The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

THE Deputy Prime Minister yesterday said The Bahamas has enjoyed a 20 percent increase in “audience reach” as it increases advertising spending to counter saturation media coverage of its crime woes.

Chester Cooper, also minister of tourism, investments and aviation, told the House of Assembly that The Bahamas has touched 2.6m persons since the final week of January 2024 with a promotional push spearheaded by digital and social media.

“I would note that since increasing our ad spend we promoted new digital advertisements on social media and Google Ads. This push allowed us to reach 2.6m people since launching the last week of January. This represents a 20 percent increase in audience reach compared to the same period in 2023,” he added.

Mr Cooper said the Ministry of Tourism is now launching the ‘Tourism is Everybody’s Business‘ and the ‘I love the Bahamas’ campaigns which will run until June.

He added: “Our ongoing ‘Tourism is everybody’s business’ campaign, which is being launched this week locally, underscores our collective commitment to promoting The Bahamas as a welcoming and inclusive destination for all. This will include an ‘I Love the Bahamas’ campaign starting today.

“These campaigns are all designed to run from February through June and will supplement the work we are already doing.” Mr Cooper said the Ministry of Tourism is aiming to achieve 50 percent market penetration and has increased resources to saturate global media with positive images of this nation focusing on key source markets.

He said: “One core objective is to achieve 50 percent market penetration with our existing TV and video partners. To achieve this goal, we have strategically increased our media spend across various platforms, ensuring a robust presence in key markets, including television.

“Through this allocation of resources, we aim to saturate the airwaves, captivating audiences with the allure of our pristine beaches, vibrant culture and unparalleled hospitality. Our strategy is rooted in precision, focusing on key source markets such as Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Washington DC and Texas.”

Mr Cooper said a partnership with Ink Globals’ Reach TV will promote The Bahamas to over 30m travellers monthly, and that the ‘global influencers’ and ‘see for yourself’ programmes will allow social media influencers to travel to the country themselves and “dispel myths” to their audiences.

He added: “Our partnership with Ink Globals’ Reach TV, the world’s premier in-airport TV network, will further amplify our message, reaching over 30m passengers each month across airports that fly to The Bahamas. Our Global Influencers campaign represents a major effort to leverage the power of influencers in reshaping perceptions and driving visitation to The Bahamas.

“We have conducted outreach to both new and previously engaged influencers and celebrities, targeting key markets such as the US Canada, Europe with a focus on Germany, and, of course, The Bahamas itself. We are already reaching millions of potential visitors with this initiative.

“Through initiatives such as the ‘See For Yourself’ influencer, media, and travel agent family trips, we are providing first-hand experiences that dispel myths and reinforce the positive attributes of our nation. With outreach to media and influencers across key US markets such as Florida, Georgia, Carolinas, New York, Texas, and California, we are amplifying our message and expanding our reach.”

Mr Cooper said the Ministry of Tourism has partnered with Kayak to promote the Bahamas and that news letters will be sent to their subscribers and trade partners.

He said: “Our new partnership with travel metasearch engine Kayak represents an incredible opportunity to leverage e-mail marketing to showcase The Bahamas to a highly engaged audience actively searching for Caribbean vacations.

“We are creating new e-mail newsletters to highlight new offers, upcoming events, hotels, new flights and things-to-do options on each island. Nassau and Paradise Island was the first e-mail newsletter that was developed and is being finalised.

“E-mail newsletters are currently underway for all 16 island destinations and will be deployed to trade databases with over one million subscribers, 1.2m consumers directly and 50,000 trade partners.”