Tourism officials are looking to take a bite out of the Big Apple through an aggressive multimillion-dollar advertising campaign. Obie Wilchcombe, minister of tourism, told Guardian Business that the New York area is one of the country's leading markets. "There's about 30 percent to 40 percent, maybe even more, coming from that area because in general many of them are coming from the eastern seaboard. New York is a place that continues to be that general middle area for travel and that's why it's one of the hot spots," he said. The Ministry of Tourism's "Behold" advertising campaign hit Rockefeller Center's subway station.

Several advertisements are splattered on the walls, and they will remain there until May 5. "What you're seeing in Times Square and Rockefeller Center, there are billboards up in the subway stations. You're going to see The Bahamas out there and our Behold campaign - 'It's better in The Bahamas' - with Rick Fox, Shakara Ledard and David Copperfield. It's where you get to see the beauty of the country, reminding people about The Bahamas. You're also going to see it in print because it will be in magazines as well," Wilchcombe explained. "Even in Florida, you will see on the highways, I-95 and others billboards as well.

It's all a part of our unfolding campaign that we are hoping to run for the entire year, which includes a digital platform. We have billboards and other information out on the digital platform. We are also focusing heavily on social media. In addition to that, we are hoping to soon add our radio component so that every day you will be able to hear about The Bahamas." According to New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), nearly 60,000 people passed through Rockefeller Center every day in 2012. Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings and considered to be one of the top attractions in New York City.

"It's a part of our strategy to get The Bahamas brand out there particularly given the fact that we are showing tremendous signs of growth in the industry and the desires of the potential travelers. At the end of the day, it's all a part of the $15 million campaign," the tourism minister pointed out. He estimates that $295,000 has been spent to run all the billboards in New York, Miami and other major cities. "If we are able to get the message out, get more business particularly from the east coast, it's going to help our numbers. We are seeing a growth in leisure travel, groups, specific areas like sports and religious tourism.

So we're out there and ensuring that we get our campaign in the minds and thoughts of the potential visitor," Wilchcombe noted. "We are seeing emerging markets all over America. In fact, you are going to be surprised to see cities like Houston and Dallas are showing signs where we are seeing a growth of interest. This is why running a national campaign is fundamentally important. When you see Texas and the interest that's being drawn from the campaign, you're beginning to see that there is a trend and it's something that we want to maintain." Wilchcombe felt that The Bahamas is showing growth.

The minister has continued to classify The Bahamas as a leading destination for the Caribbean. According to a recent report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), however, the country is increasingly being seen as a high-cost destination. In response, The Bahamas' advertising campaign has tried to market the country as unique, exotic and glamorous. The "Behold" campaign started to gain momentum during the Super Bowl last year, when NBA star Rick Fox, supermodel Shakara Ledard and illusionist David Copperfield appeared in a commercial staged in the Family Islands. T

he Ministry of Tourism was criticized because the commercial was only seen in nearby Florida. Since then, however, the campaign has expanded up north. The Ministry of Tourism intends to have year-round advertising presence, rolling out a series of television, magazine, billboard and online advertisements. On May 6, the campaign moves to Grand Central Station in New York, the world's largest train station. The MTA recorded an average of more than 150,000 in passenger load through Grand Central last year.

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