By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

PASSENGER traffic through the Lynden Pindling International Airport increased six per cent in the first five months of 2024, according to Nassau and Paradise Island Promotion Board CEO Joy Jibrilu.

She said overall, arrivals to New Providence are up 15.5 percent.

She revealed this and other statistics as the NPIPB held its four-day International Travel Partner Conference (ITPC) to connect travellers with local industry partners to share information, create new partnerships and generate business.

The conference attracted 130 attendees, including tour operators and travel advisors.

Mrs Jibrilu said year to date, US travellers booking a trip to New Providence and Paradise Island less than 15 days ahead of travel is up 54 percent this year. She said bookings within the 15 to 30 window are up 21 percent.

She said New Providence has seen a 22 percent increase in total non-Caribbean seats versus 2023.

“With non-stop service from 43 markets in the US, Canada, Europe and South America, it is easy for travellers to visit our destination,” she said. “In fact, we have on average 6200 in seats capacity coming to NPI on a daily basis.”

She said one of the NPIPB’s priorities this year is increasing the number of guests from European and Canadian markets.

For her part, Director General Latia Duncombe said there were 3.9 million visitors from January to April, a 12 percent increase over the same period last year.

The visitors included 662,815 by air, 41,527 by sea, and 3,210,541 by cruise.

Earlier this month, FNM leader Michael Pintard argued that the record-setting increase in visitor arrivals in 2023 was driven by cruise passengers who spent less than $75 per person in the country.

“The average stopover visitor who spends 28 times more than the average cruise passenger, according to the Central Bank, did not grow by one new visitor,” he said.

“To reiterate the point again, Madam Speaker, all of the growth that we have been celebrating is coming from cruise passengers that spend less than $75 per person. Those visitors that spend more than $2000 per person did not grow at all.”

However, Tourism Minister Chester Cooper countered that stopover arrivals grew by 17 percent last year compared to 2022 and 3.5 percent over 2019.