NASSAU, Bahamas, November 26, 2021 — Prime Minister the Hon. Philip “Brave” Davis expressed his enthusiasm to have two power-packed basketball tournaments hosted in The Bahamas this week, following numerous event cancellations the year prior due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both early-season college basketball tournaments kicked off at two of the country’s leading resorts, Atlantis Paradise Island and Baha Mar, featuring both men’s and women’s college basketball teams from across the United States.
The Baha Mar Hoops and Battle 4 Atlantis Basketball Championships paint an extraordinary picture of the boost in tourism being experienced across the archipelago after the industry’s decline because of the pandemic.
Scores of fans, including dozens of basketball teams, have travelled from abroad to attend and participate in the events, collectively bringing in significant revenue for the hotels and the industry.
In an interview with CBS News on Thursday night, the Prime Minister expressed his gratitude for the Baha Mar Hoops event and the ‘bump in tourism’ given the country.
Similarly, in speaking with ZNS News this afternoon at Atlantis Paradise Island, Prime Minister Davis gave his views on the significance of sports tourism and the impact of its return to The Bahamas.
International coverage of both events has placed the country on a global stage and communicates to viewers both far and near that The Bahamas is open for business.
On Thursday night, Prime Minister Davis had the opportunity to attend the first round of the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship game featuring the University of Maryland Terrapins and University of Richmond Spiders, while today, the Prime Minister made an appearance at the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis Championship Game featuring top teams, Michigan State University Spartans and Baylor University Bears.
Events like these and others support the goal of the Davis Administration to encourage and support the full restoration of the tourism industry and the Bahamian economy at large. It is one of the priorities of this government to allow Bahamians an opportunity to build and succeed while striking a balance with the management of the pandemic.
The recently established Baha Mar Hoops event is held in The Bahamas this week at the Baha Mar Convention Center, 22nd-27th November 2021, featuring 19 men’s and women’s NCAA teams.
In the Imperial Arena, the 2021 Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis Championship, ending tomorrow, took place on November 20th-26th. The event celebrated its tenth year and featured its inaugural Battle 4 Atlantis Women’s Tournament this year.
SOURCE: OPM Website: https://bit.ly/3xtwWq3
