Bahamas records 3.5% growth in air arrivals, says Deputy PM  

Nassau, Bahamas: The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism of the Bahamas, Chester Cooper said that the island has witnessed a 3.5% growth in stop over arrivals by air.

He announced the development while addressing the Airports Conference of the Americas hosted by the Tourism Ministry. He said that the country’s main gateway, Lynden Pindling International Airport, is ‘too small’ otherwise the island would have recorded more visitors.

The Minister said that the island has seen a significant level of growth in tourist arrivals. While explaining the fact, Cooper said that in 2023, Bahamas have had a record setting year with air arrivals 10 percent ahead of the previous year, making LPIA one of the busiest airports in the region.

He stated that as a result, his team is projecting another $200 million in investment over the period of next 12 to 18 months.

Cooper also emphasised that the Bahamas is facing the infrastructural challenge of building as well as maintaining thirty state owned airports.

According to the Minister, this is why the island has launched the Family Island Renaissance Program to develop PPPs to fully rehabilitate 14 airports across the Bahamas for an estimated amount of $260 million. He stated that these are two great problems to have given that they are encouraged by the growth the island is seeing in tourism and in the overall economy.

He continued that the 2023 was the island’s best ever season with around 10 million tourism arrivals to the Bahamas by sea and air and this year the island has already seen a 3.5 percent growth in the stop over arrivals through air.

It was also said that the foreign air arrivals to the Grand Bahama island alone during the first five months of 2024 showed an 8 percent increase year over year, marking a huge boost for the overall tourism sector. This also shows that the island is poised to receive more airlift boosts throughout the year.

Notably, the Airports Conference of the Americans brings to Nassau an anticipated 100 airport as well as aviation executives from across Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States for a 4-day forum. The event gives a perfect platform to discuss significant topics impacting international aviation in the Caribbean region.