#Nassau, Bahamas – January 23, 2020 — “Today, it is with great pride we report that The Islands of The Bahamas has exceeded a record-breaking seven million visitors in 2019 – our strongest tourism numbers in history. This is a tremendous accomplishment, particularly in light of the challenging year we, as a country just endured. I stand before you with tremendous gratitude and admiration for every single one of my fellow Bahamians who have showed the world the true meaning of resilience.
We have a few
historical moments to record for 2019 and they are:
Highest recorded amount of stopover visitors ever at 1.78
million
Highest recorded amount of stopover visitors ever from
the United States 1.45 million
A whopping 7.216 Million Total Visitor Arrivals
The impact of
Hurricane Dorian has not slowed The Bahamas’ tourism growth.
HOW WE GOT HERE
The Ministry
attributes this historic success to the hard work and dedication of Bahamians
at all levels of the tourism industry who have ensured that The Bahamas is open
for business and still rockin’!
This, combined with
data-driven, agile marketing, authentic storytelling, and aggressive PR, sales and
airlift strategies have lead to 2019 being one for the history books.
Last year was one
for the history books. As a nation, we have faced tremendous tragedy brought to
us by Hurricane Dorian, the effects of which we will feel in our hearts
forever. However, the Bahamian people stood together, remaining strong and
resilient, and the world took notice. We are in awe of our country, and deeply
grateful for the outpouring of support and assistance from friends, partners,
and even strangers from around the globe.
At the Ministry of
Tourism and Aviation, our priority is to safeguard The Bahamas’ economy through
initiatives that will fuel the critical tourism sector. We began our campaign
in the days immediately following Hurricane Dorian and have remained diligently
aggressive ever since. Ministry executives have traveled to New York and Miami,
to Canada, London, Australia and Paris, speaking at top tourism conferences and
meeting with travel partners, media and influencers to spread the message that
The Bahamas is open, beautiful and ready to welcome all with open arms. This
sentiment has been embraced wholeheartedly, sparking international headlines
and content encouraging travel to our islands.
Prior to Hurricane
Dorian, tourism was thriving at a record level. Last year, we saw many
accomplishments – we hosted 41 media and influencers across several islands to
generate compelling stories about The Bahamas. Together with our industry
partners, the MOT hosted sales and media missions in many of our key designated
marketing areas. We launched a successful marketing campaign with the legendary
rock star Lenny Kravitz, graced the cover and pages of Sports Illustrated’s
highly anticipated swimsuit issue and witnessed the production of a primetime
television show come to life in Nassau and on screens across the U.S. The main
goal? Inspire travel to our remarkable country.
WHAT’S NEXT
We look forward to
building upon the success of our marketing efforts and continuing the momentum
in 2020
With the dedication
of the Bahamian people, we will continue to show the world that The Bahamas is
still rockin’ and
urge travelers to add the destination to their 2020 travel plans.
The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation is dedicated to continuing this
momentum into 2020 to show and tell the world just why they should continue to Fly Away to The Islands Of The
Bahamas. We have an aggressive sales
and marketing
plan for 2020. We are particularly excited about the opportunity to
capitalize on Super Bowl LIV happening in our key source market, with targeted
media activations during and around key Super Bowl events. Media placements include local broadcast TV,
billboards, aerial media, geotargeted digital ads, mobile billboards, booths
and captivating digital banners at Aventura Mall and Sawgrass Mall.
In addition, we are
kicking off the New Year with increased airlift, exciting events and major
award nominations. Additional airlift options in Boston, Denver and Houston
will bring visitors to The Bahamas during peak travel season this spring. The
Bahamas has been nominated as a top destination for romance, luxury, cruising,
diving and more in multiple awards so far this year, proving that The Bahamas
is better than ever and Still Rockin’.
This is indeed a win for all Bahamians and I wish to personally thank each and every Bahamian, including you the media for contributing to this phenomenal success.”
Hon Dionisio D’Aguilar, Bahamas Minister of Tourism & Aviation – REMARKS PROVIDED BY BAHAMAS MINISTRY OF TOURISM & AVIATION
Magnetic Media is a Telly Award winning multi-media company specializing in creating compelling and socially uplifting TV and Radio broadcast programming as a means for advertising and public relations exposure for its clients.
After resounding success in the Bahamas, hit play ‘March On, The Story of Us’ has been inundated with requests to take their show on the road, and the first location they’ll be hitting is Providenciales Turks and Caicos with tickets on sale this weekend from May 3 to 5.
Magnetic Media spoke to Gea Pierre, playwright, who told us the TCI was a natural first choice for the cast and crew.
“We started ‘March On’ in November 2023 and it was really an opportunity for us to tell a story, the story of the Bahamas and to encompass the nations that we have an amazing relationship with like the Turks and Caicos,” she continued “We really got a lot of people calling [for the play] from [the TCI], so much so we really had to pay attention.”
The response to ‘March On’ at home and abroad was overwhelming.
“To say it went well is an understatement, even before we opened we got calls from Canada, from all over the US with people wanting us to come and perform.”
And take the show on the road they did! Gea and her team have launched “March On: The Tour” and will be in Providenciales to perform on May 10th and 11th. It’s the first of a number of stops which include Nassau and several US locations.
A ticket booth will be set up from today, Friday May 3 in the foyer of IGA grocery store beginning at 1 p.m. Friday and then again all day on Saturday, allowing residents to purchase with cash.
Online tickets are available for purchase with credit cards. Then the full team returns on Friday, May 11 for the actual showing at 8 pm and their two showings on Saturday at 4pm and 8 pm. The venue is Brayton Hall, Providenciales under the patronage of Washington Misick, TCI Premier and First Lady DelthiaMisick.
Describing the close familial relationships between the TCI and the Bahamas, for many on the crew it will be like coming home Gea told us, for others it will be a treat to visit for the first time, the places that their grandparents described.
Tickets are only $60 for general seating and $75 for VIP seating.
Gea maintained that the team wanted to keep the show as accessible to residents as possible.
As for why you should come out and see the play, other than the great price point:
“The way that people have responded to it is non stoplaughter, people have been moved to tears because there’s some emotion. It does not only lend to Bahamians. It’s a family drama, and anyone who’s ever been a part of a family is going to get something out of it, and something moving.”
CIBC Caribbean today announced that its Bay Street branch will close permanently on 31st May 2024.
CIBC Caribbean’s Managing Director, Dr. Jacqui Bend, in making the announcement said: “We regret this development; however, our bank recognizes that our clients’ needs are changing, and we remain committed to meeting these evolving needs. We are even more focused within the climate of evolving technology advancements on creating product options that focus on security, convenience, and ease of doing business.”
Dr. Bend noted that there will be no job losses as a result of this closure and employees will be redeployed to other branches.
She observed, “Additionally, the closure of the Bay Street branch represents a continuation of the work previously started to repurpose our branch network to serve our clients more efficiently across the region.”
Dr. Bend said the decision to end operations at Bay Street was made with the knowledge that clients will continue to be adequately serviced by a strong branch presence that already exists in The Bahamas. She said the bank has written to its Bay Street clients informing them of the closure and has outlined their future banking options.
“We understand that the closure of Bay Street may be inconvenient to our some of our clients, but we hope that this will be tempered by the knowledge that they have many more avenues available to conduct their banking that are also convenient, safe and practical, using our mobile or online banking platforms or our other branch locations.”
April 29, 2024 – Freeport, The Bahamas – In line with its mission to create a stronger, more connected Freeport economy, the Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA) is pleased to share details of the upcoming Freeport Business Expo: Tourism Edition, taking place on Thursday, May 2, 2024 at the Grand Lucayan Convention Center in Grand Bahama.
“As the GBPA continues its work to attract investors to Freeport, we offer this showcase of local and international businesses offering services and opportunities to potential and existing licensees,” stated Ian Rolle, GBPA President. “This Expo will not only connect unique international service providers with Bahamian entrepreneurs aiming to introduce new tourist attractions, but also bring together financing institutions to support Bahamian-owned start-ups and existing businesses in the industry.”
The emphasis on tourism at the 2024 Expo ensures that those in tourism-focused businesses are certain to benefit. The event will offer opportunities to meet potential business partners, gain insight on financial opportunities, engage with leaders in workshops and one-on-one sessions, and get answers on starting a Freeport business and obtaining a GBPA license.
“We regularly host community business expos,” said Glendia Sweeting, Manager of Quality Assurance and Special Projects. “But we recognize the significant benefit of an expo focused on enhancing tourism business offerings through connecting international service providers and Bahamian entrepreneurs. We have more than thirty local and national exhibitors taking part on May 2nd, along with several international service providers.”
Multiple investment projects currently in progress and planned in the city of Freeport is creating anticipation for existing and potential entrepreneurs and this expo is geared towards preparing them for these opportunities. “Grand Bahama is going to experience a significant growth spurt in the next one to three years. I would strongly encourage everybody who wants to get involved in business to look at Grand Bahama as one of the top choices, especially over the next three years,” said Mr. Rolle.
The Expo opens on Wednesday, May 1st with a welcome reception from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. A full day of learning and networking opportunities follows on Thursday, May 2nd. GBPA’s partners in the Freeport Business Expo include:
Grand Bahama Island Promotion Board
Ministry for Grand Bahama
Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce
Ministry of Tourism
Bahamas Immigration
Bahamas Customs
Five Star Shipping Company
Viva Wyndham Fortuna
Bahamas Air
Grand Lucayan Hotel
Registration for access to the Expo’s exhibitors is free, and all-access passes are available for purchase. Event details and registration information may be found at freeportbusinessexpo.com.