The Bahamas meets with Black Planners at 37th annual National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals Virtual Conference
NASSAU, Bahamas – November 22, 2020, The Islands of The Bahamas was the only international destination represented and presenting at the recent National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP) Virtual Conference under the theme Focused and Empowered.
Executive Director of Product Quality and Support at the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation, Dr. Kenneth Romer, was a speaker on a town hall panel and took the opportunity to educate the 400 meeting planners and audience on the impact that COVID-19 has had on tourism in The Bahamas and the key recovery efforts that are being implemented. He also shared new development updates. The session was moderated by TV and Radio Host Greg Davis, and the other panelists included Lt. Governor Kate Marshall, Nevada and Rep. Harold Moses Love Jr. PHD, State Representative of Tennessee.
“I would like to thank Chairman Jason Dunn and the executives of the NCBMP for their invitation to be a part of this town hall meeting panel and for the opportunity to directly address a group of professionals whose partnership we, in The Bahamas, highly value and whose partnership is key to the sustainable growth of the groups business, one of the most important growth sectors of our destination’s tourism portfolio,” said Dr. Romer.
Historically a top destination for African American visitors, The Islands of The Bahamas is continuing to enhance its cultural product, which has a strong resonance with African American travelers. Working closely with the NCBMP allows The Bahamas to provide information for the planners to share with their clients on why The Bahamas continues to be a great vacation option for African Americans.
Group Sales Manager, Diversity & SMERF Groups-North America, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation, Dornell Watson-Dean, noted, “The African American planners’ high interest in The Bahamas product stems from The Bahamas’ long-standing ties with African Americans; the country’s hassle -free border formalities and the eagerness of Bahamian hoteliers to work with Planners to facilitate seamless conferences and conventions away from the American mainland.”
The Conference, which annually attracts African American planners and suppliers from across the U.S., featured powerful presentations by top speakers including a presentation from MMGY Global on Black Travel reporting that Black leisure travelers spent $109.4 billion on travel in 2019! Other conference events included educational, health and wellness breakout sessions and concluded with an Evening of Empowerment with Bishop Marvin Sapp.
The National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals, founded in 1983, is a non-profit organization whose primary focus is the training needs of African American meeting planners. The organization has 400 members, including meeting planners from numerous business, civil rights, church and fraternal organizations. The Bahamas has been affiliated with the NCBMP for the past twenty years. The organization is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. For more information on The Bahamas, visit us at www.bahamas.com.
To reach the Bahamas Diversity & SMERF Group Sales Manager, call 1-646-850-1812 or send an email to dwatson@bahamas.com
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Anita Johnson-Patty
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