TORONTO — A webinar presented yesterday by The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation aimed to provide reassurance to trade partners about the safety of tourism in The Bahamas.

Latia Duncombe, Director General, for The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, hosted the live virtual event with members of The Bahamas team, including Mikala Moss, General Manager, Sales & Marketing, Canada & China for The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation / the Bahamas Tourist Office – Toronto.

Last month both the Canadian and U.S. governments posted new advice for visitors to The Bahamas. The Canadian government is cautioning Canadian travellers to exercise a high degree of caution when travelling in the Bahamas due to high rates of crime, especially in Freeport and Nassau.

The Canadian government’s Bahamas Travel Advice page can be found here. The Level 2 advice for U.S. travellers at travel.state.gov can be found here.

At that time The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation issued a response that said, in part, “The rating of The Bahamas has not changed; we remain a level 2 alongside most tourism destinations. The incidents described in the January 2024 US Embassy crime alert do not reflect general safety in The Bahamas, a country of 16 tourism destinations, and many more islands.”

The government’s crime reduction and prevention strategy focuses on five key pillars: prevention, detection, prosecution, punishment and rehabilitation. “Our law enforcement agencies are taking rigorous steps to maintain our well-earned reputation, including an enhanced police presence and additional police resources (including facial recognition CCTV surveillance technology) and training. We have a zero-tolerance policy for firearm possession and a dedicated Magistrate to handle firearm offences.”

“SAFETY IS AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING WE DO”

At yesterday’s webinar, Duncombe followed up on the government’s statement with a message of her own: “Safety is at the heart of everything we do. While isolated incidents do sometimes occur, they are never acceptable or tolerated. The safety of visitors to the Bahamas is always a top priority and our government is committed to providing a secure and enjoyable environment” for travellers, and residents.

Duncombe lives in The Bahamas with her family. “I work in the Bahamas, I live in the Bahamas,” she said. “Nothing has changed. Residents and visitors must be smart and aware of our surroundings, but that’s true whether you’re in the Bahamas or any other destination. Our day to day in the Bahamas has not changed. The hotels are still beautiful, Bay Street is still amazing, the cruise port is still there. We are waiting to invite and engage and share the destination with you.

The Bahamas welcomed some nine million visitors in 2023. Duncombe thanked the trade for their support then and now: “We are grateful to you, the community of travel agents, who reminded your clients that the Bahamas is a safe destination to visit. Our focus is ensuring that all of you, our important business partners, have the info you need. This is the Bahamas that I love, and that you love. And we need your help informing future travellers that the Bahamas is a safe destination.”

A new campaign, #BahamasComeSeeForYourself, invites would-be visitors to experience the Bahamas, and share what they find on social media.

As for travel agents looking to sell the Bahamas – or answer questions for clients – “contact us any time, night or day,” says Duncombe.

“Thank you for being here today, and for all that you’ve done over the years,” she said. “We look forward to breaking another record in 2024.”

For more information check out Bahamas.com. A special section for travel agents can be accessed by scrolling to the bottom of the homepage.