Abaco Business Outlook set for September 18th
September 3, 2025
The 21st Annual Abaco Business Outlook (ABO) will be held on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at the Abaco Beach Resort under the theme “Prioritizing Inclusive, Sustainable Growth.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, the Hon. Chester Cooper, together with Minister of Labour and Public Service, the Hon. Pia Glover-Rolle, will address the morning session, setting the tone for a day of discussion on Abaco’s economic resilience and growth prospects.
The premier business conference event—hosted by The Counsellors Ltd.—will bring together a cross-section of government leaders, business executives, and community stakeholders to examine Abaco’s current state and future opportunities. With discussions framed around the island’s recovery and long-term development, the conference will highlight collaboration and practical solutions to drive sustainable growth.
Commenting ahead of the conference while appearing on Bahamas @ Sunrise, Kerry Fountain, Executive Director of the Bahamas Out Islands Promotion Board, highlighted Abaco’s strong tourism rebound. “In 2025, year-to-date numbers from January through July, if we compare room nights sold and room revenue to what we were doing in 2019, the room nights sold so far total about 15,237. For the same period in 2019, it was 14,600. Our room revenues for January through July this year compared to January through July 2019 are up 70 percent. So hotels are seeing slight growth in occupancy and room nights sold, but exponential growth in room revenue and that’s what we’re in business for—to make money.”
Fountain, who will moderate the tourism panel, added that while The Bahamas’ proximity to the U.S. is a major advantage, cost remains a barrier. “How do we take advantage of our proximity? We’re just 52 miles away from Florida, but the cost of getting to The Bahamas doesn’t reflect that. Proximity doesn’t equate to affordability, and we have to address that—we can’t keep kicking the can down the road. It’s not just about helping hotels make money, it’s also about helping them cut costs, reducing red tape, and rolling out more of the red carpet. Also, how do we get cruise lines—who leave the largest environmental footprint with nine to ten million passengers a year—to contribute more to government revenues? How do we use those funds to fix product issues and perhaps even reduce the cost of getting to Abaco or the other islands if you’re flying? If we address these issues, everything else we’re doing—our promotions, our sales—becomes much easier.”
Emmanuel Alexiou, owner of the Abaco Beach Resort and President of the Bahamas Out Islands Promotion Board, emphasized that profitability for island resorts is still being tested. “The revenue’s gone up tremendously, but so have the costs. So it’s not all rosy. The biggest part, of course, is the high cost of utilities, and supply is inconsistent. When people are paying such high rates—while room revenues have gone up—they expect their air conditioning to work, their Internet to be reliable, and utilities to be consistent.
“Then you add the cost of operations in general, staff productivity, service levels, insurance, and repairs, which are much more expensive than before. So the big challenge is really cost—cost of operations, cost of airlift, cost of doing business overall. And then there’s competition from Airbnbs and cruise ships. The whole boating sector brings its own pressures as well. So yes, revenues are up, but profitability remains under strain.”
Alexiou added that all tourism stakeholders should compete on a level playing field. “By that I mean all the other operators—Airbnb, cruise ships, and so on. I’m not against them. We’re all part of the tourism product. But we have to make sure they contribute their fair share of costs, and that not all of the tax and operating burden falls only on the hotels,’ he said.
In addition to the ministerial addresses and panel discussions, the Outlook will feature a wide range of voices from across Abaco and The Bahamas, representing tourism, government, education, utilities, and community leadership. Speakers and panelists include Senator Randy Rolle, Executive Chairman of the Consumer Protection Commission; Chantelle Sands, President of the Abaco Chamber of Commerce; Bradley Watson, Conservation Manager of Disney Cruise Line, who will moderate the Environment Panel; Dr. Rhea Thurston-Carroll, Consultant Nephrologist and Transplant Specialist; Carl Archer Jr., Vice President of the Abaco Chamber of Commerce; Captain Tracy Cooper, Managing Director of Bahamasair; Bill Chrysler, Vice President of Operations at Southworth Club; Chantelle Cox, Principal of Patrick J. Bethel High School; Chief Superintendent Michael Thurston, Officer in Charge of the Abaco Division of the RBPF; Ian Ferguson, CEO of the Tourism Development Corporation; Kristan Jones, Owner of Family Island Air; Glenda Knowles, Owner of The Great Abaco Express; Anthony Christie, COO of Bahamas Power and Light; Fane Austin, P.E., Engineer at the Water and Sewerage Corporation; and Carmetta Kemp, Mobility Sales and Loyalty Manager at Cable Bahamas.
The Abaco Business Outlook will provide an exceptional opportunity for robust discussions, knowledge-sharing, and networking across the island’s business and community sectors, creating pathways for sustainable and inclusive growth.
To register for the Abaco Business Outlook, visit tclevents.com or contact Margaret Albury at 322-1000 or malbury@tclbahamas.com.
