By CELESTE NIXON
Tribune Staff Reporter
cnixon@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas needs more visibility according to Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe, who wants to use social media to raise the country's profile.
Mr Wilchcombe said through complacency, the country's has lost its status as a premier island destination.
"We have allowed our leadership in tourism to slip because we have rested on our laurels," he said while addressing a meeting held by the Family Island Tourism Board at the British Colonial Hilton on Wednesday.
"Over the course of the year, there will be many changes made in the promotion of our tourism product. One of the main vehicles we will use is technology - social media - to promote the Bahamas.
"Using social media, each island will be featured in the language of the target country," he said.
"Consequentially, there will be many changes in the Ministry of Tourism in order to respond to the changing needs of our tourism industry.
"So there will be more focus on technology and we will start to recruit personnel to meet those needs.
"Each island must have an opportunity to showcase itself, so there will be greater demands placed on the staff of the ministry in order to properly achieve our goals."
Mr Wilchcombe assured those who work in tourism that these changes will not mean job cuts, and revealed that the government plans to increase the budget allocated for the Family Islands over the next year.
The minister noted that next year will be the 40th anniversary of the Bahamas as an independent country and said the world will be invited to celebrate the occasion with Bahamians.
"We must lift our game to the levels of perfection. Excellence will be the order of the day in the Bahamas and we must all see ourselves as partners to uplift this country," he said.
"Each island must have an opportunity to showcase itself, so there will be greater demands placed on the staff of the ministry in order to properly achieve our goals."
Comments
aconcernedresidentofnassau 12 years, 5 months ago
I am surprised that the Minister did not mention the Facebook page already started by the Ministry of Tourism: http://www.facebook.com/TravelBahamas">www.facebook.com/TravelBahamas
NoellePina 12 years, 5 months ago
The Ministry of Tourism has already been very active with social media. I don't know why he thinks this is news. Maybe it's just to sound like he has a 'new' idea.
242 12 years, 5 months ago
That's cause he himself just found out about social media if he really wanted to prove his point he would have tweeted this message.
242 12 years, 5 months ago
I do agree that the Bahamas need to be even more visible though not just tourism, individuals for their achievements in athletics, music, art, acting, science, technology, writing etc. There is SOOOO much talent in the Bahamas. After watching Junkanoo a person asked me how are there so many people that know how to play musical instruments in one place. And that is not even to mention the designers, choreographers, composers etc....
Concerned 12 years, 5 months ago
The Minister must be highly aware that the same way Social Media can help the Bahamas, social media can also be the downfall of the Bahamas. Take the Nellie Day situation - like hot cake, word spread quickly about her article and within 24hrs the power of social media had forced the publishing website to remove the negative Bahamas article. if the Bahamas messes up, within 24hrs news about us would spread all over the world wide web and on to the computer screens of millions of would-be tourists. We must thread lightly as a nation.
JohnBrown 12 years, 5 months ago
Obie, with all the bad press that you have succeeded in drumming up for the Bahamas with the Travolta thing inter alia, you don't need or want to go into the back room of your secret order that saved your butt, once again, for bad publicity do you?
Remember...
".. binding myself under no less penalty that of having throat cut from ear to ear,my tongue torn out by its roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea, acable length from the shore where the tide.."
".. binding myself under no less penalty than having my left Breast torn open, myheart plucked out, and given to the beasts of the field and fowls of the air as prey." [from the oath of obligation ,
".. binding myself under no less penalty that of having my body severed in twain,my bowels taken out and burned to ashes, the ashes scattered to the four winds of heaven.."
TheFixer 11 years, 10 months ago
Obie Wilchcombes idea is great and I'm sure he will succeed, you can get lots of publicity with social media. Although this makes put on the following question: http://www.techmaish.com/social-media-a…">Social Media: A Dangerous Friend?
TheFixer 11 years, 10 months ago
Seems like social media has a very important place in raising nation's profile. But I believe if they wanna stay safe, they should use cloud http://www.ictmaster.org/2012/12/why-sa…">hosting solutions.
spencerid 11 years, 4 months ago
I love to watch movies because they make me laugh, cry, teach some good things, something bad, they give me an adrenaline rush! I especially love their http://thejeremymillerband.com/entertai…">humor. To conclude it's an escape into another world for a short period of time, very good for my mind.
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