With The Bahamas in Hurricane Irma's path, five cruise ships have rerouted away from ports of The Bahamas to other destinations, according to a Ministry of Tourism (MOT) statement released yesterday.
In addition, hotels and resorts throughout The Bahamas have switched into hurricane mode and are taking precautions to protect visitors and residents "where necessary".
MOT advised that as of yesterday morning, over 4,000 visitors were in The Bahamas, but that amount is expected to change as visitors continue to leave the country ahead of Hurricane Irma. The majority of visitors are expected to leave The Bahamas by this afternoon.
The statement noted that four visitors on the Berry Islands will remain during the passage of the storm, 300 in Exuma, and the last two visitors on Long Island were expected to leave yesterday.
Nassau and Paradise Island had approximately 3,400 visitors as of yesterday morning and Grand Bahama had 658.
MOT pointed out that there are no visitors on Inagua, Acklins, Crooked Island, Mayaguana, Long Cay, Samana Cay and Ragged Island based on reports from the various island administrators.
"The major focus of our preparations is the safety of residents and visitors. There are some visitors who opt to stay with us even through the storm. For those who wish to stay, every measure is being taken by hotels and our tourism offices throughout the islands to ensure their safety and security," the statement read.
The statement added that a tourism command center would serve as a communication center to help "relay information to the world about the state of affairs in The Bahamas".
"The tourism crisis management team is comprised of various department heads within MOT and key industry stakeholders including, Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA), Bahamas Out Island Promotion Board (BOIPB), Grand Bahama Island Promotion Board (GBIPB), Association of Bahamas Marinas, Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD), cruise lines, airlines and other relevant authorities," according to the statement.
"Team members will conduct task force conference calls to keep local and international agencies abreast of developments, including the status of ports of entry.
"Family Islands managers will also maintain regular contact with island administrators, local industry partners and the command center."
Director General of the Ministry of Tourism Joy Jibrilu said, "We are praying for the best outcome and once the all clear is given, we will turn our attention to assisting with recovery efforts, if necessary, and also to sending the message to the world that The Bahamas is once again open for business."

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