Were you one of the lucky ones to visit The Bahamas last year?
While the ministry responsible for tourism figures had reported slightly higher than expected visitor numbers for 2023, I think the biggest surprise has been just how much growth the islands have enjoyed since 2019, the previous record-setting year for visitor numbers.
More than 9.6 million guests visited The Bahamas last year, representing a 33% increase since 2019! This figure wasn't necessarily unexpected, if a little higher than the local tourism board had estimated. I think the biggest surprise has been the rate of growth and some minor figures among the distribution of visitors:
New Providence, which includes Nassau and features the largest casino resort in the Caribbean at The Baha Mar represented the lion's share of those visitor numbers, with nearly 4.5 million by air or sea.
Grand Bahama was the next most popular destination, welcoming just under 600,000 visitors.
What are known as "The Family Islands" represented a 40% increase over 2022 with more than 4.6 million guests; a region scattered to the multitude of wonderful islands across turquoise waters elsewhere in the archipelago. Think Eleuthera, Berry Islands, Exumas, and beyond!
I'd be really curious to hear from any of those wonderful folks who enjoyed a visit to The Bahamas last year or any time in recent years, really!
Did you fly there? Where did you stay? Were you a cruise passenger? Which cruise line and where did you call to port?