The 14th Annual Eleuthera Business Outlook (EBO) – a two-day event, held on Thursday, April 16th, 2026, at The Eleuthera Business Hub in Rock Sound, and on Friday, April 17th, 2026, at Valentine’s Resort, under the theme “Strengthening Foundations for Long-Term Prosperity,” examined opportunities and challenges facing Eleuthera, Harbour Island and Spanish Wells, while outlining strategies for sustainable economic growth and investment.
Comprehensive presentations and discussions took place over the two days, covering tourism, business development, entrepreneurship, workforce challenges, infrastructure, conservation, health and emerging economic sectors.
On Thursday in Rock Sound, one of the discussion panels focused on tourism – with the theme, “Strengthening Tourism’s Foundations for Long-Term Prosperity.” Panelists included: Eric Carey, President and CEO, One Consultants; Lee Prosenjak, Owner, Valentine’s Resort; Wilfred Mullings, Deputy Director of Sales & Marketing, Bahamasair Holdings Ltd.; and Bryan Glinton, Managing Partner, Glinton Sweeting O’Brien Counsel & Attorneys at Law. Joseph Gaskins, Regional Public Affairs Director for The Bahamas and Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line, moderated the panel discussion.
The overarching theme coming out of the talk was an emphasis on the delicate balance between economic growth and the preservation of the island’s unique environment, culture and community well-being. Eleuthera’s tourism development, it was said, must prioritize maintaining its authentic “sense of place” and environmental integrity over purely economic gains, ensuring local benefits and broad access to its natural beauty.
In preserving the island’s sense of place, the discussion led by Mr. Carey, centered on a core identity – saying that Eleuthera sells its environment, people, culture, and history. It was stated that development must align with this identity and not compromise its essence. Strong opposition in terms of local sentiment was pointed to in terms of large-scale, destructive, or incompatible projects that don’t fit the island’s character. It was also highlighted that tourists coming for luxury still expect an authentic Eleutheran experience, not generic developed landscapes.
Mr. Carey also put forward the importance of having a comprehensive land use plan, saying that development policies should reflect shared values, moving beyond spreadsheets to consider community desires. A well-thought-out land use plan, developed with public, government, and private sector input, he opined, was essential for guiding Eleuthera’s development for the next 25-50 years. This plan, he added, should establish the “carrying capacity” of specific areas, preventing projects that would overwhelm local resources or character. Projects exceeding this capacity, he asserted, should be rejected or downscaled.
Mr. Prosenjak, commenting on Eleuthera’s tourism product, said that it was about authenticity over polish. Eleuthera, he thought, was ideal for “travelers” seeking authentic experiences, including its natural ruggedness and local charm, rather than “tourists” who demand a perfectly manicured, highly serviced environment. The island, he said, should attract visitors who appreciate its unique character, even with minor inconveniences like older rental cars or unpaved roads.
Speaking to the preferred development model for Eleuthera, Mr. Glinton agreed that there was a preference for smaller, boutique hotels or mid-sized resorts. The luxury mixed-use model, featuring spread-out, high-end villas that were integrated into the landscape, rather than tall, traditional hotel towers, were seen as more sustainable and lower impact. He envisioned a diverse mix of offerings, with some ultra-luxury (like Ritz-Carlton) as well as more affordable options – all adhering to environmental and cultural protection.
Getting into the discussion mix, Mr. Mullings of Bahamasair Holdings Ltd., pointed out that smaller-scale tourism supports the current use of prop planes by Bahamasair. Large-scale development, he said, would necessitate a shift to larger aircraft, like 737s.
An audience question brought the discussion away from industry developments, and tourism project owners to the consideration of economic advancement and growth for everday Bahamians – beyond basic employment, and their path to creating generational wealth within the context of the tourism industry. Mr. Glinton, responded, placing a strong emphasis on creating career development pathways, including training Bahamians abroad in global luxury hospitality to return as manager, to reduce reliance on foreign work permits for those roles. Luxury developments was also said to be capable of spawning numerous local cottage industries, such as nature tours, transportation services, food delivery, and local farming.
Mr. Gaskins also added that he thought the largest untapped opportunity for Bahamian entrepreneurs lies in developing unique, authentic local experiences (e.g., nature trails, cooking classes, cultural workshops – like straw plaiting or Junkanoo), and said that support was needed to help locals build these businesses.
Rounding out the discussion was the hot button topic of beach access. An audience member highlighted the issue of declining access, and said that a significant concern was the increasing difficulty for locals to access beaches due to private developments. It was stated that this was a country-wide issue that needed immediate attention and a clear national policy. Co-existence was emphasized as being critical, with the message that developers must be made to understand that both locals and guests were to be allowed to co-exist on beaches, reversing the trend of restricted access.
Mr. Carey, in a blunt response about the access issue, said, “It just needs to be taken on and addressed. It’s not easy but it has to be addressed. And every developer coming into this country needs to be told and encouraged that black people and white people could be on the beach at the same time. Right. So it’s a paradigm shift… This loss of access to beaches that’s allowing developers to do what they want – we just need to find a way to reverse it. The status quo of not being able to get to a beach for a person from an island makes no… sense.”
