The Tribune

AS part of the ongoing relationship with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, 24 Miami Heat dancers are in The Bahamas this weekend to do a photo shoot and give the destination some priceless publicity.

In 2013, BMOT signed a five-year agreement with the Miami Heat to promote the Islands of The Bahamas through its half-time shows, social media websites and the American Airlines Arena.

During a courtesy call at the Ministry of Tourism on September 17, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tourism Harrison Thompson said The Bahamas is all about “beauty” and so welcoming the women was an easy task. “We have a lot of Heat fans in The Bahamas and we support the Heat tremendously. The Ministry of Tourism has a relationship with the Miami Heat and that is why we welcome you with open arms this morning. The Bahamas has a lot to offer. I know for some of you this is your first trip here and I hope it is not your last,” he said.

“We are indeed privileged to welcome the Miami Heat to The Bahamas and we feel that this will help market The Bahamas even more than we have in our own way. These beauties will complement what we have in The Bahamas and we trust that this would be the catalyst for the Miami Heat team to be successful this year.”

The women have a full weekend ahead of them. They are expected to have the Dolphins Encounter experience at Blue Lagoon Island, take a tour of the Junkanoo Museum, have dinner at Arawak Cay and go diving at Stuart Cove.

Later this year, the Ministry of Tourism will welcome Miami Heat’s corporate sponsors to further cement ties with the basketball team.

Earlier this month, All-Star small forward Luol Deng began a three-week training stint at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island, which will end on September 25.

In 2013, the entire Miami Heat team did pre-season training in The Bahamas at Atlantis, which included then players Dwayne Wade and Lebron James.