Welcome address
by Mr. Philip Miller, Head of Mission of
The Embassy of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in Beijing
On The 9^th China-Beijing International Cultural and Tourism Festival,
22, September, 2006 

Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen 

It is indeed an honour for me to have been asked by the Organizing Committee of the 9^th China-Beijing International Culture and Tourism Festival to deliver a few, brief remarks at this opening ceremony of the Tourism Exhibition and Photography Display. 

China, The Bahamas and practically every other country in the world is actively engaged in one of the largest industries in modern society, that is, Tourism. 

The peoples of the world , blessed with increasing incomes and standards of living, are taking advantage of the opportunities provided by modern transportation technology and are visiting countries and specific sites, which ,before, could only be visited in the pages of a book. 

Comfortable travel experience has added a new dimension to the activities of the human race and one of the major spin-offs is the tremendous amount of cultural exchange, along with the deepening of understanding and promotion of international harmony, that is taking place simultaneously. 

The Bahamas is one of the premier travel destinations in all of the Americas, welcoming some 5 million tourists annually, largely from the United States and Canada. 

The major asset in Bahamian tourism is the marine resource, that is, the crystal-clear, unpolluted seas, with many beautiful reefs and underwater scenery and large stretches of white, sandy beaches. Coupled with very mild, beautiful weather, the marine environment moves some to say that The Bahamas is a vacationer’s paradise. 

In 2005, during the China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum, in Kingston Jamaica, an agreement was signed between our two countries, declaring The Bahamas an approved destination for Chinese group travellers. 

As the representative of the Government of The Bahamas in China, therefore, I have the duty to invite all of China to visit my country and enjoy the delights of a tropical paradise. 

The distance that you would have to travel from China to The Bahamas would be well-compensated by the pleasure of an unforgettable vacation experience. 

My Embassy is poised to play an ever-increasing role in facilitating the travel of Chinese tourists to The Bahamas, and it is the hope that our two countries would be able to establish a lucrative and viable tourism trade, in the months and years ahead. 

Thank you.