Getty Image / David Cannon
You would be correct in saying that Hurricane Dorian delivered tragic damage to The Bahamas just three months ago in September.
There is no denying that the islands and Bahamian lives were affected dramatically.
With that being said, if you’re naive and geographically-challenged like me, you probably did not know that The Bahamas are made up of over 700 islands that spread over 100,000 square miles of ocean. Of those 700+ islands, only two were impacted by the hurricane, the northern islands of Grand Bahama Island and Abaco.
Grand Bahama has since reopened for visitors, while Abaco is still on its road to recovery. However, cruise ports, airports, hotels, resorts and other tourist attractions on other islands including Nassau, Paradise Island, San Salvador, The Exumas and many other Out Islands are welcoming visitors with open arms and let me just tell you, you should run into those open arms.
Tourism is the No. 1 industry and the backbone of The Bahamas economy while serving as the largest source of employment. Simply put, if you want to help this country in its recovery there is no better way to do so than simply visit and enjoy the many, many great attractions on the islands.
“Maintaining a robust tourism industry will be vital in helping the country to recover and rebuild,” Bahamas Minister of Tourism & Aviation Dionisio D’Aguilar explained. “We are grateful for the outpouring of support and love for our islands, and we would like everyone to know that the best thing they can do for us right now is visit Nassau, Paradise Island and the Out Islands. Our beautiful island nation is ready to welcome you.”
Seeing as how I wrote this article while sitting on a balcony at The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar I can certainly confirm that Nassau is certainly open for business, and let me tell you, they do things right here.
Balconies in Nassau get the fingers goin’.👨🏼💻 pic.twitter.com/Aq3MjybT66
— Mark (@MarkOnGolf) December 4, 2019
Albeit this is the first time I’ve ever been to The Bahamas, it certainly doesn’t look like a major storm hit Nassau – nor other islands – just three months ago. Hurricane Dorian did indeed happen, but the strong people of the country and from helping hands all around the world have done incredible things to help the recovery of these islands.
The Hero World Challenge, which is hosted by Tiger Woods, has a hugely positive impact on the islands and tourism each year as well, but in the aftermath of the hurricane Woods’ foundation and other partners have done tremendous work in the recovery efforts for the country.
ONE Bahamas fund, founded by Woods, Justin Timberlake and other organizations pledged $6 million toward recovery efforts with a dollar-for-dollar match in hopes of raising $12 million to help those impacted by the hurricane. The tournament will also make a donation of $500 for each birdie, $1,000 for each eagle and $2,500 for each hole in one.
During the pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday afternoon, many discussions and remarks came back to tourism stressing that The Bahamas are very much so open for business and people need to know that.
“If I can ask one thing of you all, that is the biggest gift you can give this country is to tell people that The Bahamas is open today,” Nexus managing partner Christopher Arnand explained. “It’s here, it is not destroyed. If you could get that out, that would be fantastic because some people are not coming to The Bahamas because they feel like Bahamians are upset or their lives have been destroyed, but the reality is, it’s a small part of the country and the way this country will rebound is by having tourists keep coming back.”
It can’t be stressed enough how much a trip by you to The Bahamas helps this country. Yes, some islands were impacted more than others, but with so many major islands packed with incredible activities, resorts and restaurants not suffering major damage, thriving with island life, there’s no better time than now to visit The Bahamas.
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Travelers can use Island Finder – an interactive tool that measures personal preferences to match consumers with the island for them – then explore a pre-approved list of places to stay and an always-updated database of deals and packages available to book.