By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

EXUMA residents swelled with national pride on Friday when the island’s new icon sign was unveiled.

Island MP Chester Cooper said it would boost Exuma’s tourism brand.

The vibrant sign, which features “EXUMA” in colourful capital letters, is positioned on a platform off Queen’s Highway. It incorporates a sailboat symbol, reflecting the island’s reputation as a sailing hub.

Designed by Jamaal Rolle, Ambassador-at-Large for Cultural Affairs, the sign is a symbol of Exuma’s unique identity.

During the unveiling ceremony, Mr Cooper, the Deputy Prime Minister and Tourism Minister, said the icon would become a focal point for Exuma’s tourism brand, providing visitors with a chance to showcase their trip to what he called “the most beautiful place on Earth.”’

“It will become a recognisable brand for Exuma,” he said. “It will become perhaps one of the most visited spots here. It will be priceless PR and marketing for the islands of The Bahamas throughout the world.” 

“In other words, this iconic sign is an extremely positive investment for the people of Exuma that will attract visitors globally and will no doubt yield great returns on investments for the economy and the tourism industry of our island.”

Mr Cooper said Friday’s unveiling is just the beginning.

He said the ministry is embracing archipelago art and plans to unveil similar artwork on other inhabited islands, with Cat Island next in line.

He said the iconic signs will meet globally recognized standards, elevating The Bahamas as the ideal artistic destination within the global art world. 

“We will not stop until we cover all of them,” he added. “We want this to be a challenge, like the survivors’ challenge, where tourists go to all of the islands and the one who can have a photo of all of them first gets a big prize, a trip or two to Exuma perhaps.”

Meanwhile, Mr Rolle expressed pride in his work, saying nothing makes him prouder than creating something iconic for his country.