NASSAU, Bahamas, February 15, 2024 — Despite recent negative international coverage as a result of a US Embassy crime advisory, Minister of Tourism, Aviation and Investments Chester Cooper said yesterday that tourism numbers remain good and are quickly recovering after being briefly impacted, The Nassau Guardian reported today in an article written by Rachel Scott.
“I am very pleased to report that what we are learning now is that, despite some negative impacts which we take seriously and must address, our tourism brand continues to be robust and resilient,” said Cooper in the House of Assembly.
There have been 25 murders in The Bahamas since the start of the year — 23 on New Providence, one on Abaco and one on Grand Bahama.
The notable uptick has not only prompted worry among New Providence residents about the safety of their communities, but also concern within the tourism sector after the murders made international headlines and the US Embassy in Nassau issued a travel advisory to Americans last month.
Adding to the firestorm earlier this month two American women who were passengers on a Carnival cruise ship that stopped in Grand Bahama on Sunday, February 4, claimed in an online post that went viral that they were drugged and sexually assaulted by two men at Pirate’s Cove Zipline and Water Park.
Cooper said that while there were “significant spikes of negative coverage” related to these events, the negative coverage fell off quickly.
“By February 7th, overall coverage had returned nearly to pre-advisory levels,” he said. “To contextualize, we saw thousands of interactions regarding The Bahamas on various media platforms peaking around January 29, with a slowdown to hundreds of mentions by February 7, with the vast majority being neutral or positive.”
Cooper also noted that even in the peak of the negative coverage, most of the content published online about The Bahamas was still neutral or positive.
“Although any negative coverage of our country is distressing and something we take seriously, I want to note that our analytics indicate that only eight percent of online coverage of The Bahamas over the relevant time period was focused on crime,” he said. “These negative stories were disseminated against a backdrop of stories featuring either positive or neutral coverage. This challenges and puts to rest the prevailing notion that crime dominates the overarching narrative of our nation in the wake of the advisory.”
Cooper also said that since then, the negative coverage has decreased.
“Let me be clear that we will make the work of the Ministry of Tourism exceedingly easier by breaking this wave of crime,” he said. “This is a community problem. The police need everyone’s help. I call on all Bahamians to do your part. But it is important to me to emphasize the reduction in negative coverage, which underscores the need and validates the strategy of making concerted efforts to amplify positive narratives and to counter prevailing misconceptions.”
He added, “The negative stories are losing momentum, and our efforts to put forward our own positive story are taking effect and will continue. We are satisfied that our strategy, which reflects significant industry and stakeholder input, is on course, will continue to reverse negative repercussions, and will be part of our larger efforts to achieve success for the industry and the country.”
Cooper said that the year holds promise of being a very successful one for tourism, with January’s tourism arrival numbers having surpassed those from January of last year.
“We have witnessed an uptick in occupancy projections at our largest resorts in January, February and March compared to the same period in 2023,” he said. “Furthermore, the Nassau Cruise Port has experienced an increase in cruise passengers visiting in 2024 compared to January to March 2023, signalling renewed interest and confidence in The Bahamas as a premier cruise destination.”
Cooper said the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) is reporting “double-digit increases in arrivals” for January and February so far.
He noted that while some businesses are still reporting a fall-off in bookings and activity, work is underway to remedy those concerns.
“We want to reassure the public that we are working diligently to restimulate interest and redirect traffic with our tourism ambassadors and the Tourism Development Corporation,” Cooper said “Madam Speaker, while the recent travel advisory has undoubtedly posed challenges, it is incumbent upon us to navigate these turbulent waters with grace, resilience, and sobriety. By amplifying positive narratives, engaging key stakeholders, and leveraging social media effectively, we can chart a course towards a brighter future for Bahamian tourism, one defined by resilience, innovation, and unwavering optimism.”
