HISTORY OF TOURISM IN THE BAHAMAS

BEFORE 1945

1740 Peter Henry Bruce, a military engineer form England was sent to The Bahamas to repair
the forts in Nassau.
1859 Samuel Cunard, a Canadian businessman, owned a transatlantic fleet of ships.
Contracted by the Government to provide monthly service form New York to Nassau. He
was paid 3,000 pounds. The “Karnak”, a paddle wheel steamer, made its first trip.
The American Civil War provided a boost to the economy. Blockade Runners and wealthy
Southerners met in Nassau to exchange goods.
1861 The Royal Victoria Hotel opened in Nassau. It was the first Grand Hotel in the
Caribbean.
1869 Major Bacot, a British Army Surgeon, wrote that the climate in The Bahamas was ideal
for those recovering from ailments.
*Tourism Encouragement Acts were written in 1851, 1859 and 1879 to encourage growth in the
number of visitors coming to The Bahamas.

1875 Tourists arrivals in Nassau amounted to over 500. Governor Robinson encouraged by
these numbers, suggested that The Bahamas attempt to attract some of the 100,000 plus
visitors who were traveling to South Florida each year.
1891 The Telegraph Act was passed. This eventually established a cable link between Jupiter,
Florida and Cable Beach, Nassau. This made it possible to send messages to the U.S. and
England.
1898 The Hotel and Steamship Act was passed. A 10 year contract was signed with Henry
Flagler, Czar of Miami, to lease the Royal Victoria Hotel. Flagler eventually bought the
site of Fort Nassau and built the Hotel Colonial.
1900-1 Hotel Colonial opened. It was partially destroyed by fire in 1922. The Government
repurchased the site.
1922 The Bahamas Hotel Company rebuilt the Hotel Colonial and renamed it the New
Colonial Hotel.
1925 The Muson Company, the Royal Mail Line, and a treaty with Canada, brought steamship
service to islands of The Bahamas from New York, Britain and Canada.
1927 The Montagu Hotel opened.

*World War 1(1914-1918) was the greatest contributing factor in bringing tourists to The
Bahamas. Thousands of Bahamians left to go to war, bringing the outside world closer.

*Prohibition in the United States (1920-1933), ratified in 1919, came as a blessing to The
Bahamas. The islands experienced a land investment boom.

1929 Pan American Airlines began daily flights from Miami to Nassau. Flights took 2½ hours.

1929 The stock market crashed in the United States. This created a world economic slump.

*Sir Harry Oakes was persuaded to leave Canada to invest in Nassau. He arrived in 1935 and
was murdered in 1943. He built the airport at Oakes Field, purchased and rechristened the New
Colonial Hotel to the British Colonial Hotel.

*World War 2 (1939-1945) frightened many Europeans, who flocked to The Bahamas, resulting
in an increase in land investment.

1943 There were two airports in Nassau, Oakes Field and Windsor Field.
 HISTORY OF TOURISM IN THE BAHAMAS
AFTER 1945

1949 Tourism as an official export industry. Previous budget for tourism was £96,000.
Visitor arrivals prior to 1950 numbered about 32,000.
The islands of The Bahamas offered an escape for inhabitants of North America wanting
an escape from the tensions and stresses of their industrialized nation.

In the modern history of tourism in The Bahamas, the largest single factor attracting
tourists to the country has been the promotion undertaken by the tourism arm of The
Bahamas Government.

1949 General Election. New young members of the House of Assembly gained support for
their idea that tourism could bring prosperity to the islands.

1950 The revitalization of The Development Board, first developed in 1914,

and Legislature vote to increase tourism budget to £156,000, most of which would be
used for overseas promotion.

1951 The number of visitors increased to 68,502, more than double the annual amount for the
1946-1950 period.

1964 Internal Self-Government was introduced. The Development Board was replaced by the
Ministry of Tourism.
The Promotion of Tourism Act (13 January 1964) empowers the Government to appoint
a Minister to be charged with the overall responsibility for the promotion of tourism. The
Act was created to allow more flexibility for the Ministry, eliminating the rigid
procedures and bureaucratic controls and delays.
Staff of the Ministry of Tourism are not civil servants and all authority concerning
appointments, terminations, discipline and other personal matters, rest with the Minister.

The first Minister of Tourism was Sir Stafford Sands, a successful lawyer and politician;
often referred to as the “father of tourism” because of his pioneering efforts in guiding
the early development of the industry.
He was assisted by advertising and public relations representatives under contract, as well
as organized News Bureau and Sales Offices in the United States, Canada and London.

1967 General Election took place. The UBP was defeated by the PLP, and Sir Stafford Sands
left the country. He died in 1972.

Hon. Lynden O. Pindling, the Premier, became the Minister of Tourism and
Development. Besides the agencies and offices established by Sir Stafford Sands, there
were only 14 employees on the head office staff of the Ministry. The Organization was
restructured, and visitor arrivals continued to increase.
1968 The Premier realized that the Ministry of Tourism required an individual to devote
himself more fully to the efforts required.

1969 The Hon. Arthur Foulkes became Minister of Tourism and Telecommunications.

1969 Later the same year, the Hon. Clement T. Maynard was appointed Minister of Tourism.
He
built a professional organization, leaving behind a record of unparalleled success.
He developed Courtesy Campaigns, infused the product with more cultural content, and
During his tenure, The Bahamas Hotel Training College was created. It was as a result of
a Tri-partite agreement between the Ministry of Tourism, the Bahamas Hotel Association
and the Minsitry of Education. Minister Maynard held the Tourism portfolio for 10 years,
longer than any other Minister. Noteworthy is that the People-to-People programme was
developed in 1975

1979 The Hon. Livingston Coakley became Minister of Tourism.

1982 The Hon. Perry Christie, formerly Minister of Health, assumed the portfolio. Minister
Christie placed emphasis on product development to ensure that the unique features of
The
Bahamas were highlighted and preserved.

1984 The Hon. Clement T. Maynard was renamed Minister of Tourism and served in this post
for a period of 6 years.

1990 He was succeeded by the Hon. Lynden Pindling.

1992 General Elections were held and the PLP were defeated by the FNM. Senator Brent
Symonette was appointed Minister of Tourism.

1995 The Hon. Frank H. Watson was appointed Minister of Tourism.

1997 The Hon. C.A. Smith was appointed Minister of Tourism.

2001 The Hon. Orville (Tommy) Turnquest was appointed Minister of Tourism.

2002 General elections were held and the FNM were defeated by the PLP. The Hon. Obie
Wilchcombe was appointed Minister of Tourism.

2007 General elections were held. The Hon. Neko Grant was appointed Minister of Tourism.

2007 Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace was appointed Minister of Tourism.

2012 General elections were held and the FNM were defeated by the PLP. The Hon. Obie
Wichcombe was re-appointed Minister of Tourism.
2017 General elections were held and the PLP were defeated by the FNM. The Hon. Dionisia
D’Aguilar was appointed Minister of Tourism. Current Director of Tourism is Joy Jibrilu.

2021 General elections were held and FNM were defeated by the PLP. The Hon. Chester
Cooper was appointed Minister of Tourism, Aviation and Investment. Current Director of
Tourism is Latia Duncombe.