Bahamas Philately: The 1950’s

In the four years prior to 1950, tourism arrivals to The Bahamas numbered about 32,000. In 1950, Sir Stafford Sands, a leading member of the Bahamas Government, revived the Tourism Development Board, giving it a budget of $500,000 which it used for extensive advertising and the opening of five overseas offices in North America and Europe.

In 1950 the country received 51,975 visitors, in 1951 76,758, in 1953 99,867, and 142,689 by 1954.

A number of new hotels were built and the Bahamas capitalized upon the growing economy of the USA to generate more business. In Grand Bahama, Billy Butlin, a British entrepreneur, bought a substantial amount of land at the western end of the island and developed a 250 room hotel designed to cater to middle income Americans. It quickly failed but was reopened in 1955.

This tourism number ballooned to 200,000 a year by 1959.