This year marks the 30th anniversary of the People-to-People Program in The Bahamas, which matches visitors with Bahamians of similar interests, to enhance the spirit of friendship and understanding of our country and culture.
The program was officially launched in Nassau on Monday, December 15, 1975, by Sir Clement T. Maynard, then Minister of Tourism. The first Coordinator of the program was Telzena Coakley, who implemented the venture for the Ministry of Tourism after completing in-depth research on a similar program in the Caribbean region. She was succeeded by Iris Dean, Melanie Farrington, the late Sylvia Cole, Priscilla Williams and presently Janet Cuffie.
From its inception, People-to-People greatly contributed to enhancing the image of our Tourism product and of the country as a whole. By 1994, the program had moved beyond Nassau to Abaco, Bimini, Eleuthera, Exuma, Grand Bahama Island, and San Salvador.
The Hon. Obediah Wilchcombe, Minister of Tourism, recently remarked that ﾓPeople-to-People is still one of the Ministry of Tourismﾴs more venerable programs, yet its popularity shows no sign of diminishing.ﾒ Janet Cuffie, Sr. Manager, People-to-People, said: ﾓI am proud to be a part of such a positive program. Knowing that many friendships have been forged between Bahamians and visitors over the years and those relationships have converted hundreds of leisure vacationers into return visits, certainly speaks volume for the success of the program.ﾒ
To commemorate the People-to-People Programﾴs 30th anniversary milestone, the Ministry of Tourism is launching several new initiatives to revitalize the program. These include additional training for volunteers, a People-to-People In-Home Experience, International People-to-People Ambassadors, and an on line interactive web page. Participants in the program will be charged a small processing fee to register.
There will be a number of local activities in honor of the celebration, including:
- Re-launching of the program in Bimini and Abaco
- People-to-People Speech Competition in Schools
- Grand Tea Party in Nassau at Government House
- Gala Reception at Government Houseﾖ honoring hosts serving 30 years in the program
- ThanksgivingChurch Service
- Highlights of the Program over the years and interviews with volunteers, past and present, will be featured on local television shows, like Tourism Today and Bahamas@Sunrise. Hosts serving for the entire 30 years will also be honored in the local press.
Highlights of the Program over the years and interviews with volunteers, past and present, will be featured on local television shows, like Tourism Today and Bahamas@Sunrise. Hosts serving for the entire 30 years will also be honored in the local press.
Source: Bahamas Ministry of Tourism
