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.
Membership in the Board is open to all hotels in the Out Islands (a.k.a. Family Islands) that have been licensed by the Bahamas Hotel Licensing Board, and that contribute to the marketing effort through payment of the annual Board membership fee.
The Bahama Out Island Promotion Board Member Benefits
Mission Statement:
To increase tourism for our members and spur economic growth for the Out Islands, while enhancing and protecting their ecological beauty.
Goals of the Bahama Out Islands Promotion Board:
1. To assist our members in achieving increased Room Nights Sold, Room Revenue, and Hotel Occupancy, while at the same time helping our members to deliver an A+ customer experience;
2. To assist our members in reducing their operating costs, and thus helping them to realize a greater return on investment; and
3. To increase the number of satisfied, quality Board members, which in turn would generate more Resort Levy contributions that would then be used to fund more effective/productive marketing initiatives. (Our long-term vision is to see each island form their own island “Promotion Board” and use an approved amount of their collective Resort Levies to finance, for example, specific product improvements/customer experiences, improved airlift and promotional initiatives, etc.)
Membership Benefits:
1. Identifying Target Markets: As a hotel Board member, you have personal access – on a 24/7 basis – to month-by-month Bahamas Immigration Card tourism statistics for your hotel on a self-service web-based platform. This information includes – but is not limited to – Past Guests’ Residential Zip Codes, DMAs, States/Provinces or Country, Mode of Arrival (Airline & Flight #), Trip Purpose (Wedding, Honeymoon, Vacation, Casino, Business, Other), Trip Reason (Beach/Pool/Relax, Honeymoon, Wedding, Bone/Fly Fishing, Game/Deep Sea Fishing, Sailing/Cruising, Private Flying, Golfing, Diving, Casino, Conference/Convention, Bird Watching, etc.), Household Income or Disposable Income and Satisfaction -vs- Expectation Ratings.
2. Product Development: The product element is concerned with developing the right product for your hotel’s target market. In our business, the product includes our islands, transportation, accommodations, food, entertainment, service, souvenirs, etc. BOIPB initiatives include:
- Improving regular schedule airlift to each island;
- Customized “on-property” educational/training initiatives; and
- Employer/Employee Relations Assistance (Building A Productive Workplace Environment).
3. Place (also called “Distribution”): No longer are consumers relying on travel agents to sell them a Bahamas vacation or you answering your toll-free telephone number between 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST; sales distribution is now a “24/7” game, and if consumers can’t buy your product directly from you, then they will via an online travel agency or, even worse, they will choose another hotel. And, while you should embrace the OTAs as valuable partners, especially for your “first time” visitors, allowing repeat visitors to “book direct” enables you to reduce your customer acquisition cost. So in addition to including the right third-party distribution channels for your hotel, 'Place' also includes your hotel’s website, your hotel’s toll-free reservations number, www.Bahamas.com, the Ministry’s (800) BAHAMAS number, and the Board’s www.MyOutIslands.com website. The BOIPB’s 'Place' benefits address the opportunities presented by each channel, and include:
- Providing a solution (Hotel Traffic Builders) and financial support for member hotels in good standing that need updated websites. This “solution” includes:
- Providing a cost-effective “hotel direct” online booking solution (BahamaGo.com) for those member hotels that require one, with a focus on “Hotel Only” and “Air-Inclusive Vacation Packages” (that would also allow consumers to instantly redeem the different consumer promotional offers like the $250 Air/Cruise/Ferry Credit or Two Fly/Cruise Free From Nassau offers where possible).
- Working with channel managers (BahamaGo and Hospitality Marketing & Management Solutions), on behalf of member hotels that require assistance with inventory management and assistance in expanding their online sales distribution channels.
- Providing a cost-effective telephone answering and reservations solution, that extends beyond the hours of just 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST, Monday – Friday, for those member hotels that require this service, thus allowing you to focus on taking care of your in-house guests.
- Adding your hotel to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism’s www.Bahamas.com website and Bahamas Reservations Call Center (800-BAHAMAS) product line, this allows their reservations agents to convert “lookers” to “bookers.” NOTE: The product sold on www.Bahamas.com and at (800) BAHAMAS is “private labeled” by BahamaGo.com, so in order to use these distribution options, you must have a contract with BahamaGo.com
4. Price: In order to help reduce the cost of getting to the Out Islands from the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and Europe, the Bahama Out Islands Promotion Board funds seasonal and year-round $250 Air/Cruise/Ferry Credit and Two Fly/Cruise Free From Nassau offers. The attempt here is to equate our “proximity” to the U.S. with “affordability” and to make the cost of getting to the Out Islands the exact same cost as it is to fly to Nassau.
Some of our other promotions, funded by the Board, and again aimed – for the most part – at helping to reduce the cost of travel to the Out Islands, include:
- Our Private Pilots “Fly Almost Fee Free” $300 and $150 “Island Hopping” Fuel Credit Offers;
- Our $300 Boating Fuel Credit Offer;
- Our Fishing Tournament $300 Fuel Credit Offer;
- Our Two Fly/Cruise Free From Nassau "Bahamas Residents Offer";
- Our Florida/Bahamas $250 Air/Cruise/Ferry Credit Offer, aimed at Europeans visiting South Florida for a vacation; and
- Our Island Hopping Offer.
5. Promotions (commonly called Marketing): This is the communication of product information between seller and buyer in an attempt to change attitudes and behavior. Promotion includes advertising, public relations, and personal selling.
- Advertising - The overarching goal of our advertising is to assist member hotels in driving revenue by providing qualified visitor traffic to their websites. Additionally, the BOIPB’s advertising campaign is designed to take advantage of the “inspirational” and “heavy lifting” advertising efforts of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. Past initiatives have included, but have not been limited to, the following year-round and seasonal campaigns:
- Prominent hotel listings of all member hotels on www.MyOutIslands.com, with direct links to the member hotels’ websites;
- A year-round key search word and display campaign that drives consumer traffic to specific island pages (based on the attributes and activities of the different islands), our national offers pages, and member hotels’ listings on our website;
- A digital ad campaign on sites that meet our targeted demographic and psychographic profiles (includes vertical markets sites as well) and intention based programmatic advertising for consumers shopping for a Caribbean vacation;
- A hotel “digital co-op” program – created specifically to drive traffic to our members’ websites.
- Blogging Initiatives - The "Island Time" blog was introduced on MyOutIslands.com in 2017. The purpose: To create authentic and inspiring travel content/stories for each island.
- Public Relations - Hotel members get the opportunity, in partnership with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and the Bahama Out Islands Promotion Board, to co-host themed group press trips and independent visiting journalists press trips, resulting in valuable editorial coverage/publicity for your hotel.
- Sales
- Participation in major “buyer meets supplier” type trade shows/conferences;
- Exposure/participation in major consumer shows; and
- Hotel members get the opportunity to host Promotion Board and Bahamas Tourist Office co-sponsored events that are taking place on-island, e.g., familiarization trips, fly-ins, press trips, boating flings, etc.
6. Lobbying/Advocacy Initiatives: In conjunction with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association, the Nassau/Paradise Island Promotion Board, and the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board, our priority is given to – but not limited to – the following: Airlift/Airports; Reliable and Affordable Utilities; Hotel and Second-Homes Licensing and Levies; Law Enforcement/Crime Prevention; Vertical/Niche Markets Legislation; and Labour Laws.
7. Networking Opportunities: The opportunity to share ideas and “brainstorm” with senior Bahamas Ministry of Tourism executives, fellow Out Island hoteliers and Allied Members, other Bahamas tourism industry partners/stakeholders, and Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association executives.
Hotel Membership Costs & Responsibilities:
Membership in the Bahama Out Islands Promotion Board is open to all hotels in the Out Islands (a.k.a. Family Islands) that have been licensed by the Bahamas Hotel Licensing Board. The hotel’s out-of-pocket cost is $150 + applicable V.A.T/year (annual dues). In addition, all active Board member hotels are required to charge a 6% Resort Levy (plus applicable V.A.T.) to the cost of each room night. This Resort Levy, collected from the guests, should be forwarded to the Board’s office on a monthly basis, i.e., Online Levy Reports are to be completed monthly, and emailed to the Board’s office (Attn: Ashnell Missick; Ashnell@boipb.com) no later than the 15th of the following month.
For more membership information, contact Mr. Kerry Fountain, Executive Director, Bahama Out Islands Promotion Board, at the following address:
#16 Market Street North
P.O. Box CB-10965
Nassau, Bahamas
Tel: (242) 322-1140
Fax: (242) 322-1120
E-Mail: executivedirector@boipb.com