Business View Caribbean | April 2019

11 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN APRIL 2019 T he Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation has heralded the highest number of international arrivals ever, resulting in record hotel occupancy levels. The Bahamas won numerous tourism industry awards and media accolades in 2018 and 2019. The Bahamas began 2019 strong with the launch of a new, brand campaign highlighting the beauty and authenticity of its 16 islands in partnership with Lenny Kravitz, urging travelers to Fly Away to The Bahamas. The Ministry also announced exciting plans for the development of a state- of-the-art cruise port in Nassau. “It is my great pride and pleasure to report that The Bahamas is experiencing its strongest tourism numbers ever on record,” said Tourism Minister, Dionisio D’Aguilar. “We look forward to building upon the success of our progressive plans and continuing the momentum in 2019 as we forge ahead with exciting new initiatives.” The Ministry’s data partner, ForwardKeys, that tracks and reports inbound visitor data 365 days in advance from key designated marketing areas, reported that international arrivals to The Bahamas grew by 15 percent in January 2019 versus January 2018. Several important markets registered double-digit growth. In February, foreign visitors increased by 11.1 percent year- over-year. The forward booking situation for the next three months (March to May) is optimistic, with forward bookings running 9 percent ahead for international arrivals. April (ahead by 15.6 BAHAMAS ENJOYING HISTORIC VISITOR NUMBERS OPENING L INES