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Tourism History

The History of The Ministry of Tourism

The Early Years

The Bahamas first recognized the potential of a tourism industry way back in the middle of the last century when its Government passed a Tourism Encouragement Act in 1851. This was followed by a second act passed in 1854. A third act passed in 1857 authorized the Government to purchase land to allow the construction of a “grand hotel”.

Vision & Mission

Vision Statement

The Ministry of Tourism will be a global industry leader in destination marketing and management, contributing sustainably to a thriving national economy.

Mission of The Ministry of Tourism

The Ministry of Tourism will achieve its vision through an holistic approach that is research, data, and technology driven.

In doing so, the Ministry will encourage and facilitate:

Special Interest Markets

The category of Special Markets by The Ministry of Tourism is a term applied to those markets that are strong enough to stand on its own, separate and apart from the promotion of the destination of the Bahamas (sun, sand, sea, tranquility, and romance).

As the Bahamas is an archipelago approximately 50 nautical miles off the coast of Florida from Grand Bahama and Bimini in the north, it is ideally positioned to attract the avid visitor interested in these areas.