The Tribune

The Ministry of Tourism's marketing team targeted south Florida's Hispanic community through its sponsorship of the La Mano Hispana 2018 Art Gallery Opening Night in Miami.

The Bahamas' sponsorship of the event resulted from its partnership with the City of Hialeah's communications and special events department. "October is 'Hispanic Heritage Month', and participating as a title sponsor at La Mano Hispana Art Gallery Event enabled us to tap into the Hispanic market and reach the hundreds of attendees," said Tina Lee, district marketing manager for the Bahamas Tourist Office, Florida.

Ms Lee said many attendees seemed "genuinely surprised to see us there". The Hialeah, Miami, area is home to some 224,000 Hispanics, and she added: "Our primary goal is to connect with the Hispanic community and expose our brand to them."

The Bahamas is the nearest international neighbour to south Florida, and Bimini is known as the gateway to the country. FRS Caribbean, a ferry service that transports passengers between south Florida and Bimini, partnered with the ministry at the booth during the Art Gallery's opening.

"Having a booth at the event served as a platform for our brand presence and allowed us to begin developing relationships within the Hispanic community in Miami," said Ms Lee.

The booth was manned by herself; Phylia Shivers, senior marketing representative, Bahamas Tourist Office (BTO) Florida; Adrian Kemp, senior marketing representative, BTO Florida; and Veronica Bolanos and Macarena Berrocoso, representing FRS Caribbean.

The current La Mano Hispana 2018 exhibition will continue at the Gallery through December 4.