By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation will continue to promote The Bahamas to potential tourists and investors through a series of events in North Carolina this week.

The ministry, in a statement, said its global sales and marketing missions will feature an event in Charlotte on Wednesday, October 19, and conclude on Thursday, October 20, in Raleigh. Both are aimed at boosting visitor arrivals from the area, and are being held one month before year-round direct flights begin from Charlotte and Raleigh to Grand Bahama via Bahamasair.

I. Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism, investments and aviation, will lead a Bahamian delegation that includes Ginger Moxey, minister for Grand Bahama; Latia Duncombe, acting tourism director-general (ADG), other senior tourism officials; Bahamian hotel partners; sales and trade representatives and destination representatives.

They will all participate in events that include meetings with key stakeholders and media from across the tourism industry, as well as culturally-inspired evenings at the Marriott Charlotte SouthPark in Charlotte and the Raleigh Marriott City Centre in Raleigh.

Guests will get a taste of Bahamian culture through food and cocktails, plus music and entertainment with a Junkanoo performance. A live question and answer panel will highlight The Bahamas’ growing tourism numbers, plans for future growth and innovation, the appeal of its 16 islands and the many reasons why it is a sought-after destination.

“The ease of travel to The Bahamas from North Carolina makes it a great getaway for south-east travellers,” said Mrs Duncombe.

“We’re looking forward to ensuring that media, travel agents, industry stakeholders and more are aware of the many options there are for direct flights to destinations throughout the islands of The Bahamas. For example, the new direct flights to Grand Bahama with American Airlines from Charlotte launching on November 5, and the new Bahamasair route from Raleigh starting on November 17.”

With the introduction of Bahamasair’s new direct flight from Freeport to Raleigh-Durham beginning in November, the national flag carrier has partnered with the Ministry of Tourism. It participated in the North Carolina Wine Fest and the North Carolina State Fair, on October 15 and October 16, to promote the new service.

The global sales and marketing missions kicked off in September in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida. Upcoming stops include Toronto, Calgary and Montreal, Canada; and Houston, Texas. The Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation will also head to Los Angeles and Atlanta in the future.

Once the visits to key travel hubs have finished, the ministry will visit Latin America and Europe to bring The Bahamas directly to key international markets and further drive travel demand for the destination.