NASSAU, BAHAMAS- The Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation is set to ramp up support for domestic air travel as part of a broader effort to boost family island tourism and drive economic activity across the country.
Deputy Director General Dr. Kenneth Romer confirmed the new push during recent comments outlining a 2026 strategy to strengthen airlift to the country’s lesser-visited islands. The initiative, which includes increased marketing and financial backing for local carriers, aims to make domestic travel more affordable and accessible for both residents and international visitors.
“The Bahamas continues to position itself as a multi-destination experience,” Dr. Romer said. “While we’ve been promoting internationally, we’re also seeing equal value in focusing inward—on our family islands.”
The campaign will emphasize partnerships with domestic airline operators, including smaller carriers that often feel overlooked in national planning. According to Romer, these airlines will receive enhanced marketing and financial support to expand their routes and improve affordability. Collaboration with the Bahamas Out Island Promotion Board and hotel partners will also be key in creating attractive packages for local travelers.
Among the tools under consideration are incentive programs such as the “Two Fly Free” initiative, which encourages Bahamians and residents to book travel with local carriers by subsidizing flights or accommodations through the promotion board.
“We’re bringing all of our partners to the table to say that if tourism is truly going to benefit the family islands, we have to reduce costs while maintaining high service standards,” Romer said. “The goal is to circulate more money within our local economy instead of seeing it spent abroad.”
Though no official price tag has been attached to the campaign, Romer emphasized that the Ministry of Tourism has made a strong financial commitment. “More important than the price tag is the political and strategic will. Our Minister has told us, ‘Make it happen.’ And that’s what we’re doing.”
In terms of infrastructure, several domestic routes are already in the pipeline for launch or expansion over the next few months. These include new or revised flights into Cat Island, Long Island, Exuma, Abaco, and Eleuthera, with new service from carriers such as Magus Air beginning as early as November. A new route into North Eleuthera and additional flights to Governor’s Harbour are also scheduled, alongside increased service from Fort Lauderdale into Exuma.
Dr. Romer expressed optimism about the months ahead. “We’re very pleased with what aviation will look like moving forward—not just for international traffic, but for connecting Bahamians to the full beauty and opportunity of our 16-island destination.”
