The storm is over, and the sun still shines in the Bahamas

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“Maintaining a robust tourism industry will be vital in helping the country to recover and rebuild.” ~ Dionisio D’Aguilar (Bahamas Minister of Tourism & Aviation)

For the last few weeks, the media has done a great job of covering the devastation that Hurricane Dorian brought upon TWO of the most northern islands, Grand Bahama, and The Abacos. The attention was warranted because many people lost their lives, they lost their homes, and like with any natural disaster, people desperately need the help.

There has been an outpour of support from all over the world, and it is wonderful to see how the global community has pulled together once again to help people in need. There are stories that include Tyler Perry, who not only used his personal seaplane to bring relief supplies to The Abaco Island, he even brought back passengers, including small children and a pregnant woman into the mainland to receive medical care. Michael Jordan donated $1 million dollars, Ludacris donated $100,000, Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake have joined forces to raise funds, and Lenny Kravitz (who happens to be from the Bahamas) has been feverishly working with his organization the “Let Love Rule Foundation,” to work at the ground level to in his words, “Get the island back on it’s feet.”

The most interesting thing about it is, although this help and the donations are much appreciated, what would help the islands even more right now is for people to come and visit the 14 islands that were unaffected by the storm. The Bahamas is made up over 700 islands, and thousands of cays spread over 100,000 square miles of ocean. Many people are unaware that Bahamas is not just one island, but a group of islands together. Toronto Caribbean Newspaper had an opportunity to speak with members from the tourism board, as well as individuals who live on the islands that were not affected. They admit that Grand Bahama, and The Abacos is not fairing well, but the focus just being on what happened on the two islands might be scaring people, or having people question if they should come to The Bahamas.

As the public continues to seek information on how they can best help the country recover, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation urges travelers, and the global community to understand that the best thing they can do for the country, now more than ever, is simple; visit The Bahamas. “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,” exclaimed Bahamas Minister of Tourism & Aviation Dionisio D’Aguilar.

Travelers should visit www.bahamas.com to learn about the unique

characteristics of each Bahamian island and find the one, or two or three, that best suits them. The islands unaffected by the storm include Nassau and Paradise Island, The Exumas, Eleuthera and Harbour Island, Bimini, Andros, The Berry Islands, Cat Island, Long Island, San Salvador, Rum Cay, Acklins and Crooked Island, Mayaguana, and Inagua. Travelers can start with the 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 & Packages to book for island cuisine, upscale resorts and endless family activities. The warm and friendly people of the Bahamas, along with hotel and travel partners are ready to welcome travelers with open arms.

In saying this, if a trip is not on your agenda right now, monetary donations to a reputable relief organization are most critical at this time. Those who wish to contribute can find a list of The Bahamas’ verified partners at www.bahamas.com/relief. The team at the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper are themselves thoughtfully putting together a plan to hopefully visit the Bahamas so that we can report to the community the beauty that we see, as well as give to The Bahamas what they are asking for; for the community to come, play, and stay.