Photo:  Zane Kerby, President and CEO of ASTA, Dupree Smith General Manager, BTO Houston, Tina Lee-Anderson, Senior Regional Manager in BTO US Sales-Plantation,and Sarah Little, Vice President of Business Development ASTA

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation has been honored as International Destination Partner of the Year by the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA). The award is recognition for the hard work, focus, and innovation that the Ministry has put into building a strong relationship and growing its partnership with ASTA over the past year.

"We feel privileged to be named as ASTA's International Destination Partner of the Year, and to be recognized by dedicated professionals whose work is vital to the continued growth of the travel industry in our region and beyond," said the Honourable .I Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation for the Bahamas.

Presented at ASTA's 2024 Travel Advisor Conference held in Dallas, Texas in May, the award for Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation was determined by ASTA members, who vote each year to recognize partners that best support the organization's overall mission of facilitating the business of selling travel through effective representation, shared knowledge, and enhancement of professionalism.

Noted Latia Duncombe, Director General of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. Investments & Aviation: "This achievement is a tremendous honor that validates our dedication to excellence and partnership within the global travel industry. It increases our visibility and strengthens our relationships with travel advisors, all of which contribute to higher visitor numbers and greater investment in our tourism sector. We applaud the collective efforts of our local and regional teams who have actively engaged with ASTA through participation in conferences, local chapter meetings, events and familiarization trips to contribute to our success in receiving this prestigious award."