Buoyed by one of the Caribbean’s leading travel health systems, The Bahamas is seeing a broad tourism rebound. 

Indeed, tourism is rebounding every day in The Bahamas, Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said this week. 

Almost 300,000 visitors have received Bahamas Travel Health visas to enter the country in the first five months of 2021, according to D’Aguilar. 

Tourism industry stakeholders in The Bahamas told Caribbean Journal that the country’s recent decision to waive pre-testing requirements for vaccinated travelers was also a major move. 

“Everyone sees it,” D’Aguilar said. “The airports are getting busier. The marinas up and down The Bahamas have never been busier. The occupancy levels in the hotels are improving and, most importantly, the tens of thousands of Bahamians who were furloughed as a result of this pandemic are slowly being called back to work.”

It’s borne out in the numbers. 

A total of 294,000 visitors have received health visas, with a dramatically improving growth rate. 

In January, the country approved 22,000 visas; 30,000 in February; 64,000 in March; 68,000 in April and 110,000 in May. 

“The rate of increase in their return is phenomenal,” D’Aguilar said. “Tourism is bouncing back.”

And the recovery is not just in the country’s traditional tourism hub in Nassau. 

About 60 percent of visitors are traveling to Nassau, while 40 percent are visiting the Out Islands. 

“That confirms to me that the [Out Islands] are bouncing back faster than Nassau,” he said. 

Indeed, in 2019, pre-pandemic, the breakdown was 75 percent Nassau and 25 percent Out Islands. 

That’s been led by Eleuthera, mostly Harbour Island, which accounted for 27 percent of all visitors to the Out Islands, D’Aguilar said, followed by 20 percent going to Bimini and Cat Cay and 19 percent to Abaco. 

Another 17 percent went to Exuma. 

The Minister attributed that trend to the demand fro low-density, secluded vacations at smaller properties, the kinds which are a specialty in the Out Islands. 

“That is exactly what happened,” he said. 

For more, visit The Bahamas. 

— CJ

The post Tourism Is Rebounding in The Bahamas appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico

The world’s largest airline is planing another big expansion to the Caribbean, and it’s not from one of its traditional hubs like Dallas-Fort Worth or Miami. 

American Airlines has big international ambitions in Austin, Texas, with plans to launch new service to a host of Caribbean destinations. 

That includes new daily flights from Austin to San Juan, Puerto Rico, with flights beginning Oct. 7. 

On the same date, American will also kick off thrice-weekly service to Cancun, Mexico. 

And in November, Austin will launch new nonstop flights to destinations including Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and Nassau in The Bahamas. 

Both of those routes will operate four times each week, with service launching on Nov. 2. 

“Earlier this year we added more flights from Austin, and customers have spoken: they want more,” said Brian Znotins, American’s Vice President of Network Planning. “We’re eager to offer our customers even more opportunities to reconnect with family, friends and colleagues. Together with our partners, we’re making it easier than ever to connect Austin with the world.”

American is also adding service from Austin to a pair of hot destinations in Mexico: San Jose del Cabo, with thrice-weekly service launching Oct. 7, and Puerto Vallarta, with three weekly flights kicking off on Nov. 2. 

“For the past 40 years, American Airlines has connected Austin and Central Texas with the world,” said Steve Adler, Mayor of Austin. “We couldn’t be happier with the announcement of new and expanded service in AUS. We look forward to continuing our successful partnership with American for many more years to come.”

The announcement is an important sign, not just of the growth of Austin as a Caribbean tourism source market — but of the growing popularity of Caribbean travel amid the pandemic.

— CJ

The post American Airlines’ Next Big Caribbean Expansion appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

Powered by WPeMatico