Building on a sports tourism initiative that benefitted the country significantly last year, The Bahamas' Ministry of Tourism is moving full steam ahead with its five-year partnership with the Miami Dolphins.
During half-time of the Dolphins home game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe interacted with former Dolphins legendary players and team executives with a view of maintaining strong relationship ties between the two entities. Out of the agreement, the Marino and Friends Bahamas Weekend is returning in 2015, and this time, more activities are planned.
The special weekend, featuring Dolphins Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino and former Dolphins players, is set for February 19-22, 2015. Next year's event will encompass a golf tournament, a youth clinic at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, and a football game with the legends at the stadium, just to name a few.
The minister said that bringing the former players down for their annual getaway is just the beginning of things to come regarding their involvement with the Dolphins.
"The Miami Dolphins is a big brand and when you add in Dan Marino who is one of the bigger brands in the NFL (National Football League), you can see how far reaching this thing is. Our job is to constantly get The Bahamas' name out there," said Minister Wilchcombe during the Dolphins game on Sunday. "To have people like Dan Marino constantly talking about our country, and to match it with Junkanoo Carnival, this weekend has just been fantastic. People have heard about junkanoo and they have heard about carnival and now we have brought the two together. Here this weekend, it's an inducement of sorts, and I think it has been wonderful for our country."
Another key aspect of the partnership is the establishment of the Bahamas Bash Zone of Sun Life Stadium in Miami, the home of the Dolphins. There, sports tourism officials in the Ministry of Tourism have a desk set up where football fans are afforded the opportunity to win great prizes ranging from pens, note pads and key chains to getaway weekend trips to The Bahamas. The entire section on the 100 level of the stadium is adorned with large posters promoting the islands of The Bahamas.
As a special treat at the game this past weekend, some of the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival girls were in attendance and dressed in their junkanoo carnival outfits, giving the Miami Dolphins fan base a taste of what's to come during the event next year. The Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival is set for May 7-9, 2015 in Downtown Nassau and will showcase junkanoo, rake -n- scrape, arts and crafts, Bahamian cuisine, music and visual art just to name a few. This past weekend, football fans were also able to enter a promotion to win a trip to the event in May of next year.
"The relationship is fantastic. The Miami Dolphins have proven to be wonderful partners," said the minister. "Dan Marino and his friends are coming back in February, and they are bringing fans with them as well. It's a part of marketing the Bahamas. We hope to attract hundreds and then thousands, and that will occur as we continue to build the mega events next year. The PGA is coming, we'll have the Grand Bahama Marathon for the first time, the IAAF World Relays is returning to The Bahamas and there will be a major soccer event as well.
"We are going to have a series of events, all intended to promote The Bahamas. That's important for us because we understand that there is competition out there. Our job is to show that The Bahamas has diversity and The Bahamas has hospitality. We must also ensure that the cost of our product meets the quality of our product.
"Cuba has the mystique factor, but in The Bahamas we must provide that service and that hospitality so that when people come they will see that it is better in The Bahamas. People want to come to The Bahamas. We just have to make sure that when they come, we don't let them down."
Bahamasair is proud of its involvement as well, bringing football fans from The Bahamas to South Florida during the season, and transporting visitors to The Bahamas on a regular basis. It's a win-win situation for the Miami Dolphins, The Bahamas' Ministry of Tourism, and the national airline of The Bahamas.
"We are very happy to be involved in this process," said Woodrow Wilson, Bahamasair's Senior Manager of International Sales. "Our objective is to create the synergy between the destination and how you get to the destination. We have provided round-trip tickets for two as a part of the giveaway promoting The Bahamas. That is something that we have partnered with Comfort Suites on Paradise Island, and we're very happy with the returns. With the legends event coming up in February, we're a big part of that. We're providing transportation for not just the Dolphins players who are coming in, but also the fans who want to come to The Bahamas as well."
During Dolphins home games, advertisements on the islands of The Bahamas are played on the big screens, and also flash across the electronic strips inside the stadium. As for the game itself this past Sunday, there was Bahamian flavor on both sides. Teddy Bridgewater, the rookie starting quarterback for the Vikings apparently has Bahamian roots, and the Dolphins is unquestionably the most popular professional American football team in The Bahamas. For Bridgewater, it was a bittersweet homecoming for the South Florida native, passing for 259 yards and two scores on 19-for-26 passing, but his Vikings lost the game 37-35, courtesy of a last minute blocked punt and ensuing safety from Dolphins' rookie defensive end and special teams player Terrence Fede.
The Dolphins is just one of the South Florida professional franchises the Ministry of Tourism has taken special interest in over the past two years. Both the Florida Panthers and Miami Heat have ventured into The Bahamas. The Panthers came in for field hockey clinic at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium earlier this year, and the Heat held their 2013 training camp at the Atlantis Resort here on Paradise Island. Also, the Ministry of Tourism is reaching out to other Florida teams such as the Orlando Magic and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
According to reports, the Florida Marlins and New York Yankees have also been contacted.
"What we want to do is basically monopolize the South Florida area," said Director of Sports Tourism in the ministry Greg Rolle. "Right now, we are reaching out to the Dolphins and their fan base. Moving forward there will be more be opportunities for The Bahamas. A part of the minister's vision is to work from the top and come down. This is bringing huge sports markets to The Bahamas. People know about The Bahamas now. We are working with the Dolphins and seeing how we could better impact the touristic numbers of The Bahamas, and our partnership will grow with other teams as well."
There is no doubt that The Bahamas is currently experienceing a sports tourism bonanza. The inaugural International Association of Athletic Federations' (IAAF) World Relay Championships were held in The Bahamas this year, and is set to return in 2015 and 2017, the Pure Silk-Bahamas Classic has become an annual stop on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour, and as the minister mentioned, the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) is also coming to The Bahamas as the Tiger Woods Foundation and Tavistock Group have announced that the Hero World Challenge will take place at the Albany Resort in 2015.
The inaugural Popeyes Bahamas Bowl, a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) postseason game featuring the Central Michigan Chippewas and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, will be held tomorrow at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. These are just some of the sports tourism events that have taken the country by storm in recent times.
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