Some times whilst going through my alerts, I come acroos letters and posts that fill me with a little hope, I hope visitors like Scott continue to visit Grand Bahama and recommend the Island to more friends and family.
Read his Letter to the Editor of The Nassau Guardian:
Dear Editor,
My wife and I have been to The Bahamas three times and love your nation. We traveled once to New Providence and twice to Grand Bahama. Although my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed Nassau during our stay at Cable Beach, we found the traffic and crowds(particularly when multiple cruise ships were in port)to be overwhelming.
On our second visit we fell in love with Grand Bahama and to this day sing its praises to all our friends and family. After having our daughter it was a no brainer that we would go to GBI where we felt more comfortable with a child given the throngs of people and speeding cars in Nassau.
Many Americans like myself can't afford to book a family vacation at the Atlantis and with the construction of Baha Mar, stays on New Providence are only going to get costlier.
I have recently been reading inThe Freeport Newsabout ideas to draw American tourists like ourselves to GBI and as a visitor to your beautiful country would like to weigh in. My own experience makes me think that Grand Bahama should market itself as a family destination rather than competing head to head with New Providence which clearly is more suited for couples or wealthier families.
Our 3-1/2-year-old loved her time on the beach and at the UNEXSO dolphin experience. She was fascinated by the beautiful gardens, birds and animals at Garden of the Groves. Her eyes were as wide as saucers at the Junkanoo Rush out we attended.
Everywhere we went she made friends with the children of other tourists or the children of local merchants. We spent time with a gracious family through the People to People program. Like all visitors we did our share of shopping and dining out. GBI should promote itself as the more relaxed alternative to Nassau and Orlando, family friendly while still being a great place for a romantic getaway with the bars, restaurants and the casino at Our Lucaya.
As our daughter grows older there will be snorkeling, scuba and cave exploring to look forward too. Along the lines of this family theme, a Bahamas history center, pirate museum or eco-centre would be an additional draw for tourists with older children(maybe near the International Bazaar to bring more customers to that area). I plan on vacationing on your island as often as my job and wallet will allow and hope for the continued success of your tourist industry.
Yours, etc.,
SCOTT P. PROTENTIS
