#Nassau, 2
December, 2019 – Bahamas –
In the months following Hurricane Dorian, The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and
Aviation (BMOTA) has mobilized and set up a steady stream of group and
individual familiarization trips to continue telling the world that The Bahamas
is “Open For Business.” From November 2019 into the New Year, top-tier media
and social influencers are coming to The Islands Of The Bahamas to discover the
country’s culture, cuisine and communities and help spread the message that
most of the islands are welcoming visitors.
The trips will drive
positive and educational coverage of the destination, in print, online and
social media, during the critical travel-booking season.
“With more than 700
islands and cays, there is so much to discover in The Bahamas,” said Mrs. Joy
Jibrilu, Director General at The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation. “Hosting
influential media and storytellers to deliver our ’Open For Business’ message
in a way that resonates with their readers and followers is a key part of our
multi-phased post-hurricane campaign. The coverage we receive from these visits
will be crucial in inspiring travel to our country, speaking to all the important
reasons why now is the time to visit.”
In November, the
BMOTA hosted its first group press trip following Hurricane Dorian. Top-tier
travel and lifestyle journalists, contributing to Delta Sky, the Daily Beast, TravelPulse, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast
Traveler and others,visited
Nassau Paradise Island, Eleuthera and Harbour Island to discover the ease of
island hopping in The Bahamas and get a first-hand account of the Bahamian
people’s resilience despite the devastating hurricane season. Stories will not
only highlight BMOTA’s “Open For Business” messaging, but will position the
islands as must-visit travel destinations this season and beyond.
The BMOTA also
hosted South Florida travel and lifestyle influencer, The Style Bungalow, in Harbour Island, in November. She experienced
the quiet island lifestyle while also visiting some of the world’s most
Instagram-worthy spots, including The Pink Sands Beach, the pastel-hued homes,
Bahama House and much more. The Style
Bungalow shared that The Bahamas is “Open For Business” with her211K+ Instagram followers and
highlighted the quick flight from Florida as another reason why everyone,
including Floridians, should visit.
The Ministry is
working diligently to keep this momentum of top-tier media and influencers
visiting The Bahamas alive. Aligning with the Hero World Challenge in December,
the BMTOA will be hosting five quality sports, travel and lifestyle media to
promote Nassau and Exuma as premier golf destinations. Journalists from Forbes, GOLF.com, BroBible and GOLF Monthly will experience top golf
courses in Nassau, including Royal Blue Golf Course at Baha Mar, Ocean Club
Golf Course at Atlantis and Exuma’s Sandals Emerald Bay Golf Course.
The Ministry’s
visiting journalist program continues to be an unqualified success. Through the People-To-People
Experience, visiting journalists are able to connect with the Bahamian people
and get an experience like no other while sharing meals and conversations. An
additional slate of individual trips took place on a rolling basis. Reporters
with The Washington Post and Jamaque Paradis
Magazine visited in the past two months while travel influencer, Get Lost With Jackie, a journalist from The Zoe Report and two of The Boston Globe writers are scheduled
to come early in 2020 to cover an array of topics from Junkanoo to fly-fishing.