Exuma residents, tourism operators unite as development pressures grow in the Bahamas
A growing group of tourism operators, small business owners and residents in the Central Exuma Cays is organizing for the first time as development pressures increase across one of the Bahamas’ most recognizable regions.
The coalition, known as the Save Exuma Alliance (SEA), has come together to protect the environment and local economy they depend on, as questions emerge about how new projects will fit within a landscape defined by its natural systems.
For those who live and work in Exuma, the issue is immediate.
“People see Exuma as a postcard,” said local tourism operator Natajia Miller. “But for us this water is work. It’s how you feed your family and how you stay connected to this place. When the bay is healthy, everything around it works the way it should.”
The Central Exuma Cays are known for their shallow turquoise waters, sandbars and thriving marine ecosystems. Those features support the region’s tourism economy, much of which is driven by small, locally run businesses that rely on access to intact marine environments.
“Any developer that proposes to fundamentally transform this place misunderstands the Exuma Cays,” said David Hocher, a local business owner and alliance supporter. “The Central Exuma Cays are absolutely unique within the Bahamas, and are already the envy of most island destinations around the world. Developments here should work with the place, not over it or through it.”
Environmental advocates say the region’s strength lies in the fact that its natural systems still function as they have for decades, supporting both tourism and traditional industries.
“Our environment is not decoration,” said Bahamian conservation advocate Joseph Darville. “It’s identity, it’s income, it’s inheritance.”
Eric Carey, a longtime conservation leader in the Bahamas, said that preserving those systems is key to maintaining the region’s global appeal.
“You hear people talk about wanting to transform the Exumas,” Carey said. “But the reason the world comes here is because the islands already work as they are.”
The debate has taken on added urgency as new resort proposals are considered in the region. Among them is a Rosewood-branded development backed by Miami-based Yntegra Group on Big Sampson Cay, which SEA members say would involve dredging and marina construction in a shallow, heavily used area.
Yntegra CEO Felipe MacLean has described Rosewood Exuma as a “transformational project for Exuma” in the July 2024 local publication The Tribune. In an interview with hospitality industry publication Top Hotel Projects in July 2024, he said the company looked forward to helping usher in “a new golden era for Exuma.”
Yntegra has cited nearby Cave Cay as part of its Exuma experience, though recent reporting indicates the project is now under new leadership and being redesigned with lower density and more open space.
SEA members say their concern is not development itself, but whether it fits the scale and character of the place. They point to the role small operators play in delivering the experiences visitors seek out, and the reliance those businesses have on intact marine environments.
Among those weighing in is Rick Fox, a Bahamian businessman, former NBA champion, who says the issue reflects broader questions about stewardship and national identity.
“The Exumas are part of what defines The Bahamas,” Fox says. “Protecting places like this is not about stopping progress. It’s about making sure development strengthens what we already have instead of replacing it.”
Fox also expressed support for the alliance’s position.
“I support what the Save Exuma Alliance is asking for,” he says. “This is about respecting the people who live and work here and making decisions that protect the country’s long-term interests.”
For members of SEA, the question is not whether the Exumas will continue to grow, but how. And whether that growth reflects what made the region valuable in the first place.
This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 3:00 PM.