Bahamas News
Return of Sunwing to Grand Bahama — restart of international flights to the island
#Freeport, GB, December 17, 2019 – Bahamas – Grand Bahama’s tourism got a big boost on Saturday and when Sunwing Airlines made its official return to the island, since Hurricane Dorian.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Hon. K. Peter Turnquest; Minister of State for Grand Bahama Senator the Hon. Kwasi Thompson; Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, the Hon. Michael Pintard; Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction, the Hon. Iram Lewis; newly-appointed General Manager of Tourism for Grand Bahama, Stephen Johnson, along with other tourism and government officials, were all on hand on Saturday, December 14, 2019 at the refurbished FBO building at Grand Bahama airport, to welcome the Sunwing flight into Freeport.
“This is an exciting day for Grand Bahama,” said Minister Thompson. “This is a major step in the revival of this island’s economy.”
Some 189 passengers from Montreal and Toronto, Canada, got the “royal treatment” when the flight landed at the airport and they were ushered into the refurbished FBO building, which will temporarily operate as the hub for international flights. In addition to being greeted by government and tourism officials, the passengers were treated to the sweet sounds of Junkanoo.
For most of the passengers it was an exciting first-hand experience and before boarding the bus that would transport them to their hotels, many of the guests spent some time taking photos of the Junkanoo group and some joined in with dancing.
“After what Grand Bahama has been through in the past few months, this is a welcomed moment,” said Deputy Prime Minister Turnquest. “Hopefully, this is the re-start of the island’s international flight agenda.”
Sunwing will provide two flights to Freeport each Saturday for the first month, from Montreal and Toronto, before adding more frequent flights to the island on other days. That calculates to about 400 visitors coming to Freeport each Saturday since Hurricane Dorian hit Grand Bahama in early September.
Other international airlines are expected to resume regular scheduled flights between Grand Bahama and the United States in short order.
Minister Thompson noted that there was much work that went into getting the facility renovated, mobilizing the staff and preparing for the arrival of the flight. He said that everyone involved in the preparations deserved to be thanked for their hard work and dedication.
“There was a lot of work to be done, in terms of getting the airport ready, organizing the groups and many other things. We also understand that Club Fortuna has undergone renovations, and so this has come in time to accommodate these guests.
“There will be regular flights from Sunwing that will continue to come in, so we are very pleased to see them return.”
As far as other international airlines coming back into Freeport, Minister Thompson noted Bahamasair was to restart their international flights on Monday (December 16), with an inaugural flight from Freeport to Fort Lauderdale, along with the expected return of American Airlines and a few other international airlines to Freeport.
“This is all another major step as a part of the recovery of Grand Bahama,” added Minister Thompson. “Bringing back international flights was vital for Grand Bahama to recover. We’ve seen international flights come back and we anticipate that this trend will continue.”
Stephen Johnson, General Manager for the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism in Grand Bahama says the return of Sunwing to Freeport is a significant move for tourism in Grand Bahama and sends a clear message around the world that Grand Bahama is still open for business.
“Each week, we will have close to 200 passengers come in from Toronto and the same amount coming in from Montreal,” Mr. Johnson pointed out. “These visitors will have an opportunity to ride around Grand Bahama, go to the fish fry, visit the beaches, take in some shopping and experience dining in Freeport.
“I would like to see tourism in Grand Bahama continue to grow. I would like to see more flights come in from Canada, the United States and from around the world, where people can see the beauty of this island. Grand Bahama is a special product for us and we want to see more visitors come out to see what we have to offer.”
Christine Culmer and Veronica Cuccurullo, Sunwing representatives in Freeport, said that they were excited to see the airline return to Grand Bahama. They are convinced that there is a lot Grand Bahama has to offer visitors and they are happy to be a part of providing that experience for visitors.
“This partnership is great for all of us,” said Veronica. “We have a great island here and a lot to offer and this is a start to what can become a major airlift boost for Grand Bahama. So, it is also great for the local economy. This is a start of hopefully bringing more airlift into the island.”
“It has been so important to Sunwing to get this back up and running,” added Christine Culmer of Sunwing. “It was very important for them to see that the financial status of this island gets uplifted again by employing locals, and they’re doing it.”
By Andrew Coakley
Release: BIS
Photo Captions:
Header: A number of government officials were on hand Saturday, December 14, 2019 at the Grand Bahama airport to welcome the return of Sunwing Airlines back to the island. On hand for the event were (from left): Minister of State for Grand Bahama, Senator Kwasi Thompson; Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction, Iram Lewis; Deputy Prime Minister, K. Peter Turnquest and Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, Michael Pintard.
Insert: Passengers disembarking from Sunwing’s flight from Toronto and Montreal, Canada on Saturday, December 14, 2019, were met with more than just Immigration and Custom officers. They were given the ‘red carpet’ treatment by officials who greeted them upon arrival in Grand Bahama. Saturday’s flight marked the return of Sunwing to Grand Bahama, and a return of international flights to the island since the airport had been severely damaged by Hurricane Dorian.
(BIS Photos)
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.
