NASSAU, Jan. 23, 2009—For several years, The Islands Of The Bahamas has sponsored familiarization trips for African American media outlets in an effort to increase tourism among African American consumers.
Each familiarization trip is specifically designed with the African consumer in mind. Trips consist of four to six participating media outlets and focus on the shared history and culture of African Americans and the Bahamian people.
Familiarization trips for African American media outlets consist of visits to museums, art galleries and historical landmarks. Participating journalists also have an opportunity to tour hotels at a variety of different price points, sample authentic Bahamian cuisine, partake in island nightlife, and spend quality time on world-renowned beaches engaged in an assortment of water activities.
This month, several journalists from African American media outlets toured Bimini, the little-known island where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his famous Noble Peace Prize Speech. Known as the MLK familiarization trip, this event is planned each year to coincide with Dr. King’s official birthday. Participating media outlets this year included Savoy Professional, Monarch, Port of Harlem, National Public Radio, and the South Florida Times.
Previous familiarization trips have been built around the Out Islands of the Bahamas, the Bahamas International Film Festival, the Islands of the World Fashion Show and Boxing Day Junkanoo, while other trips have focused on targeting specific regions of the United States. Participating media outlets for previous familiarization trips have included Black Meetings and Tourism, Giant, The Green Magazine, Heart and Soul, Rolling Out, N’Digo, The Network Journal, New York Carib News, and Blackamericaweb.com.
Familiarization trips planned for 2009 for African American media outlets include an R&R getaway for women’s publications, a great outdoors excursion for men’s publications, a digital event for online media, and a cuisine extravaganza for culinary publications.