The Bahamas’ brand is defined largely by Nassau / Paradise Island, which has accomplished a feat unmatched by any other Caribbean destination – increasing visitor arrivals and satisfaction as well as increasing room rates by more than $100 per night in a five-year span.
Minister of Tourism & Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace explained the accomplishment Monday to more than 300 influential public relations and marketing executives visiting Nassau.
The executives are all part of the Interpublic Group of Companies, a powerhouse conglomerate that includes esteemed companies such as GolinHarris, Rogers & Cowan and Webershandwick. Their clients include professional athletes, actors, automobile companies and record labels.
Minister Vanderpool-Wallace explained that in the late 80s and early 90s, the Bahamas had the reputation of being a low-end destination. However, a decision was made to upgrade to a more upscale product. As a result, the Bahamas became known as a destination of large, luxurious resorts. He said this is largely driven by Nassau/Paradise Island.
Although the Bahamas has a generally positive brand image, tourism officials now want to make the brand more diverse. This will incorporate other parts of the country in how the Bahamas is seen so that customers would know about several islands, Minister Vanderpool-Wallace said.
“We want to become a closer Caribbean as far as North America is concerned,” he said. “So you will never say ‘I’ve been to the Bahamas.’ You would say ‘I’ve been to Abaco. I’ve been to Andros. I’ve been to Eleuthera.’ That’s a long term development plan.”
Minister Vanderpool-Wallace described the Bahamas’ aspirations as being known as the Greek Islands of the Western Hemisphere.
“That is how we want to see ourselves understood and displayed as we go on and move away from this brand that is largely defined by large resorts and large hotels, albeit a good and positive reputation,” he said.
Apart from the recognition of the individual islands, Minister Vanderpool-Wallace pointed out that the Bahamas is known worldwide for its beautiful beaches. The branding specializing company, FutureBrand, which is also a part of the Interpublic Group, ranks the Bahamas third in the world for beaches.
Source: The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism
