The Bahamas is up, with international arrivals showing a solid growth of +10.2% year-to-date, says The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation.

The growth trend, which first began in October 2017, is being driven by strong performance from the U.S., but a 29.6% increase through July in arrivals from Canada is also a major contributing factor.

Marketing and communications efforts in North America are being credited for increased interest from North Americans, says the Ministry. A new marketing program for 2018-2019 is already underway and is anticipated to help maintain business growth. The tourism forecast for the remainder of 2018 is up 6.7% over the August-October period, with a 10% increase expected for the final two months of the year.

The Ministry also reported historic arrival numbers for Lynden Pindling International Airport, as well as “very strong occupancy rates” at the island’s hotels.