BHA: Bahamavention A Bust

The campaign which has received a lukewarm reaction was widely criticized by international media as being "over the top" and "bordering on ridiculous."

Bahamas Hotel Association (BHA) President Russell Miller said the advertisements, have proven to be a dud.

"I don’t think we have seen the results come in from those ads as well as we expected and that’s not only from our side, but from the Ministry of Tourism’s side," he said.

"I don’t think it’s a secret, I think it’s something that can be said. Everybody knows that."

Bahamavention was launched last December as part of a fully integrated campaign that included television spots, print ads and nearly 600 Bahamavention branded subway cars in New York City.

The ad campaign targeted overworked individuals who were looking for a vacation intervention.

Mr. Miller said the Ministry of Tourism must take a new and fresh look at how it is marketing and promoting the Islands of the Bahamas.

"The competitive marketplace is crowded and our advertising and marketing efforts must be second to none, as they have been at other critical times in our industry’s history," he said.

Tourism experts admit that this is a crucial period for The Bahamas that is facing some fallout from the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative; razor sharp rivalry from our vacation destinations and inadequate hotel room inventory.

On the flip side there are various resort properties around the country that are expanding their offerings. Kerzner International’s Atlantis is one of them. Already one of the central elements of the third phase expansion is open for business and officials at other hotels have taken notice.

BHA Treasurer and British Colonial Hilton General Manager, Peter Webster said despite failed marketing efforts he expects The Cove, Atlantis to generate more business and promotion for the islands.

"The Cove is a phenomenal product. It’s like nothing else the Caribbean has ever seen. I think there’s going to be a lot of positive PR from that," he said.

"Our islands are very prominent in the U.S’ minds at the moment. I think when you take into account the passport initiative…more and more people will be coming to The Bahamas through almost subliminal advertising through [the] Anna Nicole [Smith saga] and initiatives like The Cove. We stand a better chance unlike many other islands in the Caribbean, without having to do new [ad] campaigns."

He said however there needs to be greater commitment to partnerships and collaboration among partners in the tourism sector and the government.

"While we are strong in this area relative to some of our competitors, we must be better. The commitment to improved partnership and collaboration should extend beyond the industry and the Ministry of Tourism – to all relevant areas of government," he said.

"It amazes us as well as other industry partners that in today’s day and age there are some areas of government where the common courtesies of communication fail to exist. This is not a political statement, rather a reflection on the need to change a long-term modus operandi, to continue to mature as a democracy and people – for the betterment of our industry and our nation."