NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Forward bookings to The Bahamas are down 6.4 per cent post-Dorian, according to a recent study by a travel analytics firm.
c reported tourism will continue to grow despite the recent passage of hurricane Dorian and other major storms in the region.
It noted The Bahamas’ tourism numbers reached 80 per cent when compared to pre-hurricane tourism volumes just one month after the monster storm.
The results of the study were presented at a Caribbean Tourism Organization-organized news conference at World Travel Market yesterday.
Forward bookings for the important winter season, November 1st, to January 31st are currently 1.6 per cent ahead of where they were at the equivalent point last year.
Currently, bookings from the USA, the most important source market are three per cent behind but bookings from all the other major source markets are ahead; France 9.8 per cent, the UK 0.9 per cent, Canada 8.2 per cent, Argentina 8.1 per cent and the rest of the world collectively 3.2 per cent.
The study found that forward bookings to the top destination in the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic, are currently 14.2 per cent behind and those to The Bahamas and Aruba are 6.4 per cent and 1.4 per cent behind respectively.
Forward bookings to Puerto Rico which was hit hard by Hurricane Maria in December 2017 is 28 per cent ahead.
The study noted that Hurricane Dorian, ravaged the most northerly parts of the Bahamas but left other parts relatively undamaged.
Travel to Freeport and Marsh Harbour in September fell dramatically, by 50.9 per cent and 67.9 per cent respectively.
The impact on Nassau however was more limited as arrivals declined by 7.4 per cent.
Travel to Georgetown and North Eleuthera was up, 10.6 per cent and 30.7 per cent respectively.
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