Bahamas Responds to US Travel Advisory

Image: Ships at the Nassau, Bahamas cruise port. (photo by Brian Major)

by Brian Major
Last updated: 11:40 AM ET, Mon February 5, 2024

The Bahamas’ record-breaking tourism run over the past year was clouded over by a January 26 U.S. State Department Level 2 advisory recommending travelers exercise increased caution in archipelago “due to crime.”

The advisory came as the destination celebrated record visitor arrivals across 2023. By September of 2023, the country’s visitor arrivals were 30 percent ahead of 2019, the year the Bahamas recorded its highest-ever visitor arrivals.

We spoke this week with Chester Cooper, the Bahamas’ minister of tourism, investments and aviation, to discuss the advisory’s relevance and the Bahamas’ tourism picture.

TP: What is your response to the recent U.S. State Department advisory?

CC: We take the advisory seriously, so let me say first and foremost I think it's important for the world to understand that the Bahamas has been a level two on this advisory for quite some time and there has been no escalation. Unfortunately, this [advisory] has gotten some international attention.

I don't think it's generally unfair to advise visitors to exercise precaution when they travel. Let me say the safety and well-being of all of our nine million annual visitors is a priority for our government and we are very confident that will continue, and we will welcome many tourists in large numbers and they will continue to experience the warmth the hospitality of the Bahamas.

TP: Is the Bahamas government taking any steps in response to the advisory?

CC: “We believe that this is a temporary wave that we are seeing. Most of the incidents we have experienced are in inner-city areas and are mainly gang-related. We are confident that we have a comprehensive plan to address issues that may have been cited in in that advisory, but certainly we're moving forward to continue to build our brand and our product to create amazing experiences for our guests so that they feel the warm and hospitable nature of our people.

TP: What is the atmosphere in Bahamian spaces frequented by travelers?

CC: There's still a very buzzing environment. As you may know, we have a new major cruise port downtown where we've invested $300 million. It's a fantastic product offering [with] an array of attractions, museums and Bahamian eateries. It is really a hive of activity. Bay Street is equally vibrant and warm and friendly peaceful.

So what you will find on Paradise Island, on Bay Street or Cable Bean or any of the other 15 island destinations in the Bahamas right would be business as usual people with people enjoying themselves going about their normal way of life. We want the world to know we continue to have a safe and enjoyable environment where [visitors] can have a great time with t their loved ones, their partners and their families.

TP: How did the Bahamas fare in terms of visitor arrivals for 2023?

CC: We're going to exceed nine million visitors when the count is completed for 2023, and we expect perhaps a 14 to 15 percent growth in the overall number for 2024. We have very strong forward bookings through the end of June and we're expecting that this trend is going to continue.

Bahamas tourism minister Chester Cooper.

TP: What percentage of The Bahamas’ visitors are traveling from the U.S.?

CC: We're tracking almost 80 percent of our guests from the U.S. ?We are blessed with proximity to Florida, [the Bahamas] is 50 miles off the coast of Florida. So I don't think it's any coincidence that most of our guests come from the U.S. It's quick and seamless; you can get from New York to Nassau in two hours and you can get here from Dallas in about the same, just over two hours. So most of our guests are coming from Florida, New York, Texas and really all across U.S. states. People continue to be excited about the prospects of coming to the Bahamas.

TP: As the Caribbean’s most popular cruise port, has the Bahamas’ cruise arrivals returned to 2019 levels?

CC: We are exceeding all pre-pandemic levels across the board in all of our destinations by air and by sea. We are about 40 percent higher on cruise passengers at the Nassau cruise port, certainly the newest and finest port in the Caribbean. We now have the capacity to accommodate more ships; we recently welcomed the Icon of the Seas, the newest and largest ship. Our reviews are very strong and guests are returning again and again. Many of those who arrive by cruise are wanting more of the islands of the Bahamas and are returning by air. We are working on a conversion strategy to cause this number to increase even further.

TP: What developments have occurred in terms of hospitality in Nassau?

CC: The Nassau British Colonial, which was previously a Hilton, has reopened. It's a very iconic hotel going hundreds of years they have reopened beautifully, with more than 300 renovated rooms and more than 18,000 feet of meeting space, plus beautiful restaurants and bars and pools and a beach at the back.

We're doing significant work as we speak on the revitalization of downtown and the Nassau British Colonial is good catalyst to drive that renaissance. ?We’re creating more green spaces, more food markets [and] we're working with the stakeholders to refresh their storefronts. We're opening new incubation centers to sponsor new creative experiences, and we have some new entertainment facilities coming as well.

We're excited about the prospects and the government is committed to bringing back that old world charm to match with the modern Nassau cruise port facility.

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.