NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) – A senior official of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (MOT), says the organisers of the private function, Fyre Festival, have admitted that they “were in over their heads” regarding the much-hyped luxury musical event where tickets were being sold for as high as US$12,000.

Last week, the Bahamas government issued a “heartfelt apology” to patrons who had travelled to the country to attend the Fyre Festival that the organisers postponed indefinitely amid media reports of infrastructure and accommodation not being ready and a lack of security as well as cancelled flights and stranded passengers.Headline acts cancelled their performances. Festival organisers, rap artist Ja rule and tech entrepreneur Billy McFarland, had promised patrons they would “provide a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience on the Islands of the Exumas” and had billed it along the lines of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in southern California.The Director General in the Ministry of Tourism, Joy Jibrilu, has said that all is now being done to protect the reputation of the Bahamas in the wake of the failed Fyre Festival.“The organisers of the Fyre Festival, which was a private event, have readily admitted that they were in over their heads, and they have taken full responsibility for all that has transpired, and have issued a statement to this effect.“It is also pertinent to note that the international media have recognised that all and any shortcomings came from the promoters, and The Bahamas has been insulated from any direct negative repercussions.“It should be noted that even though this was a private event, once the MOT became aware of the shortcomings, we did intervene to mitigate as much as possible any fallout, and in particular to try and secure the welfare of visitors that came in for the event. We have received commendation from both the promoters and guests over our efforts in this regard,” she said.The tourism Director General said that “tourism is our number one industry and it is our aim to deliver world-class experiences and events to our visitors.“The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism knows how to stage successful events year round from our sports related events to our festivals. We offer a most heartfelt apology to all who travelled to our country for the Fyre Festival.“It is our hope that the Fyre Festival visitors would consider returning to Exuma and all the Islands of The Bahamas in the future to truly experience all of our beauty,” the Director General said.The Ministry of Tourism said it is in regular contact with the Fyre Festival team to ensure that all vendors are compensated and all is done to protect the country’s reputation.