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Last Updated: Jun 13, 2018 - 4:04:04 PM |
Photo: Kemuel Stubbs
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Nassau, Bahamas: As The Islands Of The Bahamas experience significant growth in airlift arrivals, Director General of Tourism Joy Jibrilu says the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation (BMOTA) continues to be aggressive in luring visitors from new markets.
While speaking at the Caribbean Aviation Meetup held at Atlantis Paradise Island on June 13, Ms. Jibrilu noted that The Bahamas has seen a growth of 18 percent in the first quarter.
“That is extraordinary and it is the second highest performance in the Caribbean. In fact, the Caribbean has been down and The Bahamas has skyrocketed. We’ve seen this projection through to August and for the third quarter we are seeing high double digits,” she said.
According to the director general, the BMOTA has set its sights on markets such as Asia, Canada, continental Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and the West Coast of the United States.
Photo: Kemuel Stubbs
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“We really have to look at how we diversify our market,” Ms. Jibrilu said.
“All of our competitors’ source markets are global and we have an advantage in the United States of America. But opportunities abound. Canada sends 1.4 million guests to Cuba, but they are by-passing The Bahamas to get there. In Europe, there is tremendous opportunity there and we are putting strategic marketing there. We are looking at Latin America. South Americans are traveling and so we have partnered with Copa Airlines and they have seen an increase year-on-year. We are looking at Colombia and then there is China, India and places in the Middle East like the United Arab Emirates.”
The director general said the BMOTA is hoping to continue to reap the benefits of intense marketing throughout 2019.
“That is our hope and intent. We are constantly on the road, researching and educating ourselves, looking at best practices and seeing what we need to do. How do we become leaders once again and not just followers? The strategies that we are starting to employ are yielding the results we want,” Ms. Jibrilu said.
“We cannot discount the fact that Baha Mar has brought a renewed energy to the nation. It is causing people to look even if they don’t stay there. Atlantis is rebranded and renovated so it is coming out like new. There is also a buzz in the Family Islands and airlines are starting to take notice and they are partnering with us and so it bodes well and we are thankful.”
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