Contestants in the Miss Universe Pageant cooling out on the beaches of Exuma.
Nassau, Bahamas: Tickets for Sunday night’s Miss Universe pageant in country are going slowly, reports indicate.
Associated Press reports indicate ticket sales for the 2009 Miss Universe pageant have been slow, prompting a special promotion Wednesday.
Kerzner International President, George Markantonis, who also manages Atlantis where the pageant is being held, said in a brief statement that tickets were still available.
Prices for tickets range from $175 to $750 for the finals on Sunday night.
Bahamas Press can now confirm that the international pageant did not reap the benefits as expected. We now know the Wyndham and Nassau Beach Hotels are close, with hundred of workers sent home with only 3 weeks pay. The property is not expected to reopen until sometime in October. The RIU is now closed and workers there are home for months. The Four Seasons is closed and those workers were sent home. And the latest casualties of hotel workers came when on Tuesday of this week the Port Lucaya Resort on Grand Bahama closed its doors and sent those workers home.
“Both the minister and the Director General of Tourism should be fired!” were the words coming from one angry taxpayer who call on the ministry to account for the ill planned events leading up to Miss Universe. “They cannot sell simple things like tickets. They have no creativity, and millions of taxpayers money have gone down the tubes.
“They should both be fired as it is clear we can see they both have no vision for the now ailing number one industry of the country. Look at the mess we are in now. And then they both went out their way to commit public funds to a failed event.
“Who is being accountable for all that money of the people? They couldn’t even pull off a float parade on the day it was suppose to be held,” the irate taxpayer told BP.
Meanwhile Minister Vanderpool-Wallace contends that the event slated for Sunday, will show nine minutes of promotional scenes around the entire country. “This is commercial time seen in over 88 countries. We could have never pulled that off had it not been for the pageant,” he said.
The Bahamas, like many Caribbean nations, has seen a dip in tourist arrivals amidst the global economic recession and it was hoped the pageant would have helped to boost sagging numbers. Contestants from more than 80 countries around the world will be judged in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview as they vie for the coveted title of Miss Universe 2009.
In recent years, the pageant has been viewed by an estimated one billion viewers around the world.
`Access Hollywood` co-host Billy Bush along with `Celebrity Apprentice` star Claudia Jordan will host the live telecast of the 58th Annual Miss Universe Pageant from Paradise Island.
While international superstar Flo Rida will perform his hugely successful hits, ‘Right Round’ and ‘Jump’ as part of a two song medley during the Swimsuit Competition portion of the telecast. Included in the show will also be a performance by reality star Heidi Montag featuring her single ‘Body Language.’ David Guetta and Kelly Rowland will set the tone for the Evening Gown portion of the pageant as they perform their hit single, `When Love Takes Over.`
Venezuelan native Dayana Mendoza, Miss Universe 2008, will crown her successor at the conclusion of the 2009 Miss Universe telecast.
Like others here have said…you cant be short sited about the effects of the Miss Universe pageant.
If you only think about the persons who travel to see it, then you are short sited. The pageant is watched by a Billion people world wide. The Junkanoo parades and other events were saw worldwide. Not only is the Bahamas going to be featured for 9 minutes exclusively. The Bahamas will be mentioned throughout the show and will be forever etched as a location for the pageant.
Yes, not everything was perfect. But when is everything perfect? How much times have we hosted an international pageant of this scale. The Miss Universe people cried of how much a MESS Vietnam was and praised how organized the Bahamas MOT is.
No one wanted to host the pageant, and we were brave enough to do so as Vanderpool Wallace and crew knew of the benefits. Not only are we the SMALLEST country to host it, but we did it during the biggest recession of the Pageants history. Some Caribbean countries couldn’t even afford to send a contestant!
And about the hotels being closed…it should be no surprise. They were announced even after the pageant was announced. So the properties took the pageant into consideration in their decision MONTHS ago.
@god knowns
My mind told me not to cancel my manicure and pedicure appointment for this float and thank God I gone by my mind. One thing I hate to see is foolishness. I also heard it even didn’t start on time and that throw some of the visitors schedule off, because some of them had flights to catch. So God knowns, from what you are telling us, out there sound like it was complete chaos aye? If this is true, you realize how incompetent that makes us look? Those Bahamians can’t even put together a simple float. Seen that we had to postpone it the first time, they should have really brought it this time. That parade should have been off the chain!! I am really sorry to hear the float was a such a disaster, I hope the pageant on Sunday makes up for that.
I love Bahamas…Hope i can visit!!!
I believe we won’t see the effects of this experiment until after this recession has passed!!! Everything is on the down low right now.. Give it time people… I hope and pray that it works!!!
God knows the flot parade in cable beach was a big mess the guest coming from the air port could not get to there hotel.The police who was in charge of traffic make the traffic back up even worse.As a bahamain i was most ashame .The guest who was staying at the sheraton could not even get a taxi to go to the air port to catch there flight.There was a family of four who had to catch the cruise ship for 9pm and could not get out of cable beach.The people who had dinner on paradise island had to cancel there dinner.The police was not allowing no body in nor out of the hotels in that aera it was just poor plannig
While everyone have the right to speak, whether negative or Positively, I shall exercise mine.
Why in the world would anyone want to seek and take such a Negative Position on such a wonderful experiment in Public Relations with regard to Our Tourism initiatives in Convention Marketting, simply blow my mind away.
Imagine for a second the amount of Countries in this ‘Universe’ that would jump at the oppurtunity to have such an Expose’ in these tough times.
Imagine the committed 9 minutes to 3 hrs of promotions we stand to benefit by this event showcasing Our people, Our Islands, Our Culture and the true measure of the Bahamian People even in a starved time, we are so True, and deliver so strongly on hosting these Beautiful Women with the warmth and hospitable Nature that we are known for.
May I suggest that we support ALL that have anything to do with event and await the success in the ensuing years. I think we Nailed it and time tell if the investment is worth it.
Peace !!
Well let us say this, we certainly do hope the experiment works! And we hope the people in the ministry of Tourism, who canceled advertising in 2007 and 2008, has the sense and wisdom to place commercial advertising all throughout the show. Cause we know, some other territories will not sit idly by and allow the Bahamas to be featured and not also place commercials. I can see it now; the show on they talk about the girls in Grand Bahama and then the commercial is “COME TO JAMAICA!!!!’
We hope the ministry of tourism officials don’t let that opportunity pass as well.
Bahamas Press/Editor
You look and wonder when will this horriffic nightmare end. You wake up everyday and it is still there; Ingraham and his sea of failing incompotents. We need a breath of fresh air in the country. Just one question though… if the FNM hadn’t bought the election and Christie would have won, would he still be classified as a weak or visionless leader? I mean i’m open to really debating this subject. Obviously Ingraham’s attempt at recycling “Vinnie da poo” sorry I meant Vanderpool was a bunch of poo (sheeiit) this guy lives in coo coo land.
We need a breath of fresh Air… (TIRED A DIS MISERABLE LIFE)
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