“This partnership has the potential to be the largest linkage between Bahamian MSMEs and the global market,” said Davinia Bain, Access Accelerator Executive Director. “It gives local entrepreneurs direct access to expand their offerings to cater to millions of visitors who vacation in The Bahamas including those sailing with one of the largest cruise companies in the world.”
“As Royal Caribbean Group gears up to homeport in The Bahamas, there is a renewed focus on cruise visitors who have now become stopover guests. These tourists have the potential to impact the industry and are expected to increase demand for the procurement of products and services such as tour excursions, arts & crafts, and authentic cultural experiences,” said Russell Benford, Vice President, Government Relations for Royal Caribbean Group.
Bain explained, “Access to prospective procurement contracts can be a result of this deepened relationship. The opportunities are endless.” She continued, “The Access Accelerator is ready to assist with guaranteed funding to make this a reality. We want to be able to expand the experience by fostering innovation to diversify the tourism product while keeping it authentic. Let’s build on the homeport effort,” Bain said.
The contribution of Royal Caribbean Group will be facilitated and administered by the Access Accelerator, and this new fund aligns with the Access Accelerator’s programmatic priority of investing big in domestic tourism and the Orange Economy (creative economy).
About Access Accelerator Small Business Development Centre
The Access Accelerator is the product of a tripartite arrangement between the Government, through the Ministry of Finance, University of The Bahamas (UB) and the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC). The Centre works to guide the development, funding, growth, and evolution of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (“MSMEs”) in The Bahamas. Visit us at www.accessaccelerator.org.
About Royal Caribbean Group
Royal Caribbean Group is the operating business name for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Royal Caribbean Group is the owner and operator of three global cruise vacation brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. Royal Caribbean Group is also a 50% owner of a joint venture that operates TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Together, our brands operate 58 ships with an additional 15 on order as of March 15, 2021. Learn more at www.royalcaribbeangroup.com or www.rclinvestor.com.
