Amost two million visitors in first two months of 2024

The Bahamas reached 1.86 million visitor arrivals (air and sea) in the first two months of the year, Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Latia Duncombe revealed on Friday, explaining that arrival numbers are up 49.5 percent when compared to the previous banner year of 2019, and up 11.7 percent over last year’s record setting year.

In terms of the high-value stopover visitor segment, Duncombe said the country has had 313,000 visitors thus far, representing a three percent increase compared to 2019, and a seven percent increase when compared to last year.

Duncombe, who gave the figures while making a presentation to the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association’s board of directors meeting, said the Ministry of Tourism is pleased with arrival numbers so far for the year.

“We’re really pleased about how we’re trending as we move forward,” said Duncombe.

“From the cruising perspective, these are the numbers: 1.55 million year-to-date for 2024, which is a 64 percent increase over 2019, and a 13.5 percent increase over 2023. So, we’re really pleased about the performance.”

Duncombe added that some of the Family Islands are also performing well in the first months of the year.

Last year, the tourism ministry marked a record-setting nine million visitors.

Duncombe said it was important early in the year to put all of the country’s tourism marketing assets to work, after the US State Department issued a travel advisory on The Bahamas following an increase in murders in January.

According to Duncombe, the ministry had to assure the world that The Bahamas was still safe to visit.

“It was to share our story and to make sure everyone knew that the destination is safe, warm and welcoming,” she said.

“And so we doubled down, it was all hands on deck, and we all worked together.

“We also launched the ‘Tourism is Everyone’s Business’ initiative that touches everyone, every sector of the industry. And this is going to be all year long as we seek to ensure that we’re in all markets, we’re in all sectors, whether it’s the hotels or taxi drivers, straw vendors, touching everyone.”

By: Chester Robards, The Nassau Guardian