Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1140472
B M & T ••• May/June 2019 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 47 CRUISE ARRIVALS Last year was a record-breaking year for cruise ship and stopover arrivals. By the end of 2018, foreign air and sea arrivals had totaled more than 6.6 million visitors, a drastic increase from the 6.1 million recorded in 2017. Stopover visi- tors alone had increased 16.7 percent in 2018, as compared to 2017, and Freeport saw a surge of sea visitors by 49 percent. HOTEL AND AIRLIFT SALES INCREASE The Nassau and Paradise Island hotel industry reported a spike in average daily room rates and revenue per available room in 2018 compared to 2017. The year ended with room rev- enues up 34 percent, gains not seen in the past ten years. AWARDS AND ACCOLADES Caribbean Journal Caribbean Travel Awards – The Caribbean Journal, the largest website covering Caribbean tourism, bestowed upon the destination two key awards in its Caribbean Travel Awards 2018: Best Caribbean Destination and Best Caribbean Tourism Minister. HSMAI – The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation accepted three awards for outstanding travel marketing at the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), the largest and most prestigious global travel mar- keting competition. In the Public Relations category, the Ministry was honored with a Gold Adrian Award for excel- lence in influencer marketing and a Bronze Adrian Award for its communications campaign. In the Advertising category, the Ministry was recognized for advertising innovation for its unique and authentic 16-island content marketing strategy. USA Today 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards for the Caribbean – The Islands Of The Bahamas was recognized with 18 awards across nine categories in this year's USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards for the Caribbean. The Bahamas claimed three number one spots for Best Caribbean Beach (Gold Rock Beach in Freeport), Best Caribbean Island for Romance (Green Turtle Cay in The Abacos) and Best Caribbean Restaurant (Graycliff in Nassau). Media Accolades – These awards round out a growing list of media accolades and consumer travel trend reports positively positioning The Bahamas in 2019 including: Brit + Co's " The 16 Best Places to Visit in 2019 " Reader's Digest's "Best Winter Travel Destinations for 2019" (names Nassau and Paradise Island as the best destina- tion for families) CNN's " Top new places to stay in 2019" (lists Rosewood at Baha Mar) BRIDES' "2019 Most Luxe Honeymoon Destinations" (includes Grand Isle Resort & Spa's 23 North on Great Exuma) Caribbean Journal's "Caribbean Travel Awards 2018 " (hon- ors The Bahamas with Best Caribbean Destination and Best Caribbean Tourism Minister awards) Recommend's "2018 Readers Choice Awards" Consumer Trend Reports – The Bahamas is not just a favorite of the press, but consumers are speaking for them- selves. KAYAK's "Top Trending Destinations for 2019" American Express' "Top Trending Teavel Destinations for 2019" (notes that card member travel to Nassau is up 63 percent YOY) CONTINUING THE MOMENTUM WITH FLY AWAY The Ministry also debuted a new, multi-channel creative campaign featuring Bahamian-American rock legend Lenny Kravitz that reveals the authentic spirit of The Bahamas as a destination of adventure and discovery. Set to the lyrics of Kravitz's hit song Fly Away, the telvision commercial and sup- porting marketing campaign capture his deep personal connec- tion to The Bahamas, as well as the pure adrenaline rush of exploring the archipelago's 100,000 square miles by boat and plane. Behind-the-scenes video follows Kravitz around his home base of Eleuthera, where he records music and embraces island time. Supporting digital content at www.bahamas.com/flyaway will allow The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation to raise awareness of the destination's many islands, which include Freeport, The Abacos, The Exumas, Andros, Bimini, The Berry Islands, Cat Island, Harbour Island and Eleuthera, Long Island, San Salvador, Rum Cay, Mayaguana, Inagua, Acklins, Nassau- Paradise Island and Crooked Island. The new hub draws visi- tors into island-specific microsites delivering inspiring vertical market video content on a variety of cultural and travel topics. The campaign underscores The Bahamas' powerful appeal as a destination and its proximity as a quick Fly Away destination.