Pictured (from left) are Minister Vanderpool-Wallace, Mrs. Fryar, her step daughter Martin Fryar-Anderson, Bernadette Saunders of the Ministry’s Visitor Relations Unit and Mr. Farrington.

Nassau, The Bahamas - Distinguished taxi driver and two-time Cacique Award winner Romeo Farrington demonstrated the power of personality recently, when he and the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation welcomed Marian Fryer, who has visited The Bahamas for 34 years due to the friendships she has built with Mr. Farrington and other Bahamians.

Mr. Farrington said taxi drivers must realize that they have great influence over their clients. Their treatment of passengers could bring them more fares and result in more repeat visitors to the country, he said.

“We meet the people one on one, and the relationships we develop can help them decide to return to the island,” he said.

Mr. Farrington said he has clients that have been coming to the Bahamas for 40 years. They always use his services on visits.

Mrs. Fryar of Maryland said she has not gotten tired of visiting the Bahamas since her first trip in 1974. The friendliness of the people has been a highly valued part of her visits, she said.

“I have gone other places where people walk by and they almost knock you out of the way,” Mrs. Fryar said. “I don’t want to go to those places. I want to come here.”

Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, Minister of Tourism and Aviation, said Mr. Farrington and Mrs. Fryar’s observations pointed out that the people of the country are the most important factor in tourism.

“You can attract people with sun, sand, and sea, but it is the experience that keeps them coming back,” Minister Vanderpool-Wallace said. “And the experience has everything to do with the people.”

The Ministry of Tourism and Aviation’s strategies for improving tourism performance places special emphasis on developing the tourism talents of people in The Bahamas.