NASSAU, The Bahamas -- The modernization of the tourism plant and infrastructure to support increased and more comfortable visitor access to the country’s various tourism destinations is among the key strategic priorities of the Ministry of Tourism going forward.

Other key strategic priorities are geared towards sustainable and enhanced product development initiatives; a more efficient destination management for an improved visitor experience; partner-driven marketing initiatives for effective promotion of our tourism destinations; regulatory reform, policy development and 2030 Agenda Implementation; and capacity-building in management and technology to support the Ministry of Tourism’s goals and growth in entrepreneurship

Minister of Tourism and Aviation, the Hon. Dionisio D’Aguilar, said the country’s tourism plant is undergoing an “exceptional physical makeover” which, complemented by unprecedented international media spotlight, has resulted in significant consumer interest and bookings to The Bahamas.

“In terms of tourism product, new and/or continued investments in Baha Mar, the Pointe, Wynn in Nassau and Paradise Island, and new builds of high-end boutique hotels, marina-based and eco-friendly resorts throughout the Family Islands -- and there are numerous of these projects, too many in fact to list -- is transforming the touristic landscape of The Bahamas and raising the profile of the islands in the minds of consumers.

“But more importantly, what this is doing is creating for Bahamians more entrepreneurial opportunities and a more sustainable plant and support-system for long-term growth of the industry.”

Mr. D’Aguilar said in the coming fiscal year, the Ministry of Tourism will continue its objective of improving the competitiveness of the tourism industry and laying the foundation for more sustainable livelihoods for Bahamians.

Minister D’Aguilar said plans are well underway for further revitalization of the City of Nassau with initiatives that will see Bahamian ownership in a new, state-of-the-art cruise port at the Port of Nassau.

The Caribbean continues to dominate the global share of market in cruising, and The Bahamas is leading the way. Minister D’Aguilar said cruise ship passengers comprise 20,000 visits a day to The Bahamas.

 “I am very excited by this new project. The cruise port of Nassau is in desperate need of an upgrade as it consistently ranks in the bottom ten ports in terms of customer satisfaction in the Caribbean. And when you go on these new cruise ships, where customers can do so much -- whether it be outdoor activities or a multiplicity of food and beverage and retail and nightlife options -- in a clean, harassment free, wonderfully choreographed and completely safe environment, you come off those boats sick to your stomach with concern, worrying that we have so much to do to improve the overall experience of cruise passengers that come into Nassau to entice them off the boats.

“And then you add in something like Royal Caribbean’s recently re-launched Coco Cay or MSC’s soon to be opened Ocean Cay, or any of the private islands for that matter, where the experience is as close to perfect as you can imagine, it worries me why would anyone want to come to Nassau or Freeport, our two main population centers, the destinations where these cruise passengers can have the most impact on our people, unless we do something now to upgrade and improve those ports and the overall customer experience.”

Mr. D’Aguilar said the investments by the cruise companies are evidence of increased confidence in The Bahamas. He said the country’s challenge now is to make all these investments work to improve opportunities for Bahamians.