The Tribune

The Bahamas recently teamed with American Airlines to host a "Sip and Paint" networking opportunity for some of the carrier's top travel professionals in the Miami area.

Tina Lee, the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation's district marketing manager, said: "We (The Bahamas) have been severely impacted by the hurricane (Dorian), but it's important for us to do these industry events, as well as consumer events, to get the message out there that although two of our islands are down, we still want you to travel to The Bahamas."

She emphasised: "Now, our other Islands need your support more than ever. Nassau and Exuma are great options on American Airlines. We have 14 Islands still open for business and you can really help us by sharing this information on your social media channels and sending it out to your clients."

Juan Rodriguez, American Airlines' sales manager for the south-east and north-east US, said the "Sip and Paint" was a fun opportunity to engage with travel agents, and establish and/or deepen relationships with them.

"Events like these are crucial," Mr Rodriguez added. "They provide an opportunity to speak with the agents one-on-one, and you get to know them in a way that you would not in a dinner presentation or at a trade show."

Travel agents described the gathering as interactive and different. They expressed gratitude for receiving an update on The Bahamas in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.

Luisa Yu, of Westchester Travel in Miami, said: "When people hear about the devastation in The Bahamas they think everything is destroyed but, as we were told earlier, there are 14 other islands.

"I feel so bad because the Bahama islands are all so beautiful. I will tell my clients that only two islands were affected so you can still go. I will encourage them to go to The Bahamas. I love The Bahamas."

The painting event was organised with a twist. Although it included wine and instructions for individual masterpieces, a special Bahamian lunch was provided. The subject selected for the painting activity was a photo of a conch shell on the beach, and lunch included the special Bahamian delicacy of 'cracked' (battered and fried) conch.

Besides conch, the event's taste of The Bahamas featured Bahamian fruit punch and desserts, including coconut and pineapple tarts, as well as miniature guava duff. Songs from The Bahamas and the Caribbean dating back to the 1960s and early 1970s comprised the background to the event.

The Team from the Bahamas Tourist Office (BTO) at the event included Ms Lee; Adrian Kemp and Phyla Shivers, senior marketing representatives; Elke Pettiford, marketing co-ordinator and Jeannie Gibson, manager, global communications.