TourismToday

A Today Show blitz of The Bahamas over two days gave approximately 3 million Americans per day a close look at the many islands and vacation experiences the country offers. Continue Reading

Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb Hosts of the Fourth Hour of TODAY Broadcast from The Bahamas Thursday and Friday, Feb. 9 and 10 Continue Reading

Sixteen couples from around the UK are enjoying the very best start to 2012 knowing that their dreams are about to become reality. Each couple has won their own special wedding ceremony on one of 16 different Islands of The Bahamas and all will marry simultaneously on 16th May 2012, at 16:00 hrs.  Continue Reading

The Bahamas Hotel Association (BHA) yesterday signed an agreement with the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) to launch training and certification programmes which, according to BHA executive vice-president Frank Comito, is a move towards strengthening the hotel sector labour force. Continue Reading

Atlanta students will learn more about protecting the natural environment while on a week-long excursion to The Bahamas – the country with the clearest waters on Earth.

Ten students from Atlanta will travel to Nassau on July 16 to take part in the 2011 Frank Ski Kid’s Foundation Planet Green Marine Biology Science Excursion. The ten finalists were chosen after competing in the foundation’s essay competition entitled “Massive Oil Spills, Nuclear Contamination, Pollution, Over Fishing & Climate Change are killing Our Oceans. What are the long term effects on humanity if our Oceans are not protected?” Continue Reading

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Staff of the Bahamas Film and Television Commission recently embarked on another mission to secure film and television productions for the Bahamas, attending the 2011 Produced By Market and Conference (PBC) on Los Angeles.

PBC, held in conjunction with the Producers Guild of America ( PGA) and the Association of Film Commissioners International ( AFCI), was hosted by Walt Disney Studios and the ABC Entertainment Group at Buena Vista’s Lot A. Continue Reading

Internet posts from space appear to back up Bahamian officials’ claims to having the most beautiful waters on Earth.

NASA Astronaut Ron Garan, currently on a six-month space mission with Russians Andrey Borisenko and Alexander Samokutyaev, has kept his Twitter site filled with pictures of Earth from space. On several occasions, the subject of his photos has been The Islands of The Bahamas. Continue Reading

Courtesy of The Tribune

When it comes to worldwide fly-fishing destinations, Fly Fisherman editor Ross Purnell has his pick of the litter. From salmon fishing in Alaska to striped bass fishing on Cape Cod to trout fishing in South America, his invitations are as frequent as a cup of coffee in the morning.

When Mr Purnell jumped at the opportunity to visit the East End of Grand Bahamas’ legendary Deep Water Cay the island’s management, staff and guides were hugely excited.
To a fly fisherman who loves to catch bonefish, Deep Water Cay is something of a Holy Grail. Continue Reading

Bahamian Sports Tourism representatives pitched a large number of sporting venues and developing sports facilities to sports events organizers on their recent mission to the 2011 Sports Events Congress in Ottawa, Ontario Canada.

The Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance (CSTA) hosted the annual congress, which brings the organizers of national and international events together with destination representatives, who are able to showcase their various venues and sporting disciplines. The Bahamas was represented by staff members of the Ministry of Tourism’s Sports Tourism Unit, who had compiled a brochure that gave a comprehensive look at sporting facilities and other resources that would be helpful to event organizers travelling to the Bahamas. Continue Reading

The Ministry of Tourism & Aviation partnered with Upscale magazine to hosted a private, VIP reception on April 28 designed to showcase the look feel and investment opportunities of the Bahamas in the city of Atlanta.

The invitation-only event was held at Tyler Perry Studios, which was transformed into a Bahamian oasis for the evening. The “Bahamas in Atlanta” guest list included international dignitaries, local elected officials, business leaders, potential investors and A-list celebrities from the worlds of music, film, television and sports. About 650 persons attended. Continue Reading

Bahamian actress Jeanene Fox has landed a role in another Italian mini-series.

Ms. Fox is in the midst of building a stellar acting career in Europe. Her casting as an investigative reporter in the mini-series, The Bodyguard, marks the second notable role she has earned in Italy. She also appeared recently in the Italian feature comedy, AmeriQua. Continue Reading

Waves of the Bahamas made a splash in Canada as dividends from the Government’s recent Trade and Investment Promotion Mission pays off in the media.

Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham led a delegation of Parliamentarians that included Minister of Tourism & Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, Attorney General John Delaney and Minister of State for Finance Zhivargo Laing. Other officials in attendance were from the Office of the Prime Minister/Bahamas Investment Authority, Ministry of Tourism & Aviation, Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD), Bahamas Maritime Authority, Bahamas Financial Services Board, Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board, Out Island Promotion Board, Bahamas Real Estate Association, Grand Bahama Port Authority and Bahamas Oil Refining Company (BORCO). Continue Reading

Courtesy of The Nassau Guardian

Efforts of Caribbean tourism heads and other international travel operators are bearing first fruit, as the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced yesterday that there will be no increase in the Air Passenger Duty?(APD) until April 2012. Continue Reading

A feature film is set to add to the notoriety of a famous Eleuthera landmark.

Film producers will take the name of the Glass Window Bridge around the world after adopting the name of the bridge as the title of their latest film. The film was originally entitled The Troubador when it was shot on location in Eleuthera in 2009. However, the principals of Hanna Rose Productions were so captivated by the scenery of the Eleuthera landmark that they decided to name the film, The Glass Window. Continue Reading

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Several students of The Ohio State University got a People-to-People experience recently as the College of the Bahamas (COB) and Ministry of Tourism & Aviation teamed up to host them during a brief trip to Nassau. Continue Reading

Director General of Tourism David Johnson touted the Bahamas’ recent film success, including an award for the Ministry, as the Seventh Annual Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) featured more than five dozen films from December 1 to 5. Continue Reading

Khalia Carneigie, an 11th grade student of St. George’s High School, Freeport, Grand Bahama, has emerged as the winner of a video contest sponsored by the Aviation Department of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. As winner of the contest Khalia will represent The Islands of The Bahamas at the upcoming AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) Summit Show and Convention, Long Beach, California, November 10-13. Continue Reading

Tourism/Hot FM Promotion Continues with Family Reunion being hosted in Nassau, Bahamas

It has been recorded that in 1896 when Miami, FL was chartered as a city, more than 40 (forty) percent of the black population was Bahamian. Against the backdrop of this recorded history of Bahamian migration to Florida, the Communications Department of The Bahamas Tourist Office, in 2009 launched a “Come Home to Your Family,” promotion with Hot 105 FM Radio, Hollywood, Florida.

The winner of the four-month long promotion, Andre McDonald, won ten tickets to take her family to The Bahamas and as a result will travel to Nassau, October 28-31, for a Family Reunion. Continue Reading

AmeriQua is a fresh feature comedy, written and starred in by Bobby Kennedy III, it transport the sweet debauchery of the classic American college-movie to the Renaissance jewel of Bologna, Italy. Drawing on the wild characters and strange situations Bobby encountered while studying in 2005. AmeriQua is the story of a lazy recent graduate, Charlie (Bobby Kennedy), whose rich parents cut him off with a $5,000 check and an ultimatum to start a new life of independence and responsibility. The cast also includes: Ernesto Mahieux, Giancarlo Giannini, Alec Baldwin, Eva Murri, Jeanene Fox, Enrico Silvestrin and Bobby Kennedy III. Jeanene plays the part of Jenny from America she is tall, gorgeous, in her early 20′s and works at the Embassy in Rome.

The Bahamian short movie, Fresh, is set to screen at the world’s largest Christian film festival in October.

Fresh, the short movie that was filmed entirely in Nassau in 2009 with an all-Bahamian cast, was accepted as a semifinalist at the 2010 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (SAICFF). The festival, scheduled for October 28 – 30 in San Antonio, Texas, is known for offering the largest single cash prize on the US festival circuit. The film that is chosen as “Best of Festival” will be awarded a $101,000 cash prize. Continue Reading

Bahamian journalist Inderia Saunders was among a group of journalists honoured at the 19th Caribbean Media Exchange CMEx on Sustainable Tourism.
CMEx ended on a high note in Jamaica’s capital city, Kingston, on Sunday, October 3 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel with Bermuda’s Premier Dr. Ewart Brown receiving the 2010 World Leadership Award and Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett accepting the 2010 Exemplar Award. The closing dinner also saw a number of journalists being recognized for their excellent coverage of tourism throughout the region. Continue Reading

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Popular international magazines are set to publish articles on “Celebrity-Endorsed” vacations to Nassau/Paradise Island.

Five journalists representing OK! Weekly, ForbesLife, Destination Weddings & Honeymoons, Alo Magazine and Paper Magazine recently made a trip to Nassau/Paradise Island to experience the destination’s celebrity hot spots. Their intent was to describe for thousands of readers how they could have their very own VIP vacation in The Bahamas, similar to the jet-setting trips of celebrities who frequently visit The Bahamas’ tourism mecca. Continue Reading

The revolutionary 14 Islands Film Challenge media campaign has captured a coveted award from the top online travel media, Travolution.

The Bahamas Tourist Office UK won the prestigious award for the Best Use of Social Media.  The announcement follows a period when visits to the Bahamas’ UK website increased by a significant 50% since videos from the agency’s 14 Islands Film Challenge were shown on the site beginning in March this year. Continue Reading

The Bahamas Film and Television Commission in association with Film Florida participated in Film Week in New York City September 20-24 as part of the Independent Film Producers Show. IFP offers through its seminars, workshops, conferences labs and mentorship programs a forum to assist and develop new talent within the film industry; with a network of over ten thousand, ( 10,000) filmmakers from around the world. Continue Reading

Click here to vote and show your support for Miss Teen Bahamas as she is competing at Miss Princess of the World!

The Islands of The Bahamas have maximized its exposure at Expo Shanghai through an online travel competition that has already brought a winner and her guest to Bahamian shores.

While the Bahamas participates in Expo Shanghai, the six-month exhibition that builds awareness and international goodwill, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism has launched an online competition that has fed travel information to thousands of Chinese citizens. Internet users visit www.fengniao.com and www.bahamas.cn to learn about the Bahamas and enter to win a dream vacation of 7 days.
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Making it into the elite of the region’s culinary teams, the Bahamas was recognized as one of the top finalists in the region which competed at the Taste of the Caribbean Culinary Classics held at the Rio Mar Wyndham Grand Resort in Puerto Rico.

The team walked away with a gold medal, yielding only to Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, which edged them out for the top awards. Members of the team came away with individual medals, capturing six awards. Continue Reading

Recently representatives of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Inc, headed by Bishop Eddie Long, paid a courtesy call on Minister of Tourism and Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace as the church considers holding large-scale conferences in The Islands Of The Bahamas. Continue Reading

Alison Brie: “You know Peter. He’d rather spend every waking second right here in the city.”

Vincent Kartheiser: “Who would want to miss Christmas in New York? Fifth Avenue?”

Alison Brie: “Chestnuts roasting on a greasy man’s open street cart? My goodness! We’re going to The Bahamas and there’s nothing else to it.”

Continue Reading

The Islands of The Bahamas were featured on July 31 in a one hour television programme on South Korea’s largest television network, KBS. Shooting was completed by Sunglan Lee, director/producer who spent 12 days in July on location in Nassau capturing the unique Bahamian culture to broadcast in his country.
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The Bahamas continues to get greater international exposure from the Bahamian-produced film, Rain, which has secured distribution with major United States retailers, including Walmart and Target.

Maria Govan, the movie’s director, recently presented Tourism Director General Vernice Walkine with a copy of the DVD. Ms. Govan also updated Ms. Walkine on the DVD sales, which are on a robust trend.

“We’re in 740 Walmarts, almost 300 Targets,” said Ms. Govan. “It’s at Blockbuster. It’s on Netflix. It’s in a lot of boutique little stores. It’s really everywhere.” Continue Reading

Nassau, Bahamas: Mode Iles Ltd., organizers of the award-winning “Islands of the World Fashion Week”, announces the second city of it’s Islands of the World Fashion Tour: Chicago. With the success of the tour that commenced at the El Paseo Fashion Week in Palm Springs, California, in March of this year, President of Mode Iles, Owen Bethel is thrilled to once again showcase talent from island nations to the key populace of the fashion world. The show will take place on August 10th, 2010 at the exquisite Loft on Lake in the famous West Loop of Chicago. Continue Reading

By Mandy Miles – Citizen Staff

How does one apologize to an entire nation? I suppose I could take a few lessons from British Petroleum these days, but without their gigantic advertising budget, this column space will have to suffice for my changed opinion of the Bahamas. Continue Reading

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NASSAU, The Bahamas – June 14, 2010 – The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation was busy in New York City last week promoting awareness of the country and participating in the Caribbean Week celebrations which took place June 7th – 11th. The Bahamas had a strong presence at all Caribbean Tourism Organization sponsored meetings and events including an audience participation segment at the CBS Early Show, Media Marketplace, individual briefings with top editors, workshops and meetings with regional leaders. Representatives from the Ministry also participated in the 37th Annual Governments of the Caribbean State Ball, and the Caribbean Week Media Awards Luncheon where The Bahamas won “Best Feature Broadcast” for the 2009 episodes of SCRUBS that were filmed in The Bahamas.
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Charmettes Inc., a women’s service group based in the United States, did more than vacation in The Bahamas when they visited Nassau for their 55th Annual Convention. The women also called on TG Glover Primary School and donated a deep fryer to the school to help prepare meals for children.

“We will be able to prepare hot meals for our students, and sometimes we need to do just that,” said principal Cassandra Forbes. “So we are grateful and we applaud the work you are doing. We accept this gift with grateful hearts.”

Vanessa Clarke and Shauna Joseph: Giving A Taste of Bahamian Praise

There is going to be a big Bahamas praise party in Coconut Grove on Labour Day …and it’s not the Coconut Grove where St. Cecelia’s Catholic School, Palm Tree Supermarket and Kye’s are located.

No, not that one – not yet.

Marlin and Cacique Award winner Vanessa Clarke along with Shauna Joseph, who was a nominee of both awards several years ago, are taking this Bahamas Gospel Party to Coconut Grove, Florida for the big Bahamas Goombay Festival celebration on June 4th.

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The mysterious beauty of Inagua is set to be revealed in an upcoming issue of The Boston Globe.

Globe writer Patricia Borns spent four days on the island, the third largest of The Islands Of The Bahamas, to capture Inagua’s natural treasures. Inagua is famous for its scenic landscapes and abundant wildlife. It is home to world’s largest colony of breeding West Indian Flamingoes. In addition, it has a large population of wild donkeys, Bahama Parrots and a great number of other bird species. Continue Reading

Dr. Walter Parish, General Secretary of the 2.5 million membership Progressive National Baptist Convention, recently made a courtesy call with the Bahamas Minister of Tourism and Aviation, The Honorable Vincent Vanderpool Wallace and Tourism Director General, Vernice Walkine. Dr. Parish is currently in The Bahamas attending the 71st Bethel Baptist Association Convocation, May 14th-18th, under the leadership of Rev. Timothy Stuart. Continue Reading

Ministry of Tourism’s Digital Marketing Campaign Features Consumer Ambush Event, Hidden Camera Viral Video, Vacation Package and Sweepstakes

The Islands Of The Bahamas dominated Washington, D.C. April 9, taking the Bahama Fridays message to the overworked masses. A flock of swimsuit-clad models organized by the Ministry of Tourism & Aviation (MOTA) descended upon the U.S. capital to kickoff the next iteration of the highly successful digital marketing campaign called Bahama Fridays. Continue Reading

The Islands Of The Bahamas welcomed the Queen’s Baton in grand style as it makes its way through every Commonwealth nation on the way to the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India. Continue Reading

Click through to view a selection of media coverage for the Bahamas premiere of “Why Did I get Married Too?”
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This past weekend, several African American and general market media outlets went to The Islands Of The Bahamas for the international premiere of Tyler Perry’s new film, “Why Did I Get Married Too?,” at the Atlantis Theater.

Participating media outlets included Ebony, Jet, Rolling Out, Sister 2 Sister, AOL Blackvoices, Deco Drive, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, and syndicated columnist Sandra Varner.

Click through to view the samples.

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NASSAU, Bahamas, April 1, 2010 — On March 29, U.S. media descended on Nassau to cover the international premiere of director/producer Tyler Perry’s new film “Why Did I Get Married Too?,” which was filmed in The Islands Of The Bahamas and hits U.S. theatres on April 2.

U.S. journalists represented such media outlets as Ebony, Jet, Rolling Out, Sister 2 Sister, Deco Drive, “The Tom Joyner Morning Show,” and Blackvoices.com. Continue Reading

For the second year, Ohio State University’s Office of Minority Affairs has embarked on their annual Bahamas study abroad [alternative spring break] program on Grand Bahama Island. No, this is not a typical spring break trip. There are rules, and participants are expected to be fully cognitive for the trip’s duration. This trip is the ‘practical’ portion of 2-part course being worth 2 OSU credits by itself (3 including the pre-arrival ‘theory’ portion of the course.) Students will focus on cultural differences based on their respective topics which include health care, education, history, and agriculture among others.

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Film sensation Tyler Perry will offer a special premiere of his latest movie in The Islands Of The Bahamas, days before the US release on April 2.

Why Did I Get Married Too, which was filmed in part on Eleuthera, will be screened at the Atlantis Theatre on March 29, following a first-class reception that Mr. Perry will attend. He will be accompanied by three cast members, who will be identified later.

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From 15,000 entrants, two Bahamians have had their song move on to the finals of the International Songwriting Competition. They are Ricardo Forbes (Mr. Beeds) and Terneille Burrows (TaDa), the vocalist for our new It’s Better in the Bahamas jingle, The winners will be chosen through online voting. You can cast your vote here.

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Black Meetings Magazine features Anita Johnson-Patty’s (Florida) for her accomplishments. She is also scheduled to receive an award from the Travel in Color Professionals organization that will meet in Nassau this April.

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