Arnie Weissmann:
A lesson for TIA in Tauck’s
court battle 60 years ago.
P. 12
MORE NEWS:
Southwest acts swiftly
to counter damaging
reports. P. 6
Richard Turen:
To seem friendlier, France
should deploy the French kiss.
P. 45
www.travelweekly.com
section 1 of 2
THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER OF THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY
MARCH 17, 2008
[ AGENTS SEE LITTLE CONCERN ]
Survey shows
U.S. travelers
not yet ‘green’
By Bill Poling
TW ILLUSTRATION BY THORALF TOLLEFSEN
[ FUTURE OF MASSIVE BAHAMAS RESORT COMPLEX NOW UNCERTAIN ]
Harrah’s bails on Baha Mar project
By Gay Nagle Myers
Baha Mar, the colossal resort project
that was billed as the largest single
hospitality investment in the Bahamas
when it was announced in Novem-
ber 2002, teetered on its architectural
renderings last week when Harrah’s
Entertainment, one of the two joint-
venture partners, suddenly bailed.
Initial plans for Baha Mar, a joint venture
of Baha Mar Resorts and Harrah’s, called for
a mixed-use, six-resort, $2.6 billion project,
including more than 3,550 guest rooms and
a 100,000-square-foot casino set on 1,000
beachfront acres in
Nassau’s Cable Beach
area.
Employment was
expected to top more
than 2,000 workers
during the construction phases and more
than 10,000 when the
project was completed and open in 2011.
Baha Mar Resorts in Nassau said that it
viewed the March 10 pullout of Harrah’s
from the deal the two companies had signed
last year as a “breach of faith.” Even so, Baha
Mar Resorts affirmed its commitment to
move forward with
plans for the mega-resort complex.
“This project will
benefit the economy
of the Bahamas and
the Bahamian people,” Baha Mar said
in a statement. “If
necessary, we will ex-
plore alternative options in partnership with
the government to complete the project in a
responsible fashion.”
See BAHAMAS on Page 48
‘If necessary, we will
explore alternative options
to complete the project.’
— Baha Mar Resorts
Despite the widespread belief that
environmental issues are beginning
to affect the buying decisions of to-
day’s travelers, “green” issues are not
moving the needle for travel agency
clients, according to the 1,045 retail-
ers who participated in a recent on-
line survey.
The survey, undertaken by Northstar
Travel Media, the publisher of Travel Weekly,
found that three out of four agents said their
clients had never specifically asked about environmentally friendly travel options.
Likewise, 77% reported they had never
booked environmentally friendly or green
travel, and an equal number said they did
not proactively recommend environmentally
friendly accommodations.
Among the minority of agents who do
make green recommendations, 58% said
their clients followed their recommendations
less than 10% of the time. Only 14% of those
agents reported that clients took their advice
half the time or more.
The survey, conducted between Feb. 21 and
Feb. 28, drew responses from 1,045 agents,
yielding a margin of error of plus or minus 3%.
See GREEN on Page 46
WORLD BEAT
India’s exotic Trinidad locals Tour Egypt
Rajasthan work to show with your
state dazzles off island’s own personal
visitors. playful side. Egyptologist.
P. 38 P. 33 P. 36
