Bahamas News
Aviation Minister says Bahamasair’s new office in Freeport is sign of commitment to revitalizing GB
By ANDREW COAKLEY, BIS
FREEPORT, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas — Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, Deputy Prime Minister the Hon. Chester Cooper believes that the opening of Bahamasair ticket office in downtown Freeport is a testament of the national airline’s commitment to the growth of tourism, and its commitment to the revitalization of Grand Bahama.
More significantly, he added that the opening of the new office is indicative of the renaissance beginning to take
hold on Grand Bahama: an island of people renowned for their resilience, and one which embarks on a bright, new beginning.
“As the Minister responsible for Bahamasair and as a friend of Grand Bahama, I really wanted to be here in Grand Bahama for this opening, because I see it as a signal of resilient hope and reconstruction,” said Minister Cooper.
“When we look at what you’ve experienced over the course of time and you see new buildings coming out of the ground and ribbon cuttings taking place, it’s a positive sign for Grand Bahama. There will be many more ribbons to cut in the near term and I hope that I will be here to celebrate those occasions with you.”
The Minister for Tourism, Investments and Aviation was the keynote speaker at the opening of Bahamasair’s new ticket office in Freeport, Grand Bahama, on Friday, June 9, 2023. The new office, located in Tropical Plaza, represents a critical move for the national airline in Freeport, cutting away three years of the airline’s not having a presence in the heart of the second city.
Following Hurricane Dorian in 2019, Bahamasair was forced to shutter the doors to its ticket office and move that process to the airport base. The new offices will provide the customers with a more convenient access to the airline. Minister Cooper said the move is indicative of what Bahamasair holds important – its customers.
“Bahamasair [has had its] share of turbulence, but as its reputation for flights indicate, we have an outstanding safety record,” said Minister Cooper.
“We’re living in an era when we are seeing a reduction of companies in brick-and-mortar operations globally. We’re in a digital era, where the preferred mode of making transactions is online. But, today, we’re bucking that trend, because we care about our customers and we wanted to send a signal that Freeport is back and Freeport is poised for a rebound, as are the fortunes of Bahamasair.
“Bahamasair realizes that the tourism industry needs a boost and therefore they have established a Freeport to Raleigh (North Carolina) route for the people of Grand Bahama and for the tourism industry.”
The tourism minister noted that over the past 50 years, Bahamasair has been a major stakeholder in The Bahamas’ number one industry, driving the growth of tourism in the country’s numerous destinations.
Throughout the islands of The Bahamas, to countries like Cuba, the United States, Haiti and the Turks and Caicos
, Minister Cooper said Bahamasair is critical and it is reliable. He pointed out that the tourism business has achieved a spectacular rebound post COVID-19, recording visitor arrival numbers in 2022 just shy of the 7.2 million of the country’s standout year in tourism in 2019.
“I salute team tourism for this growth,” added Mr. Cooper.
“As indicated by future bookings, prospects for record breaking arrivals for 2023 and beyond are also looking great. Bahamasair will be called upon to play an even greater role in the expansion of our tourism business. The Ministry of tourism will continue to collaborate with the board and management of Bahamasair to ensure that we consistently see new routes for Freeport.”
Minister Cooper said: “The future of Bahamasair is aspirational. We will not stop until we see Bahamasair playing a more critical role on the international scene. That is my vision for Bahamasair. That is what we aspire to do. Through our partnerships, we anticipate continued growth, continued investment, and a continued reduction of the subvention that the taxpayer pays to Bahamasair. But I pledge the government’s backing to continue to provide support to Bahamasair, to the management and to the board.”
Photo Captions:
Header – Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, the Hon. Chester Cooper, along with two of Bahamasair’s retirees, cuts the ribbon to signify the official opening of Bahamasair’s new ticket office in downtown Freeport on Friday, June 9, 2023. The new city ticket office is located in Tropical Plaza, Freeport.
1st insert – Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, the Hon. Chester Cooper was the keynote speaker during ceremonies for the opening of Bahamasair’s new ticket office in downtown Freeport, on Friday, June 9, 2023.
2nd insert – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Toursm, Investments and Aviation, the Hon. Chester Cooper greeted employees in the new Bahamasair ticket office, during a tour of the facilities following an official opening on Friday, June 9, 2023
(BIS Photos/Andrew Miller)
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products concluded their 10 weeklong Twist To Win campaign with four $5,000 Mall at Marathon shopping sprees.
The campaign which was available throughout the entire Bahamas allowed consumers to enter by purchasing a 20oz bottle with a yellow cap
from the following brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta Orange, or Fanta Grape. Each yellow-cap had a unique alpha numeric code underneath which they submitted to the Twist To Win WhatsApp number.
With each qualifying purchase, participants residing in The Bahamas were entered to win instant prizes and into a grand prize draw to win one of four $5,000 shopping sprees at the Mall at Marathon.
Participants also enjoyed exciting instant prizes such as: Airpods, JBL Speakers, premium Coca-Cola merchandise, $500 Visa gift cards and Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music digital gift cards.
Out of 76,000 plus submissions, Brian Bethel, Ashia Demeritte, Merlin Adams, and Taraceta Neely won the coveted Mall at Marathon shopping sprees at the following select stores, Kelly’s House & Home, The Sports Center, John Bull, Brass & Leather, and BTC.
Leading up to the grand finale shopping spree, Coca-Cola hosted a Trivia Showdown with the eight finalists to determine the four winners. Finalists were tested on their knowledge of World History, Pop Culture, Caribbean Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Facts!
After a few rousing rounds of trivia, the four winners were declared after each winning their spot in the shopping spree by answering their questions correctly and choosing the “Grand Prize” Coca-Cola labeled bottles at random.
The morning of the shopping spree Coca-Cola gave the winners exclusive access to the Mall at Marathon and its participating stores before
their usual operating hours. Grand prize winners were greeted with wide smiles from Coca-Cola brand representatives and morning bites before the big event.
At the start of the thirty-minute clock the grand prize winners along with each of their Coca-Cola shopping assistants ran to the various stores collecting items in their arms and carts.
Merlin Adams, a husband and father of four was proud to have executed his game-plan at the end of the shopping spree. With toys, a new phone and materials for his home from Kelly’s, Adams felt accomplished in what he gathered.
Taraceta Neely, a winner from Eleuthera collected beautiful bags for herself and relatives from Brass and Leather and Brian Bethel bought matching athletic and outdoor wear from The Sports Center for his family.
The final winner Ashia Demeritte bought linens and household items in addition to a new phone from BTC right in time for Christmas.
Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to share the real magic of Coca-Cola with the grand prize winners and the may instant prize winners across the Twist To Win campaign. For more updates on new products, promotions, and events follow www.cbcbahamas.com.
Bahamas News
The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products displayed
their astonishing Coca-Cola Art Project (CCAP), during Baha Mar’s five-day Culinary & Arts Festival. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola partnered with The University of The Bahamas’ Visual Art and Design Department for a culturally rich art competition. UB’s art students were challenged to create pieces surrounding the theme, Bahamian music.
As a result, 20 student works of art were made, with four students declared as winners at the CCAP exhibit opening in Baha Mar’s ECCHO: Art Gallery in August. To recreate the culturally stimulating magic felt at the exhibit’s premiere, the CCAP was featured at the FUZE Art Tent during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.
Nine incredible pieces of art lined the walls of the Coca-Cola Art Project, four of which included the winning pieces from Jhanaisia Cole,
with ‘Gaulin Bride’; Alyssa Pinder, with ‘Shotgun Wedding’; Nelson Gray, with ‘Untitled’; and Jaela Bowe, with the piece ‘Whims of Obeah, a Folktail’. Additionally, an intimate listening room was built. It displayed students’ artistic processes, UB Visual Art and Design representatives, and a recap of the exhibit opening for audiences.
Art enthusiasts also enjoyed premium limited-edition CCAP keepsakes at the booth. Journals which featured a collage of all 20 student submissions on the front and back cover, postcards with an art piece on the cover along with the student’s name, title, dimension and materials on the back and pens designed with the CCAP’s dynamic logo.
Throughout the art festival diverse groups of people visited the art tent taking in the displays while enjoying the artistic insights from the
listening booth.
Community and culture are always at the forefront of Caribbean Bottling Community, and it was boldly showcased during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.
For more details on the Coca-Cola Art Project, events and new products visit www.cbcbahamas.com today!
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor delighted Jollification
attendees with bubbles from their Bottega and Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wines and Besserat de Bellefon champagne lines.
Located in the Monument Circle on The Retreat grounds, CWS transformed The Retreat Garden into a lush lounge with Besserat, Bouvet and their latest product addition, Bottega, during the two-day affair.
The festivities kicked off Friday during BNT Member’s Night. Guests enjoyed exclusive offerings from CWS’s catalogue, offered exclusively to members. Complimentary mixes or glasses on the rocks included El Tequileno tequila, Hard Truth whiskey, House of Angostura rum, Cross Keys gin, Nemiroff vodka and a slew of wines such as Fonesca Bin, Bottega and Besserat.
Guests also savored the ‘Jolly Paloma’ cocktail, an instant favorite made with El Tequileno tequila, Schweppes Grapefruit and Domaine de Paris rose wine. To end the night, guests were treated to branded limited-edition wine tumblers as keepsakes.
On Saturday and Sunday, Jollification attendees delighted in glasses or bottles of champagne and sparkling brut or rosé wines while taking
in the comfort of the chic lounge. In addition to purchasing bottles for onsite consumption, consumers were also able to purchase bottles as gifts whether for themselves or someone special.
The sophisticated “bubble lounge” lounge was decked with velvet couches, gold rimmed cocktail tables, blue and pink pillows, and a white floral branded backdrop created for capturing the perfect picture.
Caribbean Wines & Spirits, a historic partner of the Bahamas National Trust was pleased to support Jollification 2025 to kick off the festive season and share their expansive range of spirits.
To keep up to date with all CWS products and events, visit their website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.
