Emirates signs initial pact to support visitor arrivals to the Bahamas

The airline and Bahamas’ tourism ministry will work on joint initiatives to boost visitor traffic into the islands from key markets across Emirates’ network

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, Emirates Group chairman and chief executive, and Tony Joudi, Ambassador of the Bahamas to the UAE and Qatar, at the signing ceremony. Photo: Emirates

Emirates has signed a preliminary deal with the Bahamas to promote tourism to the Caribbean archipelago, allowing the airline to make use of its codeshare partnerships recently signed with United Airlines and Air Canada.

The airline will work team up with the Bahamas’ Ministry of Tourism on joint promotional campaigns to boost traffic from key markets across its network, it said on Tuesday.

“Through our partnerships with United and Air Canada, we look forward to playing a key role in promoting the Bahamas as a key leisure destination,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, Emirates Group chairman and chief executive.

“Our global customers from across our network can enjoy Emirates’ services to our points in North America and benefit from enhanced connectivity and access to the islands.”

Emirates plans to expand its air connectivity as demand for passenger travel comes rebounds three years after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The airline signed a flurry of codeshare partnerships last year with carriers that include Air Canada, United Airlines in the US, Greece's Aegean Airlines and Portugal's TAP.

The partnership will help the Bahamas to reach its goal to boost the number of tourists to the islands, said Tony Joudi, ambassador of the Bahamas to the UAE and Qatar.

“Emirates is a facilitator of global connectivity and links the East with the West, and we look forward to working closely with the airline to help us achieve our tourism targets,” Mr Joudi said.

“The economy, at large, will benefit from a further boost to tourism, and our country has made significant investments in infrastructure to accommodate the anticipated boom in tourism.”

Spread across 16 major islands, the Bahamas' beaches and shorelines make it one of the most popular tourism destinations in the Caribbean, offering visitors a mix of leisure and cultural activities.

The agreement will entail marketing activities such as media and trade trips in the first quarter of 2023, and the development of tailor-made packages, through Emirates Holidays, the airline's operating arm.

Both parties will also explore opportunities to collaborate on advertising campaigns to promote the West Indies destination.

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Emirates Airline through the years - in pictures

Emirates' first flights in October 1985 used leased aircraft. Photo: Emirates

An Emirates A380 in flight. Photo: Emirates

Emirates Premium Economy is the airline's newest cabin class. DXB Terminal 3, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Skydiver and stuntwoman Nicole Smith-Ludvik stars in Emirates' latest ad campaign at the top of the Burj Khalifa. Emirates

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, takes a tour of the Emirates A380 airliner during the opening ceremony at Dubai Airshow in November 2013. AFP

Airbus workers celebrate in front of the Airbus A380 on July 28, 2008 in Hamburg, Germany. The world's largest passenger liner was built for Emirates airline. Getty Images

Terminal 3, the exclusive terminal for Emirates airline, was opened in 2008. Photo: Emirates

Emirates chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, in November 2001, with a model of the Airbus A3XX superjumbo jet (now known as the A380) at the Farnborough Air Show. Reuters

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Emirates currently flies to 12 destinations in the US, in addition to Toronto, Canada.

Its customers from across its global network can fly to US destinations such as Houston, Chicago or Newark before connecting to Nassau on United Airlines, thanks to the partnership between the airlines.

Travellers can also fly to the Bahamas via Toronto aboard Air Canada, which activated its codeshare partnership with Emirates in November.

While the majority of traffic to the Bahamas comprises travellers from the US and Canada, the destination also attracts tourists from other international destinations in Emirates’ network, including the UAE, Greece, India, China, the Philippines and Singapore.

Currently, Emirates customers can connect to Nassau on Air Canada codeshare flights via Toronto and from major US airports such as Houston, Newark and Chicago on inter-line flights with United.