The Bahamas’ Big Need Is Tourists, It Says

“If a hurricane would hit Jacksonville in Florida, it wouldn’t mean that you wouldn’t go on vacation to Miami or Fort Lauderdale,” said Dionisio J. D’Aguilar, the Minister of Tourism and Aviation. “That’s the analogy we are making. Unfortunately, people are geographically challenged.”

The 700 islands that make up the Bahamas are of varying sizes and stretch over 750 miles. Hurricane Dorian knocked the power out on Nassau for a few hours, but left no damages.

Mr. D’Aguilar acknowledged that some people, like Ms. Ping, know that places like Nassau fared well in the storm, but they still feel that it is “inappropriate in a time of tragedy and calamity” to vacation there.

The opposite is true, he said.

“More than ever we need you to come on vacation,” he said. “That’s the only way we can help our brothers and sisters in the north.”

While still trying to strike the balance needed for a period of solace, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism is in the midst of a “soft launch” campaign that tries to push the idea that the country — most of it, anyway — is open for business.