NASSAU, BAHAMAS- Total visitor arrivals to The Bahamas grew by 8.5 percent to 7.4 million on a year-to-date basis, according to the Central Bank’s latest Monthly Economic and Financial Developments report.
The increase was driven by a 10.5 percent rise in sea passengers to 6.2 million, which offset a 1.3 percent decline in air arrivals to 1.1 million.
Despite the overall growth, momentum slowed in July. Total arrivals for the month fell 3.3 percent to 1.1 million visitors compared to the same period in 2024, as sea passengers decreased 3.8 percent to 0.9 million and air traffic slipped 0.9 percent to 0.2 million.
Family Islands arrivals contracted by 9.7 percent to 0.5 million, reflecting a 10.1 percent fall in sea passengers and a 4.8 percent decline in air visitors. New Providence posted a slight 0.1 percent dip to 0.5 million, as a 1.1 percent reduction in air arrivals outweighed a 0.2 percent increase in sea passengers.
In contrast, Grand Bahama recorded a sharp 26.1 percent rise in total arrivals to 71,400, supported by a 32.4 percent increase in air passengers to 6,484 and a 25.5 percent uptick in sea traffic to 64,916.
The Nassau Airport Development Company reported that total outbound departures, excluding domestic passengers, declined 3.0 percent to 150,366 in August. U.S. departures fell 5.1 percent to 130,911, while non-U.S. international departures rose 14.5 percent to 19,455. Year-to-date, total outbound traffic decreased 2.4 percent to 1.2 million, with U.S. departures down 3.4 percent and non-U.S. international departures up 4.3 percent.
Short-term vacation rental activity also reflected the broader tourism trends. AirDNA data indicated that total room nights sold in August rose 1.0 percent to 55,790. However, occupancy rates declined to 36.9 percent for entire place listings and 37.5 percent for hotel-comparable listings, down from 38.8 percent and 42.1 percent a year earlier. Average daily rates (ADR) continued to rise, with entire place listings up 11.8 percent to $510.78 and hotel-comparable listings increasing 1.1 percent to $173.47. On a year-to-date basis, total room nights sold grew 7.8 percent, with ADR up 9.1 percent for entire place listings and 2.2 percent for hotel-comparable units.
Despite pockets of slowdown in specific destinations and segments, the overall tourism sector continues to underpin the Bahamas’ economic expansion, driven by strong sea passenger arrivals and sustained growth in short-term rental revenue.
