NASSAU, Bahamas — There is no more slow tourism season in The Bahamas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper declared yesterday, explaining that the country’s tourism increase has been such that even its typical slow season is booming, The Nassau Guardian reported on Friday, September 8, 2023, in an article written by Chester Robards.
Cooper, who made the remark during the Office of the Prime Minister’s weekly press briefing, said the Ministry of Tourism has been working hard to put in place airlift and other strategies to ensure that there is continuing business throughout the year.
“Soft season, as you put it; slow season, as we sometimes call it, it’s officially a thing of the past,” Cooper said. “We have worked very hard as a team. We have worked very hard putting in place opportunities for increased airlift from many of our markets.
“We will be focusing on the West Coast. You’re seeing JetBlue come in November, seeing much new airlift come from Seattle, LA, and other cities with Alaska Airlines.
“We see American Airlines ramping up significantly. We see Delta providing a lot of new services. We see GSX in Abaco providing a jet service direct to Abaco.
“American Airlines, our largest airline partner, continues to increase capacity and flights into Eleuthera and Exuma and Abaco and in New Providence.”
Cooper added that the country continues to provide value-added vacations in vertical markets such as honeymoons, romance, family and convention, events and meetings.
He explained that average daily room rates continue to be strong, in step with the record pace of tourist arrivals by air and sea combined.
Cooper said the country could top eight million visitors this year, breaking the 2019 record.
“This is an exciting time for Bahamas tourism,” he said.
“We will keep the slow season and soft season, as we put it, as a thing of the past. That’s the plan.”
See article in The Nassau Guardian at https://thenassauguardian.com/dpm-declares-slow-tourism-season-a-thing-of-the-past/
