The Bahamas tourism sector is experiencing exceptional growth across its islands, with 2024 having unprecedented success for tourism and cruise arrivals. Recommend attended a recent industry briefing at Miami’s Seatrade Cruise Global, where Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Chester Cooper shared the good news with travel partners.
“You would know already that 2024 has been the best year ever in tourism in The Bahamas. In terms of arrivals, you would know that it’s been the best year ever in terms of cruise arrivals in The Bahamas,” said Cooper, noting that investor confidence is at an all-time high. The numbers are impressive, with the Bahamas welcoming 11.2 million visitors in 2024, representing a 17 percent increase over 2023. Cooper highlighted that “the cruise industry contributed an impressive $1 billion in direct cruise expenditure” plus additional benefits through salaries, jobs, businesses and taxes.
The growth is even more remarkable compared to pre-pandemic figures. “We have increased our overall arrivals in 2024 in the cruise sector by 55 percent,” Cooper stated, adding that “In January this year alone, there were nearly 1 million cruise arrivals.”
The Bahamas: The Cays Have It
The Bahamas currently maintains 25 ports across its islands, including Nassau, Freeport, Bimini and various cruise line private destinations such as Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve and Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. Several significant port projects are reshaping the cruise landscape.
Carnival Cruise Line’s Celebration Cay in Grand Bahama represents one of the most significant developments. Minister Ginger Moxey of Grand Bahama explained, “The $600 million celebration key by Carnival opening this July 2025 is expected to welcome up to 4 million guests by 2028.”
Cooper elaborated that Celebration Cay will be “the first ever exclusive destination being purpose built for Carnival Cruise Lines guests, and the largest Carnival port in the world. The port will be able to accommodate up to four of Carnival’s Excel Class ships simultaneously and is capable of welcoming at least 2 million guests each year.”
Norwegian Cruise Line is making similar investments. “This past January, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings broke ground on a cruise pier in Great Stirrup Cay,” said Cooper. “This $150 million project will allow two large ships to dock simultaneously. The pier will enhance ship accessibility for Norwegian Cruise Lines, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.”
Royal Caribbean (RCL) is developing a beach club near Nassau Port, which is expected to be completed by late 2025. “RCL is building a magnificent beach club in the Nassau port vicinity; it is expected to be completed by the end of 2025,” Cooper noted. Additionally, “MSC Cruises has joined with Royal Caribbean Group in Freeport Harbor. Development is still in the planning stages.”
Half Moon Cay will see significant upgrades by summer 2026. “The new pier will allow ships to dock, including Carnival’s Excel class ships that will be able to visit the island for the first time,” Cooper explained. “Upgrades will also include an expanded beachfront experience, lunch venues, variety of bars and other features.”
A key component of these developments is sustainability, particularly in energy infrastructure. Mike Maura, CEO of Nassau Cruise Port, detailed plans for green energy: “We will be building a power plant right here, which will be a LNG hybrid hydrogen power plant. And we will then be running a cable to Nassau Cruise Port so that we can offer shore power to all of the ships. That should be completed by the end of 2026.”
Nassau Cruise Port itself continues to evolve. Maura explained that the port is “the single largest tourism gateway to the country” and will welcome “about 6.1 million people this year.” The port is 51 percent owned by Bahamian shareholders who have “already seen over a 40 percent return on their investment of just three years ago.”
Beyond cruise infrastructure, The Bahamas is seeing substantial investment in luxury hotels. “We are building new touristic hotel infrastructure, Bulgari, Four Seasons, Rosewood, Park Hyatt,” Cooper stated. “Next week we’ll be breaking ground for the Ritz-Carlton Reserve in South Eleuthera at Cotton Bay.”
Minister Moxey highlighted additional developments on Grand Bahama, including “the $80 million cruise development at Freeport Harbor for a cruise port and water park project by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and MSC cruises and the $665 million transformation of the Grand Bahamas Shipyard that will result in two additional world class floating docks to retain our shipyard as the largest cruise ship repair facility in the world. These developments are intentional and purposeful.”
These developments have helped Grand Bahama become “the fastest growing Bahama Island destination for visitor arrivals in 2023 and second only to our sister island in 2024,” according to Moxey.
Cooper emphasized the diversity of the Bahamian product: “We have a diverse product of 16 unique, magnificent island destinations, and we’re investing in all of them.” He noted that over the last three years, The Bahamas has attracted more than $11 billion of new foreign direct investments, underscoring Caribbean Journal’s declaration of the Bahamas as “the top touristic destination in the Caribbean.”
For more information, visit bahamas.com.
