Grand Bahama to Welcome Boost in Tourism with Increased Fall Airlift
- Grand Bahama tourism stakeholders welcome the news of increased airlift to the islands this fall, with foreign air arrivals over the first five months showing an 8% year-over-year (YoY) increase.
- The Ministry of Tourism, Investments, and Aviation recently announced that Grand Bahama Island is poised to receive more airlift boosts this fall 2024. At the end of 2023, Grand Bahama experienced a 33% growth in foreign air arrivals, the largest YoY percentage growth compared to all the islands of The Bahamas.
- For the first five months of 2024, the island’s foreign airlift arrivals had already outperformed the same period in 2023 by some 8%, putting the island on a trajectory to exceed pre-Dorian figures.
- “Our priority to focus on increasing airlift into Grand Bahama is a sign of our commitment to this community and our product partners, as we continue to position the island to benefit from the significant investments in its project pipeline,” said Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation.
- From September 6 through October 3, 2024, Bahamasair is set to increase capacity on its Freeport to Fort Lauderdale route. American Airlines will return to Freeport after October 3 (suspended due to the hurricane season) with daily service and will ramp up its Miami-Freeport offerings to twice daily in November. Bahamasair is also launching a service between West Palm Beach and Freeport, beginning November 17, 2024, just in time for the high-demand Thanksgiving holiday travel.
- Overall, these will ensure continued airlift into the island, providing a significant boost to fall travel, while exploring new markets for Grand Bahama and positioning the island for returned service from both local and legacy airlines.
(Source: Eyewitness News)