(CMR) Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Philip Davis, has reportedly urged local media to keep crime off their front pages amid concerns that the tourism sector could be severely affected.
This comes after the United States issued a Level 2 advisory on crime in the country. The Bahamas has also recently been thrown in the spotlight after two tourists from the US said they were drugged and raped there.
The Bahamas is now trying to do damage control to protect the country's reputation, as its primary source of revenue is tourism.
According to Nation News, Davis urged the press to understand their role in maintaining the country’s reputation, saying that other countries give less prominence to certain crimes than the local media does.
“I want to call upon the press to be sensitive. I think they should see their role as trying to help the country. I’m not saying not to report, but it may make a difference where you report. And all I ask them to do is check to see where their crime report is. Check Trinidad, check the United States, check and see where it is,” he said.
“It’s never on the front page. But every bullet that is fired appears to be front page news on our daily news. And what happens, AP picks it up, Reuters pick it up, and what happens, and it’s continuing,” Prime Minister Davis said.
Davis said the recent travel advisory has caused concerns in the tourism sector.
“Right now, the hotels are seeing some fall off, but more importantly, those who are in the hotels today, they’re not coming out into the community. They’re not going to the restaurants, for example. They’re not going sightseeing as they used to,” he said.
“What is happening in this country is not only happening here. If you go to Jamaica, they had over 70 murders in less than three and a half weeks. Trinidad over 100 … the Bahamas has recorded 25 murders so far this year, with police saying many of the murders are gang-related,” Davis continued.
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