Travel Courier was on location in Nassau to take part in the 50th celebrations
ANN RUPPENSTEIN
Leading up to the 50th anniversary of its independence on July 10, The Bahamas was in celebration mode with special events taking place across the 16-island destination.
“The immense pride that I, alongside my Bahamian brothers and sisters, experienced this Independence Day, was seen, heard and felt throughout each of our 16 islands,” said I. Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation. “On our day of independence, 10 July and every day after, we celebrate our people, culture and natural beauty that has shaped our country into what it is today.”
At 2:00 a.m. on July 11, the party was just getting started as locals and visitors alike lined downtown Bay Street to experience a special 50th Independence People’s Junkanoo Rush. Typically taking place on Boxing Day and on New Year’s Day, the Junkanoo parade features hundreds of local participants in colourful costumes, shaking cowbells and pounding goat-skinned drums.
“We are very proud of our culture. Junkanoo is a small part of our culture but it speaks to the vitality, the energy and passion of our people,” Cooper told Travel Courier. “It fuses art, music, and culture in a very authentic way that connects us to our ancestry.”
The president of The Republic of Rwanda, Prime Ministers from Haiti and Grenada and congresswoman Maxine Waters were just some of the dignitaries taking part in celebrations like an Ecumenical Service, Military Tattoo & Cultural Show, along with media such as Travel Courier.
“Independence was and is, a state of mind, an attitude, a conviction, that we will faithfully discharge the weighty responsibilities of sovereignty and self-determination,” Bahamas’ Prime Minister Philip Davis said. “Independence was the first big step on the long journey that continues to take our nation forward and upward.”
Meanwhile, iconic sites around North America also reflected the colours of the Bahamian flag from Niagara Falls to the CN Tower to the Empire State Building.
“We are very proud of our country,” added Cooper. “It’s been 50 years of independence and we are extremely proud of the country we’ve built. We’ve been in the tourism industry just as long. Tourism continues to be our mainstay, it continues to contribute 60% to our overall GDP.”
The Bahamas’ tourism economy has experienced a transformative year leading up to its golden anniversary, having welcomed more than 4.2 million travellers to its shores through May, on track to meeting the goal of 8 million visitors in 2023.
“There is so much to experience every day throughout the Islands of The Bahamas, but this year, a visit is made even more special with the ongoing celebration of our 50th Anniversary of Independence igniting a renewed sense of energy to the destination,” said Latia Duncombe, Director General of Tourism, Investments & Aviation.
