By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE Ministry of Tourism’s Sports Tourism department, staying true to their mandate of making the Bahamas the top sports tourism destination in the region, announced yesterday that two of Canada’s top swim clubs have made the Bahamas their new winter training site.

According to Carla Stuart, senior director at the Ministry of Tourism, the Sports Tourism department continues to promote The Bahamas as a premier destination for sports, and has increased its efforts to attract more international swim teams to New Providence during the winter months.

“Opportunities like this are key in growing our tourism brand. We are constantly working to develop brands outside our sun, sand and seas initiative. At the Ministry of Tourism we see sports as a major market that we should work to attract,” said Mrs Stuart.

The Poine-Claire and CHQ swim clubs of Quebec, Canada will call the Betty Kelly-Kenning Aquatic Centre home for the next 12 days.

Said Martin Gingras, head coach of the Poine-Claire Swim Club: “The top reason we selected the Bahamas was the facility. I had a conversation with one of my coaching buddies that told me about the quality of the facility down here and the weather, those two factors made it an easy choice for our winter training session.”

He added: “The weather here is a good way for us to change the way we train, the warm weather allows us to push our swimmers, that is going to enhance the way they swim in our next meet. We hope to have them in top form.”

Marc-Andre Poirier, head coach of CHQ Swim Club, said: “We wanted the sun, the facility only made it better. The Bahamas as a destination, price, hotel, swim facility, the entire experience is good.”

“Our club has a big meet in roughly five weeks and we just wanted this opportunity to train in a different environment, to change up the norm for our swimmers, get them away from home after the holidays to get them properly prepared,” he said.

Poirier said: “The people here are amazing, the culture, although we haven’t had an opportunity to really get out and see the different sights the small doses we have had already has been enjoyable.”

The MOT has worked in recent years to better position itself to be the premier destination for sports.

According to Mrs Stuart, the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl, Dan Mario and The Legends Weekend, Grand Bahama Half Marathon, Bahamas Boating Flings 2015, Hero World Challenge 2015, Marathon Bahamas Sunshine Insurance Race Weekend, Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, IAAF World Relays Bahamas 2015 are just “a taste” of what the Bahamas has to offer in terms of sports tourism.

The Ministry of Tourism currently has partnerships with the Miami Heat, Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). She added that the ministry, building off a successful 2014, hopes that 2015 is a bigger and better year.