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Advertisers Dupuch & Turnquest & Co.
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Grand Bahama Island: A destination reborn
Investment is pouring into Freeport, Grand Bahamas’ capital city and the second largest city in The Bahamas, and is growing the economy, improving the infrastructure and injecting new life into the tourism sector.
Unlike Nassau, The Bahamas capital city, where mega hotels line busy beachfront and the pace is more frenetic, Grand Bahama has a balance of city attractions but an unhurried pace, more than 100 miles of pristine beaches and a myriad of eco-tourism activities.
“We are transitioning from the old image of Grand Bahama that had a dated hotel product, undercapitalized resorts, and focused primarily on Freeport/Lucaya, to the new image which is to promote Grand Bahama Island as a whole,” said David L. Johnson, executive vice president of the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board. “This better represents the beauty of the destination, highlights the experiences we have to offer and has been attractive to our target market worldwide. We have been successful in attracting new investment,” he added.
New hotels are being re-furbished and others are being built to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars with an emphasis on an upscale market and on families. “Grand Bahama is a family destination and we intend to develop more product for that sector,” said Johnson.
The International Bazaar offers a cultural tour of the world through its plethora of boutiques and restaurants and Port Lucaya Marketplace and Marina offers six acres of shopping, culinary delights and entertainment. For those who want to take something home that is truly Bahamian, The Bahamas’ Arts & Crafts Straw market sells locally produced jewelry, paintings and other handicrafts made of straw and wood.
While these amenities, coupled with numerous white sand beaches, would make any tourist destination complete, Grand Bahama Island also has an abundance of eco-tourism activities. According to Johnson, this is an area on which the Grand Bahama Tourism Board is focusing heavily.
Eco-Tourism and Grand Bahama
With the slogan “On our island Mother Nature invents the attractions” The Eco-Tourism Association of Grand Bahama, a subcommittee of The Grand Bahama Tourism Board, composed of a group of seven nature-based companies, is working to promote distinct and varied eco-tourism activities.
Gates explained that visitors to Grand Bahama can engage in any number of activities such as bird-watching excursions; a tour of Garden of the Groves, a twelve-acre botanical garden; snorkeling; diving; kayaking through a mangrove swamp; nature walks through Lucayan National Park; biking along a path that settlers once walked; exploring caves and caverns; offshore and deep sea fishing; and wilderness horseback riding among other activities.
“We have more than 200 species of birds here on Grand Bahama Island. We have 18 species, that we call the Grand Bahama specialties, that do not occur in the United States, Canada or Europe,” said Gates. Among the unique birds found are the Stripe-headed Tanager, the ground foraging Red-legged Thrush, and the acrobatic nectar and insect-eating Bananaquit. As more than 60 million bird watchers are in the United States alone, bird watching could become an import draw to the island.
The Dolphin Experience
Another whimsical activity found on Grand Bahama is the Dolphin Experience. For those who have dreamed of swimming with the Dolphins, you have finally found a place to do so. The Dolphin Experience offers a variety of activities ranging from an introductory informational session, where participants may get into waist-high water with the dolphins, to the ability to swim with one of the 17 dolphins that call Sanctuary Bay home. Those who want to spend the day at Sanctuary Bay can join the Assistant Trainer Program for ages 16 and up.
The Dolphin Experience also takes the dolphins out to open sea to swim with divers; it is one of the only facilities in the world that offers this activity.
One of the trainers explained that the Dolphin Experience, started in 1987, is designed to be an interaction and conservation effort and to teach people what needs to be done to keep the environment safe for the animals. Nine of the dolphins at Sanctuary Bay have been born at the facility.
Planning for the Future
Conservation and education are two of Grand Bahama Island’s biggest challenges. One of the island’s biggest assets is its pristine environment. The government is demonstrating a commitment to protection and preservation, having enacted its first environmental law in 1997, which protects trees.
“It is very important to educate residents as well as developers and industry about the natural beauty and natural resources that the island has so that as the island develops these natural resources are considered, preserved and protected,” Gates said.
Gates noted that the Eco-Tourism Association works closely with school groups, taking the children on tours and explaining to them their role in preservation and the job possibilities that they have in the eco-tourism arena.
Getting there
American Eagle, Bahamasair, Gulfstream (Continental Connection), Laker Airways and Linx Air International all offer frequent service to Grand Bahama. Starting on Dec. 16, 1999, TWA announced non-stop jet service from La Guardia Airport to Freeport.
While jet service to the island is frequent, two types of high-speed boats are also operating into Grand Bahama. Traveling between Miami and Freeport, The Cat is a high-speed catamaran with airline-style seating that features a casino, snack bar, movies and bingo during the two-hour passage time. Seajets, a new service leaving from the port of Palm Beach, features a jetfoil that literally flies over the surface of the sea. It seats 250 passengers and has a travel time of one hour and 39 minutes.
These services, coupled with increased international air traffic and cruise ships, will dramatically increase the numbers of visitors to the islands.
“If you want to get away from it all but with the modern amenities, come to Grand Bahama,” said Gates.
With a slogan like “on our island the welcome mat stretches for miles,” and a new outlook, Grand Bahama Island is attracting attention.
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Table of Contents The Bahamas: An established tourism and tax-free financial services center experiences a renaissance |
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Grand Bahama Island, located just 52 miles from the East Coast of Florida, is undergoing a transformation in its tourism industry.
Grand Bahama Island as a destination has much to offer. “We are not just sun, sand and sea,” said Johnson. Indeed true, there are several world-class marinas, three championship golf courses, with additional courses being developed, a casino, with another one under construction, and plenty of duty-free shopping.
“We have six different eco-systems here on Grand Bahama and diverse flora and fauna. As two-thirds of the island is undeveloped, it gives us the opportunity to show off our natural environment,” said Erika Gates, president of the Eco-tourism Association.