Bahamas Posts Record 5.9 Million Tourist Arrivals in 2012

The Bahamas posted a record total of 5.9 million visitors in 2012 and is “on track” to host seven million visitors annually by 2015, according to Obie Wilchcombe, the country’s tourism minister.

For all of 2012, 5,939,000 tourists visited the Bahamas, representing a 6.3 percent increase in overall arrivals over the 5.5 million visitors hosted in 2011, said Clarence Rolle, general manager of communications for the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. The totals include a 7.1 percent increase in air arrivals.

“Last year the Bahamas ended the year with a record number again. That tells you we're about to head to the seven million I'm projecting in another two years,” said Wilchcombe in a recent address to a government assembly reported in the Nassau Guardian.

Wilchcombe added that visitors to the country are seeking “better service, more entertainment, more culture and lower prices.” He said high energy costs impact the cost of vacationing in the Bahamas, where energy costs are 300 percent higher than Mexico’s 150 percent more than Jamaica’s.

Source: Travel Pulse, http://www.travelpulse.com/bahamas-posts-record-59-million-tourist-arrivals-in-2012.html