Location
Powerboat Adventures: Nassau, Bahamas.
Clearly, this location has been, for many many years, a very well known, highly regarded, "top destination" for upscale tourism. Nassau is very close to the most lucrative tourist market (the U.S.) and there are a many direct international flights from most major hubs in Europe and the Americas.
There are a huge number of hotel rooms and suites available in Nassau - mostly in large upscale resorts - as upscale as $25,000.00 U.S. per night - for the "Bridge Suite" at the aforementioned Atlantis Resort. There are also numerous, very upscale, residential developments - many incorporating marinas and waterways. As such, there is a very large upscale market for locally sourced guests for Powerboat Adventures.
Panama Adventure Tours: David, Panama.
Admittedly, "David, Panama" has nowhere near the level of name recognition as "Nassau, Bahamas".- and in regard to upscale tourism, I doubt that all the hotels in David and the surrounding area, put together, would have cost anywhere near the
1 billion "renovation and expansion" bill for the Atlantis Resort. Consequently, the market for locally sourced guests for Panama Adventure Tours will be much smaller and much less upscale
On the other hand, in the nearby highlands of Boquete and Volcan, there are many magical, cool lush residential areas and classic mountain lodges (many on the banks of clear mountain streams) the likes of which, all the money in the world could not buy you - in the Bahamas. Likewise, in the Bahamas, all the money in the world could not buy the beauty, serenity, wonderful ambience and year round spring like climate which Boquete and Volcan provide in lavish abundance.
Private charters
link not yet active
Local competition
Powerboat Adventures:
In terms of general marine oriented activities in Nassau, the competition for the local market is very fierce indeed. There are probably a dozen or more day tour operations with boats carrying 2 to 3 hundred persons - many incorporating their own private island. There are also many day sailing catamarans and other sailboats - and, what appears to be, about a million rental jet skis - buzzing around like mosquitos.
Naturally, there are also many sportfishing and diving operations - one of which Stuart Cove's Dive Bahamas is world famous for it's pioneering of shark feeding dive tours. This operation, interestingly, was ranked a lowly ninth in the aformentioned Discovery Channel production. Presumably, this is because, while it is a very popular attraction with divers, divers are a small percentage of overall visitors to the Bahamas.
Most numerous of all the marine oriented activities, are the "snorkeling /booze croozes". Everybody and their brother appear to have some type of craft that floats and actually moves - with a few masks and snorkels aboard, blaring music, and endless supplies of "Piña Coladas" and "Bahama Mamas" . In point of fact, when it comes down to it, most off the tours, offered out of Nassau fit into the above category.
This puts the hotels and cruise ships in the enviable position of being able to demand and get very high commissions. In the case of the cruise ship commissions, the most suitable description is "completely outrageous". Fortunately for Powerboat Adventures they are operating in somewhat of a niche market - as virtually all the other tours go to to much closer destinations - mainly on Rose Island - just a few miles across the harbor from Nassau
Naturally, there have been and continue to be a few copycat operations - of which, "Island World" has probably been the most tenacious. However, Powerboat Adventures still appears to rule the roost - in regard to long range day tours on "go fast" powerboats.
Panama Adventure Tours:
Other than a few local pangas and a handful of sportfishing operations (which appear to focus their marketing efforts primarily on multi day fishing / accommodation packages) there would appear to be virtually no local competion in David. Clearly, in Panama City, this is not the case and sourcing guests out of this area would meet with some competition - although, in regard to our niche, not, it would seem, by any means "fierce".
Powerboat Adventures (Bahamas) vs. Panama Adventure Tours
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Powerboat Adventures (Bahamas) vs. Panama Adventure Tours
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Links to provisional web pages for Panama Adventure Tours
Powerboat Adventures (Bahamas) vs. Panama Adventure Tours
* Rupert Holmes - "Escape" - better known as "The Piña Colada Song".
trading as:
Powerboat Adventures vs. Panama Adventure Tours vs. Powerboat Adventures
Panama Adventure Tours is not yet open for business.
Projected start up - Nov. 2010. This web site is currently just a rough draft.
However, "If you like Piña Coladas - - - and you have half a brain"*
- plus a nodding acquaintance with the English language,
you may find the current content interesting and remarkably rewarding - - - approximately 100% rewarding.
This particularly applies to those who live, work, play and / or own / operate a tourism related business in:
Chiriqui, Panama - or Panama City, Panama - or San Jose, Costa Rica - or would like to.
