National

Canadian Market Fuels 2025 Growth, Momentum Expected To Continue

NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS – As tourism arrivals hit record levels in 2025, government is pushing back against critics, while pointing to what it calls a clear bright spot in the numbers.

Published

4 weeks ago

January 29, 2026

Kendeno Knowles

NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS – As tourism arrivals hit record levels in 2025, government is pushing back against critics, while pointing to what it calls a clear bright spot in the numbers.

The tourism minister says strong airlift, targeted marketing and sustained engagement are paying off, with Canadian visitors now playing a bigger role in the country’s tourism mix.

Our News Anchor Kendeno Knowles tells us how officials say the data tells that story.

“Madam Speaker, Canada is a bright spot, and I want the House to understand why that matters.” – Tourism Minister Chester Cooper

Coming off a record-breaking year that saw more than 12.5M visitors come to The Bahamas, The Ministry of Tourism is now zeroing in on where some of the most strategic growth is coming from.

Canada.

In a communication to the House of Assembly Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Aviation and Investments, Chester COoper said, Canadian stopover arrivals surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

The minister linked that performance directly to airlift, Pointing to new and expanded routes as proof that tourism marketing is delivering what he says are tangible results.

“Our ministry statistics note plainly that by December year end twenty twenty-five, stopover arrivals from Canada outperformed twenty twenty-four and surpassed twenty nineteen with the launch of our flights by Porter Airlines and increased airlift by WestJet and Air Canada.”

Cooper described that growth as a return on investment, arguing that strategic route development and consistent engagement with the market are translating into real business for the country.

“That is what marketing return on investment looks like. It’s airlift. It’s route development. It is sustained engagement. and it’s a serious marketing machinery delivering real business and real results.”

The minister told parliament that government expects that momentum to continue.

“Canada now accounts for seven percent of stopover business in twenty twenty-five, and we anticipate that this momentum will continue in line with our strategy.”

But, even as he highlighted those gains, Cooper used the communication to push back against what he described as a negative national narrative surrounding tourism success.

Without naming anyone directly, he suggested some criticism is driven less by data and more by politics.

“The idea that national success should be treated as a political inconvenience is not patriotism. This record performance in tourism is not a small feat. It reflects sustained global demand, a strong brand, and a tourism strategy that’s delivering economic impact across the country.”