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Georgina Delancy October 2010 RESEARCH STATISTICS AND IMMIGRATION SCANNING UNITS The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism

Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

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Page 1: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Georgina Delancy

October 2010

RESEARCH STATISTICS AND IMMIGRATION SCANNING UNITS

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism

Page 2: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

The Research and Statistics Dept.

Page 3: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Islands of the Bahamas:Past

• In the early 1800’s Tourism in the Bahamas was relatively unexplored as a means for many Bahamians to earn a good living. By the end of the 1800’s, more efforts were placed on this important industry.

• By 1875, Nassau received 500 visitors.

• In 1949, The Bahamas namely the island of New Providence received 32,018 visitors.

Page 4: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Islands of the Bahamas:Past

• After 1949, The Bahamas began to see a steady growth in the Tourism Industry especially on the island of New Providence. By 2005, the island of New Providence had welcomed almost 3 million visitors (air & sea arrivals) by itself.

• In the early 1960’s Grand Bahama was not to be out done. The growth in arrivals to Grand Bahama between 1962 (13,269 arrivals) and 1964 (109,295) was outstanding.

Page 5: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Islands of the Bahamas:Past

• The best years for arrivals to Grand Bahama were in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s (1987 to 1993). During these prosperous years for the island, total arrivals ranged from 1.1 million to 1.2 million annually. Much of this prosperity was due to cruise arrivals which made up between 45% to 50% of the total arrivals to the destination.

Page 6: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Islands of the Bahamas:Past• The Out Islands of the Bahamas had some growth

before 1973 but it was after 1973 that steady growth to these islands was collectively realized.

• In 1971, most of the visitors who came to the Bahamas did so by air (66.3%) and only a little over 1/3 (33.7%) of them came by sea. By the early 1980’s it was clear that the way people travelled to the Bahamas was about to change.

• By 2009, the mix of arrivals was the total reverse of 1971 as over two-thirds of the visitors who came to the Bahamas now did so by sea (73%) and 27% of them came by air.

Page 7: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Tourism Performance 2009/2008 & 2010/2009 Half Year?

• Recession began Dec. 2007

• Financial MeltdownSeptember2008.

• Improvements in Half Year 2010 evident.

• Air arrivals up in 2010 when they were down in 2009

FOREIGN AIR AND SEA ARRIVALS TO THE BAHAMAS

1ST PORT OF ENTRY ONLY

 

  Full Year   Half Year  

  2009 2008 2009/2008 2010 2009 2010/2009

  Air and Sea % Chg Air and Sea % Chg Nassau/Paradise Island 2,677,120 2,496,058 7.3% 1,498,662 1,427,541 5.0%Grand Bahama 578,812 558,177 3.7% 391,176 283,906 37.8%Abaco 216,357 247,808 -12.7% 92,366 108,563 -14.9%Andros 8,977 9,747 -7.9% 4,967 5,390 -7.8%Berry Islands 423,506 411,615 2.9% 280,067 224,733 24.6%Bimini 50,877 45,716 11.3% 24,101 25,064 -3.8%Cat Cay 12,336 11,322 9.0% 6,137 6,493 -5.5%Cat Island 1,643 3,080 -46.7% 763 1,331 -42.7%Eleuthera 239,902 260,987 -8.1% 179,267 150,801 18.9%Exuma 18,317 30,262 -39.5% 15,405 12,620 22.1%Half Moon Cay 402,067 299,792 34.1% 202,875 189,051 7.3%Inagua 698 1,347 -48.2% 554 421 31.6%Long Island 880 946 -7.0% 970 471 105.9%

San Salvador 13,623 16,715 -18.5% 9,289 8,121 14.4%

Bahamas Overall 4,645,115 4,393,572 5.7% 2,706,599 2,444,506 10.7%Source: Immigration and Customs various ports of entry in the Bahamas.      

Page 8: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Cruise Tourism

Page 9: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Cruise Tourism:The Bahamas

• When Cruise Tourism came of age it became obvious that it was here to stay. This meant that destinations globally had to make the decision of whether or not they would embrace it or be left behind.

• The Bahamas decided to embrace it and as a result cruise arrivals to the destination exploded.

Page 10: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Cruise Tourism:The Bahamas

• One of the benefits of having embraced Cruise Tourism in the early years was that The Bahamas became the top cruise destination for cruise arrivals in the region and stayed there.

• Between January and June 2010, 71% of all cruises to the Bahamas were Bahamas Only cruises.

Page 11: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Cruise Tourism:The BahamasCRUISE ARRIVALS TO THE BAHAMAS

1ST PORT OF ENTRY ONLY

 

             

  January to December 2009 January to June YTD

  2009 2008 2009/2008 2010 2009 2010/2009

  Cruise Arrivals % Chg Cruise Arrivals % Chg

Nassau/Paradise Island 1,713,725 1,471,835 16.4% 958,407 902,626 6.2%

Grand Bahama 376,502 312,780 20.4% 280,601 167,909 67.1%

Abaco (Castaway Cay) 136,514 149,389 -8.6% 43,352 63,426 -31.6%

Berry Islands 415,022 401,718 3.3% 275,484 220,372 25.0%

Eleuthera (Princess Cay) 211,950 225,626 -6.1% 158,355 133,935 18.2%

Half Moon Cay 402,067 299,792 34.1% 202,875 189,051 7.3%

Bahamas Overall 3,255,780 2,861,140 13.8% 1,919,074 1,677,319 14.4%

• Cruise incentives offered to major cruise lines. GBI cruise up because of Carnival, Norwegian & Bah. Celebration (for 2010)

Page 12: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Cruise Tourism:The Bahamas & Region

CRUISE ARRIVALS

TOP 6 REGIONAL COMPETITORS           

  2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

All Bahamas 3,078,709 3,078,534 2,970,659 2,861,140 3,255,780

N. PROV./P.I.(BAH.) 1,880,696  1,660,094  1,638,174  1,471,835  1,713,725 G.B. ISLD.(BAH.) 321,582  339,913  311,762  312,780  376,502 OUT ISLDS.(BAH.) 876,431  1,078,527  1,020,723  1,076,525  1,165,553 Cozumel (Mexico) 2,519,179  2,352,043  2,488,190  2,569,433  2,221,729 U.S. Virgin Islands 1,912,539  1,901,275  1,917,878  1,757,067  1,582,264 Cayman Islands 1,798,999  1,930,136  1,715,666  1,553,053  1,520,372 St. Maarten 1,488,461  1,421,645  1,421,906  1,345,812  1,215,146 Puerto Rico 1,315,079  1,338,019  1,437,239  1,392,624  1,179,022 Jamaica 1,135,843  1,336,994  1,179,504  1,088,901  922,349 

Page 13: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Stopover Visitors

Page 14: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Stopover Visitors:The Bahamas & Region

STOPOVER VISITORSTOP 10 REGIONAL COMPETITORS

               

  1997 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 %Chg 97/09

All Bahamas 1,617,595 1,608,153 1,600,862 1,527,727 1,463,006 1,327,006 -18%N. PROV./P.I.(BAH.) 840,515  1,019,017  1,019,198  960,768  929,249  864,016  3%G.B. ISLD.(BAH.) 512,710  316,265  298,937  279,193  265,176  228,744  -55%OUT ISLDS.(BAH.) 264,370  272,871  282,727  287,766  268,581  234,246  -11%Dominican Republic 2,211,394  3,690,692  3,965,055  3,979,582  3,979,672  3,992,303  81%Cuba 1,170,083  2,319,334  2,220,567  2,152,221  2,348,340  2,429,809  108%Cancun 2,621,268  2,134,180  1,586,942  2,022,302  2,165,320  1,891,448  -28%Jamaica 1,192,000  1,478,663  1,678,905  1,700,785  1,767,271  1,831,097  54%Puerto Rico 814,000  1,465,292  1,485,296  1,359,638  1,323,795  1,300,783  60%Aruba 649,893  732,514  694,372  772,073  622,675  812,623  25%US Virgin Islands 392,900  697,033  671,362  693,372  678,904  666,051  70%Barbados 472,290  547,534  562,558  574,533  567,667  518,564  10%Martinique 513,230  484,127  502,053  503,107  479,933  443,202  -14%St. Maarten 439,234  467,861  467,804  469,407  475,410  440,185  0%

• In 1997, Bah. was no. 3 in region.

• By 2009, Bah. was no. 5 in stopovers

• Cuba hotel rooms increased

• Jamaica all inclusives

• Cheaper competitors

Page 15: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

How Did The Bahamas Perform With Stopovers?

ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS

STOPOVER VISITORS

             

  Full Year   Half Year  

  2009 2008 % CHG 2010 2009 % CHG

New Providence 864,016 929,249 -7.0% 493,011 468,251 5.3%

Grand Bahama 228,744 265,176 -13.7% 125,690 131,342 -4.3%

Abaco 81,632 97,671 -16.4% 52,752 47,103 12.0%

Bimini 50,144 42,431 18.2% 19,687 24,207 -18.7%

Eleuthera (mainland) 19,891 24,389 -18.4% 15,860 11,620 36.5%

Harbour Island 10,674 11,638 -8.3% 6,471 6,937 -6.7%

Exuma 20,594 33,909 -39.3% 15,174 14,412 5.3%

San Salvador 14,701 18,340 -19.8% 9,239 9,018 2.5%

Andros 7,323 9,204 -20.4% 4,640 4,538 2.2%

Other Out Islands 29,287 30,999 -5.5% 14,158 17,216 -17.8%

All Bahamas 1,327,006 1,463,006 -9.3% 756,682 734,644 3.0%

*Eleuthera numbers exclude Harbour Island stopovers. Total Eleuthera showed a 20% increase for Half Yr. 2010

Page 16: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Which Island In The Bahamas Received The Most Stopover Visitors?

Page 17: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Tourism Performance by Major Market

2009/2008 & 2010/2009ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS

STOPOVER VISITORS BY COUNTRY

               

          Half Year  

    2009 2008 % Chg 2010 2009 % Chg

1USA 1,068,726 1,177,271 -9.2% 611,578 598,227 2.2%

2CANADA 107,041 114,960 -6.9% 68,313 62,442 9.4%

3EUROPE 78,816 93,803 -16.0% 39,346 39,829 -1.2%

4CARIBBEAN 18,856 22,528 -16.3% 8,659 9,198 -5.9%

5LATIN AMERICA 18,684 16,257 14.9% 9,404 7,651 22.9%

6OTHER COUNTRIES 34,883 38,187 -8.7% 19,382 17,297 12.1%

  TOTAL STOPOVERS 1,327,006 1,463,006 -9.3% 756,682 734,644 3.0%

Page 18: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Where Did Visitors to The Bahamas Come From:The Bah.

WHERE DO THE STOPOVER VISITORS COME FROMISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS

2009

USA80.5%

CANADA8%

EUROPE6%

CARIBBEAN1%

LATIN AMERICA

1%

OTHER 3%

Page 19: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Top States That Brought Business to The Bahamas in 2009

• Recession

• Florida biggest market plagued with foreclosures, California too

• Unemployment US 5% 2007, 10% Dec. 2009

• Unemployment Bah. 7.9% 2007 & 14.2% 2009

TOP STATES THAT BROUGHT BUSINESS TO THE BAHAMASSTOPOVER VISITORS

2009           STATES 2009 2008 % CHG

1FLORIDA 267,441 288,857 -7%2NEW YORK 137,973 144,636 -5%3NEW JERSEY 72,580 80,103 -9%4TEXAS 49,906 50,885 -2%5CALIFORNIA 45,031 52,354 -14%6PENNSYLVANIA 43,103 48,268 -11%7MASSACHUSETTS 41,436 45,250 -8%8VIRGINIA 34,773 36,419 -5%9GEORGIA 34,156 39,135 -13%

10 ILLINOIS 31,609 36,015 -12%11MARYLAND 28,757 32,056 -10%12NORTH CAROLINA 27,948 34,248 -18%13CONNECTICUT 24,220 27,960 -13%14OHIO 22,963 27,882 -18%15MICHIGAN 21,104 23,695 -11%16SOUTH CAROLINA 14,686 17,344 -15%17TENNESSEE 12,679 15,209 -17%18COLORADO 11,913 13,541 -12%19 INDIANA 10,831 12,850 -16%20MISSOURI 9,403 10,954 -14%21WISCONSIN 9,118 9,931 -8%22MINNESOTA 8,998 10,127 -11%23LOUISIANA 8,744 8,641 1%24ALABAMA 7,704 9,226 -16%25KENTUCKY 7,220 8,191 -12%26OTHER 84,430 93,494 -10%

  TOTAL USA 1,068,726 1,177,271 -9.2%

Page 20: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Top States That Brought Business to The Bahamas in Half Year 2010

TOP STATES THAT BROUGHT BUSINESS TO THE BAHAMASSTOPOVER VISITORS

HALF YEAR 2010           STATES 2010 2009 % CHG

1 FLORIDA 134,051 138,307 -3%2 NEW YORK 76,280 77,169 -1%3 NEW JERSEY 39,544 39,047 1%4 MASSACHUSETTS 28,580 27,589 4%5 TEXAS 28,560 26,716 7%6 PENNSYLVANIA 26,165 25,517 3%7 CALIFORNIA 23,032 22,343 3%8 GEORGIA 22,703 18,051 26%9 VIRGINIA 19,726 18,705 5%

10 ILLINOIS 18,015 18,667 -3%11MARYLAND 16,850 15,189 11%12CONNECTICUT 16,842 14,958 13%13NORTH CAROLINA 16,706 16,075 4%14OHIO 14,290 13,478 6%15MICHIGAN 13,735 13,462 2%16SOUTH CAROLINA 8,461 8,605 -2%17TENNESSEE 8,403 7,293 15%18 INDIANA 7,767 6,496 20%19COLORADO 6,656 7,116 -6%20WISCONSIN 6,250 6,000 4%21MINNESOTA 6,194 6,253 -1%22MISSOURI 5,338 5,463 -2%23ALABAMA 5,306 4,648 14%24LOUISIANA 4,996 5,669 -12%25NEW HAMPSHIRE 4,491 4,460 1%26OTHER 52,637 50,951 3%

  TOTAL USA 611,578 598,227 2.2%

• As no. of jobs losses declined & foreclosures slowed business picked up.

• Free Companion Airfare

Page 21: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

TOP CANADIAN PROVINCES THAT BROUGHT VISITORS TO THE BAHAMAS

TOP CANADIAN PROVINCES STOPOVER VISITORS

ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS               

          Half Year    PROVINCES 2009 2008 % CHG 2010 2009 % CHG

1ONTARIO 58,253 65,124 -11% 37,126 33,793 10%2QUEBEC 15,604 15,370 2% 8,773 9,225 -5%3ALBERTA 7,715 9,587 -20% 4,893 4,739 3%4BRITISH COLUMBIA 5,287 6,091 -13% 3,003 2,915 3%5NOVA SCOTIA 1,666 1,689 -1% 1,207 1,160 4%6MANITOBA 1,599 1,542 4% 1,063 1,092 -3%7SASKATCHEWAN 1,174 1,094 7% 927 804 15%8NEW BRUNSWICK 914 836 9% 768 642 20%9NEWFOUNDLAND 525 567 -7% 499 361 38%

10PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND 205 175 17% 204 141 45%11OTHER PROVINCES 14,099 12,885 9% 9,850 7,570 30%

  TOTAL CANADA 107,041 114,960 -7% 68,313 62,442 9%

• Canadian economy improved quickly. Before recession, stopovers from Canada were highest they had been in 25 yrs.

Page 22: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

TOP EUROPEAN COUNTRIES THAT BROUGHT BUSINESS TO THE BAHAMAS

TOP EUROPEAN COUNTRIES STOPOVER VISITORS

ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS       

          Half Year      2009 2008 % Chg 2010 2009 %Chg

1UK 26,400 34,567 -24% 11,911 13,499 -12%2FRANCE 13,667 14,423 -5% 6,749 7,767 -13%4ITALY 9,269 10,866 -15% 4,460 4,299 4%3GERMANY 8,236 10,526 -22% 4,285 3,722 15%5SWITZERLAND 3,811 4,169 -9% 2,009 1,844 9%7NETHERLANDS 1,924 2,657 -28% 1,092 939 16%6SPAIN 1,979 2,122 -7% 952 819 16%8SWEDEN 1,552 1,762 -12% 922 839 10%9AUSTRIA 1,533 1,657 -7% 774 794 -3%

10BELGIUM 1,436 1,752 -18% 724 724 0%11NORWAY 1,088 1,358 -20% 645 614 5%12RUSSIA 822 414 99% 609 328 86%13IRELAND 1,184 1,501 -21% 553 733 -25%14OTHER 5,915 6,029 -2% 3,661 2,908 26%

  TOTAL 78,816 93,803 -16% 39,346 39,829 -1%

Slovakia was no. 23 in Half Year 2010 with stopovers. Stopovers increased in 2009 & 2010 from here.

• Recession hit Europe very hard.

• Some Countries entered into a debt crisis, e.g Greece

Page 23: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

TOP LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES THAT BROUGHT BUSINESS TO THE BAHAMAS

TOP LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES STOPOVER VISITORS

           Half Year    LATIN AMERICA 2009 2008 %CHG 2010 2009 % CHG

1BRAZIL 4,309 3,863 11.5% 2,483 1,941 27.9%5MEXICO 3,895 3,590 8.5% 1,631 1,225 33.1%3ARGENTINA 2,579 2,050 25.8% 1,597 1,214 31.5%4VENEZUELA 2,153 1,826 17.9% 788 802 -1.7%5COLOMBIA 1,281 809 58.3% 775 513 51.1%6PERU 807 800 0.9% 361 314 15.0%7PANAMA 639 546 17.0% 352 252 39.7%8CHILE 548 537 2.0% 286 264 8.3%9ECUADOR 487 544 -10.5% 292 217 34.6%

10COSTA RICA 372 401 -7.2% 173 252 -31.3%11GUATEMALA 312 228 36.8% 143 127 12.6%12EL SALVADOR 257 214 20.1% 63 87 -27.6%13PARAGUAY 250 194 28.9% 21 24 -12.5%14URUGUAY 230 194 18.6% 182 127 43.3%15HONDURAS 194 179 8.4% 77 99 -22.2%16BOLIVIA 158 83 90.4% 60 75 -20.0%17BELIZE 123 120 2.5% 60 79 -24.1%18NICARAGUA 90 79 13.9% 60 39 53.8%

  TOTAL 18,684 16,257 14.9% 9,404 7,651 22.9%

Page 24: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

How Did The Visitors Come To The Bah

MODE OF ARRIVAL

THE ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS

STOPOVER VISITORS

2009

                   

  Nassau Grand Bahama Out Islands All Bahamas % CHG

  2009 2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 09/08

Airline 827,577 889,733 147,922 172,763 134,022 170,5511,109,521 1,233,047 -10.0%

Private Plane 23,211 25,926 6,433 8,699 44,623 48,322 74,267 82,947 -10.5%

Cruise Ship* 2,431 3,171 54,092 63,417 585 1,516 57,108 68,104 -16.1%

Yacht/Private Boat 6,016 6,062 17,253 16,810 47,580 41,200 70,849 64,072 10.6%

No Response 4,781 4,357 3,044 3,487 7,436 6,992 15,261 14,836 2.9%

Total 864,016 929,249 228,744 265,176 234,246 268,5811,327,006 1,463,006 -9.3%

Page 25: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

How Did The Visitors Come:All Bah.2009

Page 26: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Where Did The Visitors Stay:Bah

STOPOVER VISITORS BY TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION

THE ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS

                   

  Nassau Grand Bahama Out Islands All Bahamas % CHG

  2009 2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 09/08

Hotel 691,703 761,294 145,976 180,155 102,718 119,273 940,397 1,060,722 -11%

Timeshare 66,635 67,980 41,527 44,293 1,368 1,689 109,530 113,962 -4%

Friends/Relatives 44,532 41,646 10,274 9,811 16,793 18,559 71,599 70,016 2%

Private/Boat 16,232 15,339 10,496 10,893 36,434 41,268 63,162 67,500 -6%

Apt/Villa 15,384 12,143 8,065 7,761 35,142 43,660 58,591 63,564 -8%

Own Property 8,647 7,338 3,600 3,906 20,757 21,501 33,004 32,745 1%

Other 4,910 5,112 2,739 2,296 4,205 5,307 11,854 12,715 -7%

Non-Response 15,973 18,397 6,067 6,061 16,829 17,324 38,869 41,782 -7%

Page 27: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Where Did The Visitors Stay:Bah

Page 28: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

How Did the Hotels Perform:Hotel Occupancy

• Hotel Occupancy levels plummeted after the Financial Meltdown in 2008.

Page 29: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

How Did the Hotels Perform:ADR?

• Average Daily Rate was up in 2008 before the financial meltdown. By 2009, the ADR had fallen.

Page 30: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

How Long Did Visitors Stay

AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAYISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS

               2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004Eleuthera* 11.6 10.8 10.4 10.4 11.0 11.3Abaco 10.5 9.8 9.3 9.4 9.9 10.0Andros 10.2 8.7 8.7 9.4 9.9 9.3San Salvador 8.7 8.7 8.7 8.7 8.6 8.9Exuma 9.4 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.0 8.2Bimini 8.1 7.6 7.9 8.0 8.1 8.6Harbour Island 6.7 6.6 6.5 6.7 6.6 6.5Grand Bahama 6.5 6.2 6.2 6.1 6.2 5.5Nassau/Paradise Island 6.1 6.0 5.9 5.8 5.6 5.7Out Islands 9.8 9.2 9.1 9.0 9.5 9.7All Bahamas 6.8 6.6 6.6 6.4 6.4 6.3*The average stay above for Eleuthera does not include Harbour Island.        

Page 31: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

How Long Did Visitors Stay:Country

AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY

ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS

             

  2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004

USA 6.3 6.1 6.0 5.9 5.9 5.9

Canada 8.4 7.9 8.5 8.7 8.8 9.0

Europe 10.2 9.7 10.1 10.5 10.6 10.3

Caribbean 8.8 8.7 9.3 8.6 8.3 8.7

Latin America 6.0 5.8 5.9 5.9 6.1 6.3

ROW 9.6 9.5 9.9 9.4 8.9 9.2

• Europeans have a longer stay because: they have longer vacations than Americans & they travel much further to get here.

Page 32: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

Why Did Visitors Come to The Bah?

MAIN REASON FOR THIS VISIT TO THE BAHAMASSTOPOVER VISITORS

2009

         

  Bahamas Nassau/P.I Grand Bahama Out IslandsVacation 70% 71% 69% 67%Business Trip 6% 6% 9% 6%Honeymoon 5% 5% 4% 3%Visiting Friends/Rel. 6% 5% 5% 7%Convention/Conf. 2% 2% 3% 1%To Attend Wedding 4% 5% 3% 3%To Get Married 1% 1% 0% 1%Casino Excursion 1% 1% 1% 0%

Other 3% 2% 2% 8%

Page 33: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

What Influenced Visitors to Visit:Bah?TOP INFLUENCES FOR DECIDING TO VISIT THE BAHAMAS

ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS2009

           Bahamas Nassau/P.I. Grand Bahama Out IslandsBeaches 59% 59% 59% 60%Climate 51% 51% 50% 48%Rest and Relaxation 42% 42% 44% 40%Friendly People 27% 26% 27% 34%Hotel Facilities 24% 31% 14% 12%Easy to Get to 22% 24% 22% 17%Never Been Here Before 20% 20% 24% 17%Safety of Islands 17% 16% 15% 21%Good Package Deals 14% 16% 14% 5%Exotic Islands 12% 12% 10% 16%Friend recommended Bah. 12% 11% 11% 15%Sports 11% 7% 12% 24%Had Friends in Bah. 10% 9% 10% 15%Casinos 10% 13% 8% 0%Best Value for Money 9% 8% 14% 7%Heard a lot about Bahamas 8% 8% 8% 9%Other 7% 6% 10% 9%Shopping 5% 6% 6% 2%Nightlife 4% 5% 4% 2%Travel Agent/Tour Operator 4% 5% 3% 4%Bahamas Website 3% 3% 4% 3%Saw Ad on TV 2% 3% 1% 1%Saw Ad in Magazine 1% 1% 1% 1%No Response 5% 4% 5% 6%

Page 34: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

What Activities Did Visitors Intend to Do While in The Bahamas?

ACTIVITIES VISITORS INTENDED TO DO ON THIS VISIT TO THE BAHAMASISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS

2009           Bahamas Nassau/P.I. Grand Bahama Out IslandsEnjoy Beaches 83% 84% 84% 78%Rest and Relax 74% 76% 75% 67%Shop 34% 37% 42% 15%Go Snorkeling 33% 29% 34% 49%Go to Casinos 25% 31% 23% 1%Go on Island Tour 17% 16% 20% 16%Go Diving 11% 8% 13% 19%Go Sailing 7% 5% 8% 14%Go Deep Sea Fishing 6% 5% 7% 11%Go Golfing 4% 4% 6% 3%Go Bonefishing 4% 2% 4% 12%Other Activities 3% 2% 4% 3%Go Birdwatching 2% 1% 3% 6%No Response 4% 4% 5% 5%

Page 35: Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

How Many of Our Visitors Have Been to The Bahamas Before?

REPEAT VS. FIRST TIME VISITOR

STOPOVER VISITORS

2009

     

  REPEAT VISITOR FIRST TIME VISITOR

  2009 2008 2009 2008

Nassau/P.I. 59.2% 56.5% 40.5% 43.0%

Grand Bahama 59.4% 56.9% 40.6% 42.7%

Out Islands Overall 67.5% 68.9% 32.1% 30.3%

All Bahamas 60.7% 58.8% 39.0% 40.6%

Source:Tour Media Exit Surveys 2009 and 2008      

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Did They Say They Would Come Back to the Bahamas?ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS

LIKELIHOOD TO RETURN

STOPOVER VISITORS

2009

     

  Likely to ReturnNot at all Likely to

Return

  2009 2008 2009 2008

Out Islands Overall 91% 92% 8% 7%

Nassau/P.I. 86% 86% 13% 13%

Grand Bahama 84% 82% 16% 17%

All Bahamas 87% 87% 13% 13%

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Did They Say They Would Recommend the Bahamas?

ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS

LIKELIHOOD TO RECOMMEND

STOPOVER VISITORS

2009

     

  Likely to RecommendNot at all Likely to

Recommend

  2009 2008 2009 2008

Out Islands Overall 96.1% 96.6% 3.1% 2.8%

Nassau/P.I. 92.7% 92.3% 6.9% 6.9%

Grand Bahama 91.5% 88.8% 8.3% 9.8%

All Bahamas 93.1% 92.5% 6.4% 6.6%

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How Much Did Visitors Spend in the Bahamas?

• In 2009, visitors to the Bahamas spent over $2 billion dollars in the economy of the Bahamas.

• The average spend for stopover visitors (visitors who stayed in the destination for 24 hours or more) was $1,375. The average spend for a cruise visitor was approximately $63.

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• Tourism in the Bahamas has certainly been through some challenging times and difficult changes. Some of the changes have been good, others have given us pause for thought. The one thing that we know is that despite the challenges that the Bahamas has faced, Tourism was and always will be the lifeblood of our economy and our great hope for sustainability.

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Tourism in The Islands of The Bahamas

• The End

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P.O. Box N-3701 Nassau, Bahamas

Georgina DelancyMinistry of TourismThe Islands of The Bahamas

[email protected],[email protected](242) 302-2094