tourists stay on board of their cruise ships in the evenings because there they get more fun than what locals are willing to offer. They like the cruise, they like the buffet on board and they prefere the entertainment on board because Nassau downtown after 7 pm is dead. Tourists from America and Canada are becoming more and more aware that they are not getting value for money he claimed. 2003 was the most horrible year in the Bahamas due to the fear of rising crime has become too great factor in daily life and the largest missing persons investigation ever to be recorded in Bahamian history. Five school-aged boys on Grand Bahama went missing without a trace, testing the metal of authorities and forcing the country out of its social comfort zones. The first boy, Jake Grant, disappeared from home on May 9th. Soon to follow that month was Mackinson Colas and then DeAngelo McKenzie. Two months later Junior Reme and Desmond Rolle went missing and soon frightened parents wondered whose child would be next. Rumors of the boys' whereabouts abounded, but after months of investigations which reached international proportions, 35-year-old Cordell Farrington, a hardware store clerk, turned himself into police and led authorities to the remains of Grand Bahama's fallen sons. He was also charged with killing his former friend, Jamaal Robbins. Four juveniles were charged two weeks earlier in the disappearance of Jake Grant. Last year more than 50 people have been murdered. In the meantime there has been a cumulative total of 10,000 HIV infections in the Bahamas. Another story of the year was a Death Boat desaster. Four people died during an boat accident near Eluthera/Bahamas and more than 20 were injured when the 98-foot Sea Hauler, said to have been carrying 196 passengers and seven crew, collided with the 178-foot freighter, UnitedStar, at August 2nd. The second vessel was carrying 11 people as well as vehicles and other cargo. Sea Hauler was licensed to carry only 130 passengers and did not have life vests and life-boats for emergencies. Captain Allen Russell even did not lists of passengers, crew and cargo on board. This happened just a short time after a Bahamian family had just picked up their son and nephew from a Express Mailboat and were heading back around the bend in their car when it plunged off the dock. The son was the only survivor of that terrifying ordeal. It wasn't the first time that due to poor safety standards at Paradise Island Bridge a vehicle had careened off the pier ending fatally. FON ++49-(0)8364/986655 FAX ++49-(0)8364/986633 Email: 4fun@the-bahamas.de www .bahamas. us.tc

Bahamas: WATCH THE BAHAMAS:

WATCH THE BAHAMAS 2/2004 Bahamas Consult published yet another website www.bahamas.us.tc demanding a new true information policy from the Bahamas government concerning vacation in the Bahamas The new website is certainly not a pessimistic description of the effects of the global political situation, but depressingly, it is based solely on the dangers within the country which is supposed to be a holiday paradise. The reasons for this are stated clearly; they are criminal conduct, drugs dealing, theft, armed robbery, kidnapping right up to the murder of tourists. Concerning a press release Harald Fuhrmann, managing director of Bahamas Consult, is calling on the shipping companies in particular, such as Carnival Cruise amongst others, not to ignore such warnings in their future marketing policy. On the one hand we recall the story of St. Croix, and on the other hand in the past Nassau certainly hasnt lost its top spot in the popularity stakes because it isnt attractive enough. On the way from the harbour to the street markets the mad road traffic and the exhaust fumes are reminiscent rather of a large city which, in addition to this, only has cheap articles from the Far East for sale in US-dollars. Given the fact that there are high import duties, tourists are beginning to question overall whether the Bahamas does represent value for money as a holiday destination. Visit also www.bahamasforum.net.tc. Given the proximity to the United States, the Caribbean cruise liners often take in the Bahamas as part of their round trip by necessity. However, shipping companies ought to pursue a policy instead of mooring off small private Bahamas islands and not give the wrong signals to the "Out Islands", which have already attracted attention on account of criminal conduct, corruption and drugs dealing. It is also worth considering not to make for Nassau at night, to more or less take warnings on board. Bahamas Consult fears also that discussions about new attacks towards the right to free speech will not have any real beneficial effect for the continually ailing Bahamas, since the persons responsible in the government in the Bahamas will only tackle the existing socio-political conflict with commitment if they are placed under phenomenal international pressure to do so. Given the lack of respect towards foreigners, the widespread insincerity towards investors but also the criticism of the legal system, Bahamas Consult is publishing an uncompromising new website which is also translated in in eight other languages like German at www.bahamas.at.tc. Unfortunatelly it was the Minister of Tourism, who attacked the local media when he didn't like the comments offered by a "foreign" editor. Bahamas Consult claims, that Minister Wilchcombe displayed anti-foreign bias, and questioned the right to free speech and journalistic standards, while presiding over Bahamas TV station, ZNS, generally regarded as a government propaganda outlet. In the meantime www.bahamasB2B.com website owner has to fear attacks from the Bahamas government as well. Harald Fuhrmann demands that the international media  including the travel press all over the world  keep their eyes on these developments.

Date Joined:

2/11/2004

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