Last Year Was Record-Smashing for The Bahamas: 12.5 Million Visitors
by Bruce Parkinson
Bahamas tourism is on a roll.
The 12.5 million visitors to The Bahamas in 2025 was the highest total ever recorded.
The island archipelago’s tourism officials say the milestone firmly positions The Bahamas “as one of the world’s leading tourism destinations and reflects sustained global demand, decisive leadership, and a tourism strategy delivering tangible economic impact across the country.”
This achievement caps a period of exceptional performance for Bahamian tourism. Visitor arrivals grew 11.4% year-over-year, surpassing 2024’s record and exceeding pre-pandemic 2019 levels by more than 70%.
Canada continues to emerge as one of The Bahamas’ fastest-growing stopover markets, with year-round arrivals now surpassing pre-pandemic levels, driven by strong demand – especially from Ontario and Quebec — and expanding airline service.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, the Hon. I. Chester Cooper, emphasized the national importance of the milestone:
“Tourism continues to be a powerful engine of economic growth, delivering jobs, investment, and opportunity for Bahamians across our islands. While we are proud of this performance, our focus remains on sustaining growth responsibly and ensuring that the benefits of tourism continue to strengthen communities throughout the country.”
Cruise tourism is the driving force in The Bahamas, accounting for 86.5% of total arrivals. Sea arrivals exceeded 10.6 million visitors, representing a 14% increase year-over-year and nearly double 2019 levels.
Several islands delivered standout performances, underscoring the breadth of tourism growth across the archipelago. Abaco recorded its highest total visitor arrivals on record, welcoming just south of 520,000 visitors in 2025. This milestone was driven by record-breaking sea arrivals and reflects sustained demand for the island’s distinctive Out Island experiences, reinforcing Abaco’s continued recovery and long-term tourism potential.
Grand Bahama’s tourism resurgence in 2025 was driven by expanded and sustained airlift, marking a major inflection point for the island’s economy.
For the first time in more than 22 years, total arrivals surpassed one million, reaching approximately 1.1 million through December. Air arrivals increased 20% year-over-year compared to 2024 and exceeded pre-pandemic 2019 levels by more than 30%, reflecting renewed airline confidence and a strengthening stopover market.
Officials say this airlift-driven growth has directly benefited hotels, short-term rentals, restaurants, and on-island service providers, reinforcing Grand Bahama’s status as one of the fastest-growing and most compelling tourism rebound stories in The Bahamas and the wider region.
Beyond the major gateways, tourism growth continued to diversify across the Family Islands. Eleuthera recorded nearly 30% growth, while Bimini and the Berry Islands continued to expand their roles as cruise destinations. Nearly 30% of stopover visitors travelled to the Out Islands, strengthening community-based tourism and ensuring that the benefits of growth are shared more broadly across The Bahamas.
Air arrivals remained resilient amid global aviation constraints and weather-related disruptions. Nearly 1.7 million foreign air visitors traveled to The Bahamas, with late-year momentum reflected in year-over-year growth in December.
Stopover tourism continued to demonstrate quality demand, with over 1.8 million stopover visitors recorded during the year.
