NASSAU, Bahamas — Tourism numbers are expected to top 2019 numbers in 2023, with 2022 numbers expected to get “very close” to 2019 numbers by the end of the year, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper said yesterday, The Nassau Guardian reported on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, in an article written by Chester Robards.
Cooper explained that at the end of July, tourism numbers were just 10 percent off from this country’s record year for tourism, 2019, when 7.2 million visitors came to the country.
Cooper said government has been working very hard to improve numbers, and forward bookings for 2023 tell a story of a possible new best year ever.
“We’ve worked very hard. We’ve been very deliberate in terms of increasing airlift to all of our destinations,” said Cooper.
“We’ve been carrying the message around the world that we are open for business. The message is being received.
“We’ve been working in harmony with all of our stakeholders, all of the hotels and airline partners and promotion boards to ensure that that message gets out to the marketplace. The responses have been overwhelming.”
The Ministry of Tourism has embarked on global mission trips that began in September and will last until the first quarter of 2023 that are designed to educate key source markets in the US, Canada and Latin America on what is new with The Bahamas, its islands and its attractions.
Cooper said the events held on those trips have been “oversubscribed”.
“They have been oversubscribed in every way,” said Cooper.
“We are very enthusiastic about the response and the brand is very strong. Wherever I go in the world, people want to come back with me to The Bahamas. This is a good thing,” he added. “It demonstrates that we have done an exceptional job over the years of promoting and building the brand of The Bahamas. We continue to do this.” See complete article in The Nassau Guardian at https://thenassauguardian.com/cooper-air-traffic-strategy-and-global-marketing-reaping-dividends-for-tourism/
