In many parts of the world, a depressing recession has slowed economic growth, led to layoffs, and put a damper on tourism. Not so in the area of southwestern New Providence, where a Bahamas National Trust report has estimated that some 70,000 annual visitors have generated a stunning $376 million for the area over a span of about five years.
A Popular Film Locale Since 1915
The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) report was submitted to the nation’s government as part of a proposal promoting the creation of a Marine Managed Area for southeast New Providence. The proposal provides many fascinating details about the area’s reputation as an “Underwater Hollywood” – a reputation that has been in place since 1915, when movies were first filmed in the area. Some famous films shot in the region include the James Bond thrillers “Never Say Never Again” and “Thunderball.”
Though filming takes place throughout the Bahamas, a favorite location is Stuart’s Cove Dive Bahamas, which has been a popular underwater film location for a little more than thirty years. A representative from the Bahamas National Trust said of Stuart’s Cove Dive, “The worldwide publicity generated by these productions is nearly immeasurable, as the world has associated the waters off Nassau with healthy and abundant coral reefs and marine life.”
The representative went on to say that “The economic impact of the film and TV production businesses alone on New Providence is estimated at over $5 million per year in direct expenditures in hotel room nights, food and beverages, transportation, and other services rendered by local Bahamians for these production companies.”
Stuart Cove alone employs a staff of 125 that includes both Bahamian citizens and international citizens. These employees are well-paid and contribute to the local economy as well. The BNT representative stated that these employees spend their payroll on “local apartments, houses, at the grocery store, pubs, restaurants, and other venues.” These daily living expenditures account for another $5.9 million annually.
As activities at Stuart’s Cove Dive Bahamas attract tourists who dive and snorkel in the vicinity, and as there are approximately 70,000 visitors who come to the region just for diving and snorkeling each year, the venue’s true value to the economy is illustrated even more by the staggering amount these tourists spend just in hotels and on food and beverages in restaurants and pubs – just about $64.3 million dollars annually.
Using average expenditures over the course of several years, BNT officials estimate that activities centered around Stuart’s Cove Dive Bahamas contribute $75.176 million in revenue each year. And that’s not all – a 2008 study conducted by the Bahamas Diving Association estimated that the Bahamian shark diving industry contributes about $78 million in revenue for the nation and its citizens each year.
In discussing hopes for a Marine Managed Area, the BNT plans to focus on implementing zoning to address habitat damage, overfishing, and human impact in order to protect the area and to encourage wise, sustainable use of the many marine resources in the west New Providence Area. As the diving industry contributes so mightily to the Bahamian economy, these plans are very likely to come to fruition relatively soon, helping not just the film and scuba industries, but aiding marine life and local people alike.