Bahamas would welcome UK airlift to ‘new destinations’

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism has confirmed it would welcome the introduction of a non-stop flight between the UK and Grand Bahama, home to the islands’ second-largest city of Freeport.

British Airways offers a daily service from Heathrow to Nassau, while Virgin Atlantic operates a thrice-weekly link to the capital.

Yet the Bahamas would benefit from more airlift from the UK, according to Paul Strachan, executive director of global communications at the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, with the addition of a Grand Bahama route regarded as particularly attractive.

“We currently have non-stop flights from other gateways into Grand Bahama, so getting it out of London would be perfect,” Strachan said.

He added: “When we go to the airlines, our primary goal is to shore up what we have, but we’re also looking to get airlift to new destinations in the Bahamas from this particular market.”

He emphasised the diversity of the destination, pointing out this means “you can have multiple vacation experiences in the Bahamas”.

“We’re not a one-island destination like many of our competitors,” he said.

The UK trade has been performing well, he noted, but efforts are underway to drive visitor volumes upwards.

“We always want more visitors,” he said. “We have a team of five here in the UK – these are our boots on the ground and work very closely with the trade to keep the destination top of mind.”

The rewards programme introduced last month is viewed as “phenomenally successful”.

“It was launched on October 1 and we had 500 agents sign up in the first 30 days. It’s one of the key tools we’ll use to incentivise the trade,” Strachan said.

The destination’s ‘People to People’ programme – which pairs travellers with residents to create “authentic experiences” of local culture – is also gaining traction among UK visitors, according to the tourism ministry.

Strachan added: “We want to thank travel agents for their continued and ongoing support and we encourage them to keep selling and recommending the islands of the Bahamas.”