"Good evening, everyone.

It is a blessing to see so many familiar faces, in such a beautiful setting.

On my way here, I was reflecting on how this impressive monument came about.

Though its name calls back to Queen Victoria, whose reign began as slavery in the British Empire ended, the Queen’s Staircase was carved by enslaved persons of African descent. We may not know their names, or how many toiled to produce this masterpiece, but we can admire and honour their handiwork, which has survived some 230 years.  

The origin story of the sixty-six steps may not be news to many of you.

We Bahamians, after all, tend to know our history well.

We have a good memory – maybe even too good!

Too few of our visitors, however, leave our shores with a similar level of awareness.

This has to do with the tourism model we inherited.

Caribbean vacations have long been framed as escapes – as opportunities to ‘forget it all’. Many tourists come here, as a result, just to relax.

While it’s perfectly fine that some visitors fall in this category, it should not be true for all.

New, multi-pronged approaches will be fundamental if our tourism product is to remain compelling and competitive.

But innovation is not just better for tourists, it is also better for Bahamians. And I am not only talking in economic terms. We must guarantee that, first and foremost, our service industries serve us.

The model that crystallised as the Royal Victoria Hotel opened its doors in 1861 did not guarantee Bahamian empowerment. And later models did not sufficiently account for emerging trends, like rising interest in culinary, wellness, and ecotourism.

The new model outlined in our ‘Blueprint for Change’ takes all this into account.

It incentivises Bahamian-owned ventures, and foregrounds Bahamian culture. It also recognises the importance of heritage tourism, which is booming all around the world.

There’s no reason it shouldn’t be booming in The Bahamas, too.

Rejuvenating the Queen’s Staircase is just the start. The Water Tower and Fort Fincastle are on the way!

I commend the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board (NPIPB) for getting the ball rolling with their sizable  investment into the tangible cultural heritage of The Bahamas.

I look forward to more private sector entities playing a part in the restoration and upkeep of heritage sites throughout our shared archipelago.  

I also extend my sincere appreciation to the Antiquities Monuments and Museums Corporation (AMMC), the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Works, Atlantis, Elevation Plumbing, and all the Bahamian-owned businesses that contributed to the success of this project. Baha Mar as well.

My friends, as a nation blessed with a storied past, we stand to gain so much from a new era of heritage tourism. Here we have the sixty-six steps, but I can easily name sixty-six more historical sights on the island of New Providence alone.

Let us celebrate and safeguard them all. Let us show our pride by keeping them clean.

To close, I have heard it said that in our region, the sea is History.

But ladies and gentlemen, let it be known that so is the land.

Thank you and God bless you all." 

"Good evening, everyone. It is a blessing to see so many familiar faces, in such a beautiful setting. On my way here, I was reflecting on how this impressive monument came about. Though its name calls back to Queen Victoria, whose reign began as slavery in the British Empire ended, the Queen’s Staircase was carved by enslaved persons of African descent. We may not know their names, or how many toiled to produce this masterpiece, but we can admire and honour their handiwork, which has survived some 230 years.   The origin story of the sixty-six steps may not be news to many of you. We Bahamians, after all, tend to know our history well. We have a good memory – maybe even too good! Too few of our visitors, however, leave our shores with a similar level of awareness. This has to do with the tourism model we inherited. Caribbean vacations have long been framed as escapes – as opportunities to ‘forget it all’. Many tourists come here, as a result, just to relax. While it’s perfectly fine that some visitors fall in this category, it should not be true for all. New, multi-pronged approaches will be fundamental if our tourism product is to remain compelling and competitive. But innovation is not just better for tourists, it is also better for Bahamians. And I am not only talking in economic terms. We must guarantee that, first and foremost, our service industries serve us. The model that crystallised as the Royal Victoria Hotel opened its doors in 1861 did not guarantee Bahamian empowerment. And later models did not sufficiently account for emerging trends, like rising interest in culinary, wellness, and ecotourism. The new model outlined in our ‘Blueprint for Change’ takes all this into account. It incentivises Bahamian-owned ventures, and foregrounds Bahamian culture. It also recognises the importance of heritage tourism, which is booming all around the world. There’s no reason it shouldn’t be booming in The Bahamas, too. Rejuvenating the Queen’s Staircase is just the start. The Water Tower and Fort Fincastle are on the way! I commend the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board (NPIPB) for getting the ball rolling with their sizable  investment into the tangible cultural heritage of The Bahamas. I look forward to more private sector entities playing a part in the restoration and upkeep of heritage sites throughout our shared archipelago.   I also extend my sincere appreciation to the Antiquities Monuments and Museums Corporation (AMMC), the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Works, Atlantis, Elevation Plumbing, and all the Bahamian-owned businesses that contributed to the success of this project. Baha Mar as well. My friends, as a nation blessed with a storied past, we stand to gain so much from a new era of heritage tourism. Here we have the sixty-six steps, but I can easily name sixty-six more historical sights on the island of New Providence alone. Let us celebrate and safeguard them all. Let us show our pride by keeping them clean. To close, I have heard it said that in our region, the sea is History. But ladies and gentlemen, let it be known that so is the land. Thank you and God bless you all." 

Heads of Agreement (HOA) has been signed between The Bahamas Government and Royal Caribbean International (RCI) for the construction of RCI's $165 million dollar Royal Beach Club Paradise Island.

The HOA signing took place at the Office of the Prime Minister Monday morning, just moments before RCI principals and government officials hosted a ground-breaking ceremony for the 17-acre development on Paradise Island which is slated to open in 2025.

Heads of Agreement (HOA) has been signed between The Bahamas Government and Royal Caribbean International (RCI) for the construction of RCI's $165 million dollar Royal Beach Club Paradise Island. The HOA signing took place at the Office of the Prime Minister Monday morning, just moments before RCI principals and government officials hosted a ground-breaking ceremony for the 17-acre development on Paradise Island which is slated to open in 2025.

The Bahamas Motor Sports Association (BMSA) is excited to encourages youth of all ages to “Come 2 Race” at the start of their 5-day educational program, Edu-Karting, on April 13th. This event was initiated with a goal to bring awareness to young students about the importance of road safety while also teaching them valuable team building and business skills.

The event is set to take place at the Bahamas Motorsport Park and will be showcasing five professional race karts that were used in Formula One by well-known champion drivers, namely Sir Lewis Hamilton, that will be available for interested go-kart enthusiasts to try out. A Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) simulator for e-racing will also be available to experience the real-life thrills of driving on a racetrack.

“We were invited last year to the e-sports Olympics in Singapore for e-racing. With the simulator this year, we are now able to send someone to participate in this Olympic event from The Bahamas. Thats one of the things that we are trying to achieve with this event” says Vice President BMSA, Susan Schauff.

Karting has come a long way in The Bahamas since the first World Karting Championships was hosted here in 1959. In 2013, BMSA’s Edu-Karting was developed as a crowdfunded program by David McLaughlin and has welcomed a growing number of students aged 10-16,  giving them a safe, educational, and enjoyable outlet to do something out-of-the-box. Many students who have been brought up in the program years ago have now returned to the track to mentor and teach this new generation of drivers.

Currently there are over 800 students involved in the program.

With road accidents being the 13th leading cause of death in The Bahamas, Edu-Karting makes it a point to emphasize how important it is to learn safe driving. So much so that students are taught the fundamentals of road safety on the first day of the program.

BMSA proudly supports the FIA ‘Action for Road Safety’ campaign, that was created in support of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. Out of this campaign, the hashtag #3500Lives was born and brings attention to crucial road safety rules such as obeying the speed limit, buckling up, checking your tyres, and don’t text and drive, just to name a few.

“Motorsport is a business in itself and its a team sport” Schauff explains. “Everybody on their team will a significant role, one will be a driver, one will be a mechanic, one will be in charge of the finances, one will be the public relations and marketing person and another will be the team captain. Everybody here is important, it doesn’t matter if you live in Fox Hill, Nassau Village or in The Grove, we want all of these kids to have a chance to do something else.”

The event will take place from 11am to 4pm this Saturday, April 13th, and donations to drive will be accepted starting as low as $10.

The Bahamas Motor Sports Association (BMSA) is excited to encourages youth of all ages to “Come 2 Race” at the start of their 5-day educational program, Edu-Karting, on April 13th. This event was initiated with a goal to bring awareness to young students about the importance of road safety while also teaching them valuable team building and business skills. The event is set to take place at the Bahamas Motorsport Park and will be showcasing five professional race karts that were used in Formula One by well-known champion drivers, namely Sir Lewis Hamilton, that will be available for interested go-kart enthusiasts to try out. A Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) simulator for e-racing will also be available to experience the real-life thrills of driving on a racetrack. “We were invited last year to the e-sports Olympics in Singapore for e-racing. With the simulator this year, we are now able to send someone to participate in this Olympic event from The Bahamas. Thats one of the things that we are trying to achieve with this event” says Vice President BMSA, Susan Schauff. Karting has come a long way in The Bahamas since the first World Karting Championships was hosted here in 1959. In 2013, BMSA’s Edu-Karting was developed as a crowdfunded program by David McLaughlin and has welcomed a growing number of students aged 10-16,  giving them a safe, educational, and enjoyable outlet to do something out-of-the-box. Many students who have been brought up in the program years ago have now returned to the track to mentor and teach this new generation of drivers. Currently there are over 800 students involved in the program. With road accidents being the 13th leading cause of death in The Bahamas, Edu-Karting makes it a point to emphasize how important it is to learn safe driving. So much so that students are taught the fundamentals of road safety on the first day of the program. BMSA proudly supports the FIA ‘Action for Road Safety’ campaign, that was created in support of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. Out of this campaign, the hashtag #3500Lives was born and brings attention to crucial road safety rules such as obeying the speed limit, buckling up, checking your tyres, and don’t text and drive, just to name a few. “Motorsport is a business in itself and its a team sport” Schauff explains. “Everybody on their team will a significant role, one will be a driver, one will be a mechanic, one will be in charge of the finances, one will be the public relations and marketing person and another will be the team captain. Everybody here is important, it doesn’t matter if you live in Fox Hill, Nassau Village or in The Grove, we want all of these kids to have a chance to do something else.” The event will take place from 11am to 4pm this Saturday, April 13th, and donations to drive will be accepted starting as low as $10.

The Total Solar Eclipse over Nassau today at 3pm.