Come as Friends, Leave as Family
Over the past few months, Grand Bahama Island’s People-to-People program has steadily gained momentum since the implementation of several new strategies.
With more requests than usual, the program has seen considerable growth despite the ongoing controversy of available lodging on the island.
Moreover, The Ministry of Tourism & Aviation's team was able to arrange a special visit for Terri and Bryan Brown, and their granddaughter Nola who left Grand Bahama Island with unforgettable memories destined to last a lifetime.
Prior to their arrival, the family had requested a unique experience where they would attend a church service and allow their granddaughter to attend a day of primary school with a female student close in age.
In order to facilitate this request, a connection was made with local ambassador Karon Rolle- Deveaux who took the family to church at Bahamas Faith Ministries (BFM) and facilitated Nola’s visit to St. Paul’s Methodist College.
Antoinette Neely, Asst. Manager, Product Development, Ministry of Tourism & Aviation (MOTA) GBI said, “[The] People-to-People experience is a program where our visitors can get a rich cultural experience via personal encounters with our ambassadors. It encourages long-lasting relationships between the ambassadors and visitors, promoting the friendly Nature of Grand Bahamians. As I like to say, they come as a stranger, [and] leave as friends and family.”
The family, who also celebrated their anniversary during their week-long vacation, stayed at the Island Seas Resort and were given a special vow renewal ceremony on Williams Town Beach. They were treated to an additional surprise which included a tour of the island by their officiant Bishop Leslie Woodside (Church of God Fairfield) where they experienced local Bahamian cuisine and customs.
Renamae Symonette, Sr. Manager, Product Development, MOTA GBI, said, “Grand Bahama Ministry of Tourism adores such stories. It is great to see visitors enjoying our beautiful island and at the same time People-to-People Ambassadors enthusiastically exposing them to Grand Bahama’s exciting product offering.”
In an effort to continue the success of the program, The People-to-People Team from New Providence will conduct a People-to-People Recruitment Drive, Workshop and Photo Shoot held in Meeting Room #3 in the C.A. Smith Complex on Wednesday, October 24th to Saturday, October 27th.
For more information on the program, upcoming events, or on becoming an ambassador, contact Antoinette Neely at aneely@bahamas.com or call the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation at 350-8600.
