Derecho del Turismo en las Américas

414 DERECHO DEL TURISMO EN LAS AMÉRICAS charter boat, Alpha . In 1951, the number of visitors increased to 68,502, which was more than double the annual level for the 1946 – 1950 period (tourist arrivals key summaries to that time are tabularized in Table 2). T able 2 Tourist Arrivals to The Bahamas: 1873‑1951 Highlights Year Tourist arrivals 1873 500 1937 34,000 1949 32,000 1951 68,502 During the 1950s, The Bahamas also saw the opening of Nassau’s first fully air‑conditioned hotel. The luxurious US$ 3.5 million Emerald Beach Hotel, with its 300 rooms, was opened in 1954. It offered water sports as well as tours to other resort islands as part of its entertainment programme. This hotel, with an 8,000 square foot convention hall that could seat 600 persons, was also Nassau’s first convention centre. It was extremely successful in attracting group business. Most significantly, in support of its economic direction, the 1954 Hotels Encouragement Act was passed. This Act encouraged the construction of new hotels and modernisation of existing establishments to cater to the expansion of the tourism industry. The Act offered several fiscal incentives to developers. A key feature was the customs duty concessions given on imports of materials and fixtures for construction, renovation and furnishing of hotels, whether new or refurbishing. The Act also offered a 10‑year property tax exemption and a 20‑year exemption from direct taxation on hotel earnings. Table 3 summarises the key features of the 1954 Hotels Encouragement Act. T able 3 Key Features of the 1954 Hotels Encouragement Act # Key features 1 Customs Duty Refunds on Imported Material utilized in New and Refurbished Hotels. 2 10‑Year Exemption from Real Property Tax. 3 20‑Year Exemption from Direct Taxation on Hotel Earnings. 4 Qualified hotels with 20 rooms and above in New Providence for these benefits. 5 Qualified hotels with 10 rooms and above in the Family Islands.