Chamber Chief Talks Resetting Grand Bahama’s Vision

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GRAND BAHAMA, BAHAMAS – 
It was a scorcher in Port Lucaya when Our News recently walked the boardwalk with the head of the Grand Bahama’s Chamber of Commerce. 

And while the temperature was one thing, debate continues over Grand Bahama’s future.

For decades, finger-pointing between government and the Grand Bahama Port Authority has left the island’s economic vision fractured. 

But now, the chamber’s new leader is trying to bring everyone to the same table to answer one question: what do we want Grand Bahama to become and how do we build it together?

Dillon Knowles, who’s been leading the local chamber for the past four months, believes more of Grand Bahama’s future should be built, if everyone can just agree on what that future should look like.

The chamber’s newest push is simple but ambitious – a unified vision. 

That means getting government, the Port Authority, and key industries on the same page. Right now, he says that harmony doesn’t exist.


And he says the fallout from years of disagreements, even between port shareholders, has left scars.

The tension doesn’t stop there. 

For years, critics have blamed either the Port Authority or the government for Freeport’s Economic stall but Knowles says it’s not that simple.

And while Freeport remains more developed than the island’s eastern and western ends, Knowles says both major players have shifted roles, with government now managing people, and the port focused more on place and promotion.

Still, for many Bahamians, the biggest frustration – feeling stuck. 

Even with billions of dollars in ongoing investments, including Carnival’s Celebration Key set to open in weeks, some still feel there’s just no opportunity to grow. 

And where there’s potential for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs, some say financial resources are limited. 

While there may be truth in both, Knowles says he believes businesses also need to evolve especially if they want to partner or compete with multinationals.

At the end of the day, the chamber isn’t picking sides.