The Bahamas Sustains Strong Tourism Growth Through July 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Bahamas Sustains Strong Tourism Growth Through July 2026

Record January through July stopover results, including record June and July performance, reflect continued growth across key markets and islands

NASSAU, The Bahamas (September 11th, 2026) – The Bahamas recorded its strongest January through July stopover performance on record, welcoming 1,314,639 stopovers in the first seven months of 2026.

The results extend the destination's upward trajectory following consecutive years of tourism growth. New monthly records in March, April, June and July strengthened demand from key international markets, while continued gains in select islands reflect steady growth across the archipelago.

The latest figures show a tourism sector that continues to grow and diversify. While Nassau and Paradise Island continue to anchor the country's visitor volume, gains in major international markets and steady performance in several destinations reflect broader participation in the sector's growth.

March and April 2026 each set new all-time monthly records for stopover arrivals. March welcomed 228,693 stopovers, an increase of 6.3 percent over March 2025 and approximately 3.6 percent above the previous March record, set in 2019. April followed, welcoming 190,013 stopover arrivals, setting a new April record. Together, the two months delivered 418,706 stopover arrivals, a 4.0 percent increase over the same period in 2025.

The Bahamas' strong performance continued into the summer, with both June 2026 and July 2026 recording the highest stopover arrivals ever recorded for those respective months. The continued record-setting performance demonstrates sustained demand for the destination beyond the traditional peak spring travel period and reinforces the strength of the country's tourism momentum through the first seven months of the year.

The Bahamas continues to outperform prior-year stopover levels across key performance indicators. January through July 2026 stopover arrivals exceeded the same period in 2025 by over 54,000 stopovers, or 4.3 percent. These results reflect continued demand for the destination's highest-value stopover segment, whose spending supports businesses, jobs and economic activity throughout the country.

The growth in stopover arrivals reflects the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism's continued focus on strengthening demand across key markets and driving greater visibility for the destination. In particular, the Ministry has intensified targeted marketing and trade engagement in high-growth markets such as Canada and Latin America, while supporting airlift development and promoting experiences across the wider archipelago. These efforts have helped maintain demand for The Bahamas and encourage visitors to explore beyond the traditional tourism gateways.

Stopover demand continued to diversify across The Bahamas' key international markets. Canada was one of the strongest performers year to date, with stopover arrivals up 15.4 percent over the same period in 2025. Latin America posted year-to-date growth of 16.4 percent, while Europe recorded gains of 4.0 percent. The United States, The Bahamas' largest source market, remained broadly stable year to date.

Nassau and Paradise Island remain the country's primary tourism gateway, with air arrivals up 6.4 percent year to date. Exuma also posted strong gains, with air arrivals up 18.6 percent. In Abaco, stopover arrivals held roughly steady year to date, even as the island's overall visitor numbers grew on the strength of expanding cruise activity, reflecting the island's continued recovery.

“The sustained growth we are seeing in our stopover business reflects the strength of The Bahamas as a tourism destination and the results of our efforts to promote strategic, lasting growth across our islands,” said the Hon. Glenys Hanna Martin, Minister of Tourism. “These results are about more than visitor numbers. They represent opportunities for Bahamian businesses and meaningful economic impact for our communities. Our focus remains on building on this momentum in a way that benefits people throughout our nation.”

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Media Contacts:

Rissie Demeritte

Director, Global Communications

rdemeritte@bahamas.com

Joshua Robins

Manager, Domestic Communications

jrobins@bahamas.com