While congratulating Carnival Cruises for “50 years of excellence as a giant in the cruise industry,” Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis said, on March 10, 2022, that the company had defined what it meant to cruise the open seas in style, for half a century.
“What’s even more interesting is that Carnival as a company is older than an independent Bahamas by one year,” Prime Minister Davis said, during a ceremony held in Pompey Square, Downtown Nassau, in The Bahamas.
“In a sense, we have both grown up together,” he added. “I’d like to believe that both The Bahamas and Carnival have accomplished a great deal in those 50 years. And we’ve shared quite a number of those years actively working together – we have literally grown in size, prosperity, and age together.
Prime Minister Davis noted: “The years have flown by. I guess time flies by when you’re having fun – and very few companies can lay claim to the mantle of fun the way that Carnival can — very few experiences have come to define ‘fun’ the way a Carnival Cruise through The Bahamas has for a generation of travelers.”
He said that, whether stopping in Nassau, Grand Bahama, Bimini, Half Moon Cay, or the Princess Cays, Carnival has made investments throughout The Bahamas.
“We often talk about the need to not be so Nassau-centric in our approach to national development, especially when it comes to tourism, and Carnival is a stellar example of what successful, geographically diverse investments can look like,” Prime Minister Davis said. “This is especially critical on islands like Grand Bahama, where investments are needed to stimulate the local economy.”
He noted that he was personally looking forward to the Carnival Cruise Line Port in Grand Bahama, as well as the new multi-cruise line partnership for a shipyard that would provide opportunities for local residents.
“As my administration seeks to expand the blue economy, and increase local opportunities within the sector, investments like these operate at the intersection of tourism and the blue economy, allowing us to leverage our coasts and waters for the mutual benefit of our people and investors alike,” he added. “These kinds of investments are what will allow us to take our first steps confidently into robust and sustainable development of our blue resources.”
Prime Minister Davis pointed out that The Bahamas’ tourism model was quite unique, in that it had strategically pursued increased cruise arrivals for decades, with cruises making up a “surprisingly robust segment” of its tourism market compared to other countries in the region.
“Cruise lines make major contributions to our economy and Carnival has been with us every step of the way,” he said. “We have survived major hurricanes and economic downturns together.”
“We are both currently rebounding from a global pandemic that has impacted the global cruise industry in many of the same ways that it has impacted tourism- dependent economies like ours,” he added. “And here we are, once again fighting through these circumstances together.”
Prime Minister Davis said that he looked forward to continued successes as “we move forward into a better, brighter future”.
“It is my hope that 50 years from now, as Carnival celebrates its 100th year of existence and The Bahamas prepares to celebrate its 100th year, that it will be a story that is every bit as successful as the past 50 years have been for both of us,” he said.
“Once again, congratulations, and may our next 50 be even greater than our first 50 together.”
By: Eric Rose/Bahamas Information Services
