Bahamas visitor arrivals return to pre-pandemic levels
The Bahamas reports that its visitor arrival figures are now at levels not seen since 2019.
According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, air and sea arrivals from January to September 2023 numbered 7,209,165.
Data showed 1,332,752 travellers came into The Bahamas by air, and 5,876,413 arrived by sea, which is 33% more than in 2019. The Bahamas is on track to welcome more than 8 million visitors this year, according to the ministry.
The ministry said foreign air arrivals, which include stopovers and day visitors, are up 21 per cent over the same period in 2022, and stopover visitors through September are just shy of the total number of stopover visitors for the same period of 2019.
Cruise arrivals from the beginning of the year through September are up 61 per cent over the corresponding period in 2022 and 45 per cent ahead of 2019.
Hotel occupancy is over in 2019, with average daily room rates and room revenue also significantly ahead of that year.
Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, welcomed the news that the country’s vital tourism sector is recovering from the pandemic.
He commented: “The overall goal of our efforts in tourism is to continually increase visitor arrival numbers to our destination, year after year. Our tourism performance in 2023 has been spectacular on two fronts. We have surpassed the tourism benchmark year 2019 across all metrics, and our visitor arrival numbers are a resounding indication of a complete post-pandemic rebound.”
Cooper said the tourism sector’s turning fortunes result from strategic planning and hotel and cruise operators’ continued confidence in the strength of The Bahamas brand.
“We are now certain to have a record year for tourism arrivals, and it’s no fluke,” he stated.
“We have some of the most attractive cruise destinations in the region, with the new Port of Nassau making waves on social media and throughout the travel sector. Nassau, Bimini, the Berry Islands, Half Moon Cay and other destinations have seen remarkable growth in cruise arrivals in the past two years, with more visitors coming off the ships and spending more time onshore. This activity is being felt throughout the economy.”
Cooper pointed out that the metrics are also changing with stopover visitors.
“We see that room rates are nearly 60 per cent higher than they were in 2019, yet occupancy rates are higher, and room nights sold continue to increase,” the minister said.
“This not only translates to higher revenue for all tourism stakeholders but also speaks to the extraordinary demand for our product. Importantly, we are seeing a healthy hold in repeat visitors from our main source markets while witnessing major increases in new arrivals spreading the message about The Bahamas.”
Cooper praised tourism stakeholders for their commitment towards building The Bahamas’ tourism product to offer stellar service and new experiences.
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