Travel in the Caribbean: Jamaica vs. the Bahamas

By: Ashton Shelby

1) Jamaica 2) BahamasThe increase in stopover tourism

from 2006 and on, on both represents the two’s government’s efforts

to rebuild and improve infrastructure, redistribute andrelocate vital resources, and utilize the civilian workforce

Both of these graphs show that the total number of tourists visiting both destinations are continuing to increase. Each graph is a good sign for anyone looking to book a vacation because it shows that people are still visiting each place

From the two graphs you can tell that the number of tourists visiting Jamaica up until 2011 has raised much higher than that of the Bahamas.

Things that could be the cause of this are: Culture Tourists Attractions (access to island(s),site-

seeing, resorts, etc.) Publicity

Jamaica vs. Bahamas

Jamaica is made up of one island, containing the nation-states of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Jamaica is the fifth-largest island country in the Caribbean.

Though a small nation, Jamaican culture has a strong global presence. Reggae has influenced American rap music, as they

share roots as rhythmic, African styles of music. The island is famous for its Jamaican jerk spice,

which is integral to Jamaican cuisine.

Culture in Jamaica

With the Bahamas’ stable government, and progressive income tax policy, can you say ‘no income taxes’, the Bahamas is the place to do business

“Bahamian music, from the Caribbean reggae to the rake ’n’ scrape, and island flavors give visitors a real taste of the history, life, and culture of The Bahamas.” Some say that certain vacations are designed to show off only the good parts of community, and you can stay for weeks and never see how the locals really live.

While English is the official language of the Bahamas, a vast majority of the population speaks Bahamian Dialect, which is a dialect of English intermediate between Standard English and Bahamian Dialect. There are some minor regional differences from island to island in terms of pronunciation, but generally all are the same.

Culture in the Bahamas

Zip lining, swimming with dolphins, and river tours are all popular activities while on the island.

Attractions in Jamaica

Jamaica welcomes over 2.5 million tourists each year, and the island is also a leading Caribbean destination for cruise ship visitors.

With 700 islands, there is much exploring to do. While there are many options to stay a nice resorts, there is also the opportunity to island hop. Historically, a majority of the 5-6 million tourists visiting The Bahamas each year have been from the United States.

Attractions in the Bahamas

The capital of Jamaica is Kingston and single island of Jamaica is populated by 2.715 million people.

There are three international airports in Jamaica with modern terminals, long runways, and the navigational equipment required to accommodate the large jet aircraft used in modern and air travel. This makes traveling to the island very easy and accessible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDEbjY0vrP8

Jamaica

Nassau is the capital and the commercial hub of The Bahamas. Tourism and international banking (offshore finance) and investment management accounts for more than 55% of the country's gross domestic product.

Although The Bahamas have 3 separate airports, Lynden Pindling International Airport on New Providence; Grand Bahama International Airport on Grand Bahama Island; and Marsh Harbour International Airport on Abaco Island, traveling between 700 islands is a little tricky.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYbOOmb9U0s

The Bahamas

GDP Comparison

Homicide Comparison

Many articles and blogs post about comparing these two destinations have said that they think The Bahamas is a safer place, which makes it the number one choice for vacations. Although the Bahamas’ homicide rate is not drastically lower than that of Jamaica’s. They both are reasonable places to visit.

I chose to research this topic because my family was deciding on these two tropical destination earlier this summer. I come from a big, indecisive family and when we discovered that we were heading to the Caribbean the question my parents asked was “Okay kids, Jamaica or The Bahamas?” I began researching the two and convinced my family that the Abaco Sea in The Bahamas was where we needed to go. It did not disappoint. On Elbow Cay we lived like the locals. We traveled by boat and caught our dinner. I could not have asked for a better vacation.

True Story

Jamaica

Bahamas