NASSAU, BAHAMAS — John Watling’s Distillery is seeing a “week-to-week” increase in tourism sales primarily due to increased hotel occupancy and the restart of cruise tourism, according to company executives.

Pepin Argamasilla, co-founder of John Watling’s Distillery, noted that while cruise passenger numbers may be down, spending per visitor has increased.

“We are experiencing a week-to-week increase in tourism and sales primarily due to increased hotel occupancy and the start of cruising,” Argamasilla told Eyewitness News.

“What is interesting is while we may be welcoming fewer visitors, the spending per visitor has increased. It is a classic case of value over volume. In other words, there is more value to extract from the current tourism than from the mass tourism that we were welcoming before.

“While all profit centers are performing well, we have two new strategic initiatives… Due to homeporting, on Fridays, we are offering a cultural show here from 6pm to 8pm. Secondly, we are working with the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, Graycliff, National Arts Gallery, Educulture Junkanoo Museum and Tasty Teas and Spice Factory to turn this area into the cultural heart of Nassau.

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