By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

THE Tourism Development Corporation has announced an expansion of its tourism incubator centres following the launch of its pilot site on Shirley Street.

New centres are slated for Grand Bahama’s Royal Towers on the Mall Drive and Exuma to enhance Bahamian entrepreneurship and elevating visitor experiences with all-local vendors.

The incubation centre, launched in March, is an initiative to provide Bahamian artisans with a platform to display and sell products that celebrate the country’s rich culture and heritage. At Wednesday’s open house, members of the public were welcomed to explore offerings from 12 local vendors.

Ian Ferguson, Executive Director and CEO of the Tourism Development Corporation, described the centre as a “beautiful mix” of local art, straw work, books by over 200 Bahamian authors, and more. He encouraged Bahamians to support their artisans with the holiday season approaching, urging locals to “come into their pocketbooks” to help sustain Bahamian talent.

“This is our opportunity to provide 12 authentically Bahamian brands, the opportunity to display their authentic Bahamian craft,” Mr Ferguson said.

“You will see that it is a wide beautiful mix of creative art to straw work to wonderful things that children can enjoy.”

Parliamentarians joined the deputy prime minister in exploring the vendors on display. Mr Cooper expressed to them that “we’re not just talking the talk, we’re walking the walk.” He explained that part of the $2 per passenger Tourism Development Levy funds these centres, demonstrating progress in advancing local business.

“We will advance the attractiveness of the port and the destination when our guests can find authentically Bahamian-made goods and they can experience our art, our culture, our heritage — things that they can buy and see and do in Nassau that they can’t see anywhere else,” Mr Cooper said. “It’s really what is going to improve, really the charm of this destination.”

Mr Cooper emphasised plans to expand the centres rapidly and urged Bahamians to “buy-in” and support this growing initiative. “This is only the beginning,” he added. “We want people to know what we’re doing. And most importantly, we want them to come and shop.”