Bahamas bookings for the first quarter of 2013 are behind the pace of the same period last year, and one factor is the impact of Hurricane Sandy on the U.S. East Coast, said the Bahamas Hotel & Tourism Authority.
More than 4,000 room nights were lost as a result of the storm, and 48% of the canceled room nights never were recovered, according to Stuart Bowe, BHTA chairman.
"I am hopeful that hotel traffic will normalize as travelers on the U.S. East coast return to pre-hurricane booking patterns," Bowe said.
On a positive note, the destination saw a return of group business in 2012 to pre-recession levels. Wedding and honeymoon travel showed growth, as well.
Hoteliers in the Bahamas continue to be challenged by high operating and energy costs as well as competition from other destinations, "which has limited our ability to raise room rates," according to Bowe.
The BHTA plans to launch an economic performance and outlook survey early this year to determine new sources of tourism revenue.
The Bahamas is hosting the Caribbean Travel Marketplace later this month, Jan. 20-23 at the Atlantis resort in Nassau.
Marketplace, an annual event sponsored by the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association, was held last year in Nassau, as well.
Follow Gay Nagle Myers on Twitter @gnmtravelweekly.