NASSAU, BAHAMAS—Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Aviation, and Investment Chester Cooper says that despite some “bumps in the road” during September and October mainly due to hurricanes Milton and Oscar, the forecast is that The Bahamas will still beat its tourism arrival performance from last year, with projections of a very strong November and December.
Speaking on the sidelines of the groundbreaking for Eden Manufacturing and Recycling Ltd at the Gladstone Road Industrial Park, DPM Cooper said: “We have a very positive forecast. The forecast is that we will beat the record from last year. We did have some bumps in the road. Specifically, we have had Milton, which impacted Georgia, and we have had Oscar recently, which interrupted some flow of traffic into The Bahamas. Milton also impacted in a very serious way Central Florida. Florida is our core market. We are still assessing the overall impact. We are offering our support in these markets that are so important to us.”
Cooper added: “Once things settle down and people can regain their feet, we know people will travel again. Our proximity is a blessing, and our strong product is a blessing. The window of booking has shortened. People are now impulsive in their travel. Direct nonstop service from over 25 North American cities. We are expecting a very strong November and December and consider September and October a wash really, but we’re coming back strong right after the hurricane season.”
Surpassing all previous records, The Bahamas welcomed a total of 9,654,838 visitors in 2023, marking a historic milestone in its journey as a leading global tourism destination. This figure represented a 38 percent increase over 2022 and a 33 percent increase compared to the previous 2019 record.
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