It been a strong year for the Bahamas’ tourism business. With the highest number of international arrivals ever, the Bahamas is experiencing the best tourism numbers ever on record, reports Bahamas Tourism and Aviation Minister Hon. Dionisio D'Aguilar. ForwardKeys, a data partner that tracks and reports inbound visitor data 365 days in advance, reported that international arrivals to the Bahamas grew by 15 percent in January 2019 versus January 2018. In February, international arrivals increased by 11.1 percent year-over-year.
This also fluctuated the air capacity, resulting in growth by 20 percent in January year-over-year, with a solid seat growth from the international markets: The U.S.A is up 23.9 percent and Canada is up 12.7 percent. By the end of 2018, foreign air and sea arrivals for the Bahamas had already totaled more than 6.6 million visitors. The destination saw a 16.7 percent increase in stopover visitors, while Freeport saw a surge of sea visitors by (up 49 percent), resulting in record-breaking year for cruise ship and stopover arrivals.
The Nassau and Paradise Island hotel industry reported a spike in average daily room rates and revenue per available room in 2018 compared to 2017. The year ended with room revenues up 34 percent, gains not seen in the past 10 years.
To continue the momentum, the Bahamas kicks off the year 2019, with a brand-new marketing campaign that highlights the beauty and authenticity of its 16 islands in partnership with Lenny Kravitz, as an effort to urge travelers to "Fly Away to The Bahamas." The marketing campaign that features the Bahamian-American rock legend is set to capture Kravitz's deep personal connection to the Bahamas, while showing off the archipelago’s 100,000 square miles by boat and plane. It will also debut behind-the-scenes video that follows Kravitz around his home base of Eleuthera, where he records music and embraces island time.
Additionally, the Ministry also announced plans for the development of a state-of-the-art cruise port in Nassau.
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