Ministry of Tourism sees tourism potential for area

State Senator Tony Hill reported to Historic City News that he recently hosted an economic development delegation of 40 dignitaries from the Ministry of Tourism of the Bahamas on a vision tour in various Florida counties; including St. Johns County.

Freedom Road spokesman, Derek Boyd Hankerson, part of the delegation, reported that the Bahamians were “in awe of our American history and they are curious to learn more about the ties between Florida and Bahamas.”

Senator Hill said, “We have an opportunity to build shared tourism and two-way trade with the Bahamas through our airports and seaports.”

The trip served as a catalyst to build an economic partnership within our region and to share ideas with the Bahamian tourism staff for their on-going effort to make Clifton Heritage National Park in the Bahamas an international heritage site.

Historically, speaking 85% of the Bahamian population is of African heritage, with two-thirds of the population residing in Nassau. Many ancestors accompanied thousands of British loyalists who fled the American colonies during the Revolutionary War, such as the Rolle family from East Palatka.

Today, many Bahamians share the last name Rolle from Denys Rolle of East Palatka who moved to the Bahamas after the American Revolution. St Augustinians know British settlers from here founded Hopetown, the first capitol of the Bahamas.

These Loyalists and new settlers from Britain brought their slaves, their colonial building skills, and agricultural expertise until 1834, when Britain abolished slavery. Presently, Haitians form the largest immigrant community in The Bahamas, to include a concentrated population in New Providence, Abaco, and the Eleuthera Islands.

The delegation visited Northeast Florida Regional Airport at St. Augustine, Fort Mose, Disney World, Edward Waters College, The Ritz Theatre, American Beach, Kingsley Plantation and the Palatka Chamber of Commerce, with a focus on economic development, culture, and heritage tourism.

“We will bring our Bahamian and Haitian Friends back to St. Augustine for the 2011 Junkanoo Festival,” Hill said. “We will be arranging lodging, tours, and shopping trips in St. Augustine.”