The Tribune

The Ministry of Tourism targeted south Florida travel agents, influencers and media in shining a spotlight on what Freeport has to offer summer travellers.

The Bahamas Tourist Office’s Florida office launched its ‘Summertime in Freeport’ promotion aboard a super yacht in Miami, as it bids to drive more visitor traffic to Grand Bahama and the nation’s second city.

The event included a business-to-business (B2B) networking reception with Freeport vendors followed by a talk show-style presentation, dinner and dance, and sounds of Junkanoo as the boat returned to port.

Organised by the Bahamas Tourist Office’s Florida marketing team under the leadership of Betty Bethel-Moss, director of sales, the presentation featured Ellison ‘Tommy’ Thompson, the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation’s deputy director general (DDG).

Sanique Culmer, of the Grand Bahama Tourist Office, spoke about the Goombay Summer Festival and Junkanoo Summer Festival that will feature local cuisine, artisans and entertainers. She also spoke about one of The Bahamas’ signature programmes, ‘People to People’, which pairs visitors with local Bahamians who share a common interest or background.

Carmel Churchill, of the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board (GBITB), told guests about 40 activities visitors can enjoy, including kayaking, horseback riding, dolphin encounters, snorkeling, diving, fishing, eco adventures, or simply enjoying one of the many beaches on the Island.

Other Freeport vendors taking part in the show were Anthanea Russell, representing Forbes Charter ground transportation; Woodrow Wilson, Bahamasair; Katie Loughlin, Silver Airways; Catherine Cruz, Balearia Caribbean; and Julian Guzman, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line.

Also present were Juan Romero from the Grand Lucayan; Donna Mackey, Viva Fortuna All-Inclusive Resort; Anna Lockhart-Tannenbaum, Taino Beach Resort; Magnus Alnebeck, Pelican Bay Resort; and Shylocke and Duyla Edwards, S and D Coach Tours.

Attendees were given information on travel agent incentive programmes; industry partners’ special offers; familiarisation trips and resources for agents including webinars; and a monthly travel agent newsletter and special pages on the Bahamas tourism website, bahamas.com. The team also took time to acknowledge graduates - and enrollees - of the Bahamas Specialist Program.

Mrs Churchill said: “The event represented the grandeur of Freeport and all that it has to offer.... Guests in attendance got a good taste of what the destination has to offer, and we certainly gave them something to look forward to or to share with others to encourage them to visit our destination.

“The Royal Bahamas Police Pop Band, Grand Bahama district, did an outstanding job with bringing the sounds of our Island and the menu, which included blackened grouper, depicted the flavours of Grand Bahama.”

She praised the Bahamas Tourist Office marketing team for putting on the event, adding: “It was done tastefully, at a high-end venue, and every detail was at a high-quality level.

“Thanks to this event, we in Freeport will be looking forward to welcoming travel professionals and their clients, bloggers, influencers and the like to our destination very soon so that they will really see, touch, taste and feel all of what they got a peek of, but so much more.”

Besides Mrs Bethel-Moss, the marketing team included district manager, Tina Lee; senior marketing representatives, Adrian Kemp and Phylia Shivers; and inside sales co-ordinator, Elke Pettiford.

The team’s efforts in promoting Freeport will also include an event at the premier Boca Raton venue, the Addison, and a presentation in Orlando.