Persons applying to participate in the Bahamahost Programme are required to submit a completed application form and pay a fee (which is non-refundable).

Public Service Drivers or potential drivers are required to provide a copy of their road traffic license and a passport size photo.

The programme is free of charge to civil servants and high school students, who are enrolled in a class designed for them. It is not free if they enroll in a class designed for another group (i.e. hotel employee, PSD etc).

The philosophy which underlies the Bahamahost Programme is founded on the importance of the ideals of personal fulfillment, national pride and the high professional standards in The Bahamas' hospitality industry:

GOAL:

Our goal is to lay the foundation for establishing service quality excellence by imparting relevant information and knowledge.

AIMS:

(1) To create self-awareness and foster positive attitudes among those individuals engaged in the hospitality industry;

(2) To increase self-confidence by providing participants with accurate information and general knowledge on points of interest and events in New Providence, Grand Bahama, and the Family Islands;

The BahamaHost program is a certified course designed to establish a culture of service excellence and professionalism which results in delightful guest experiences, repeat business, and global recognition. This program is a training initiative designed to improve the efficiency of organizations and service professionals in the tourism sector.

The Bahamas Hotel Association marked its 50th anniversary in 2002.

Registered under the Companies Act as a private non-profit organization, the Bahamas Hotel Association (BHA) is the official organization and national voice of the hotel industry in The Bahamas and for its allied membership of companies engaged in the hospitality industry.

The Bahama Out Island Promotion Board is principally responsible for the promotion of the Out Islands as primary tourism destinations and conducts marketing initiatives on behalf of its private sector members.

Marketing campaigns are executed through various media, including generic television and radio commercials, print collaterals, advertisements in consumer and trade publications (magazines, newspapers, etc.) onshore promotions, events, press and trade familiarization trips. The Board also facilitates cooperative branded tourism marketing efforts with the Bahamas government.

The Organization was born as the Grand Bahama Tourism and Convention Board in 1965, and was renamed Grand Bahama Island Promotion Board in 1984. The name “Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board” evolved from a marriage of the Grand Bahama Promotion Board and the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism’s Freeport Office in 1994. After the dissolution of that partnership in November 2002, the Promotion Board was re-incorporated as the Tourism Board.

Mission Statement:

To create a marketing environment which enables member properties to sell themselves.

Goals of the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board:

1. To assist our members in achieving higher hotel occupancies/increased room revenues;
2. To increase the number of satisfied, quality Board members, which in turn would generate more resort levy contributions which can be used to fund more effective and productive marketing

African Americans represent the largest minority group in the United States. Research has shown that African Americans spend a considerably amount of their discretionary income on travel, and respond best to marketing programs that are tailored specifically to them.

While there is limited research on African American travel patterns, this review suggest that organizations such as The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism would have a competitive advantage in targeting this growing lucrative segment.