The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

MIAMI, FL- THE Bahamas must seek to differentiate itself from its Caribbean counterparts in the tourism and hospitality industry, the head of a Washington-based trade association representing the vacation ownership industry said yesterday.

Noting that a significant number of the Bahamas’ visitors originate from North America, Howard Nusbaum, president and chief executive of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), said: “I think that one of the things the Bahamas has to do is separate itself and be able to express itself in a way that, when you look at all the Caribbean countries, an American tourist would want to go there. It probably takes some unified marketing to really define the Bahamas.”

“I think that Americans on the whole don’t always understand that the Caribbean is a place, and the island countries share a body of water but may not share the same culture, economic life, ethnicity, history and government structures,” Mr Nusbaum added.

Speaking with Tribune Business at the 2013 Shared Ownership Conference, Mr Nusbaum said the Bahamas was already an attractive destination and well-positioned to capitalise on the North American market.

“The Bahamas already has a rich history, a trophy product when you look at Atlantis and the Starwood resorts. You’ve got independent developers as well. The proximity to Florida is easy and affordable. These things are attractive to American consumers,” said Mr Nusbaum.

According to Interval International, the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Europe and Mexico were cited as the most popular international vacation destinations, with approximately 39 per cent, 36.5 per cent, 36.5 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively, of a US members planning to vacation in these regions during the next two years.