This Week: Bahamas Boating Flings and Grand Bahama, baby!

It’s summer time and  the boating season we all have been waiting for is finally here!  Talkin’ Tourism is getting in on the action and heading over to Grand Bahama Island on one of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism Boating Flings to bring you this week’s show from Port Lucaya Marina, Grand Bahama.  

The boating flings are organized by the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida  Bahamas Tourism Office to promote boating to the Islands of the Bahamas. The primary purpose of these summer flotillas is to familiarize boaters who have never made the Gulf Stream crossing.  Only 68 nautical miles away from the Treasure Coast, Grand Bahama Island is our nearest island neighbor and this beautiful island is no stranger to Talkin’ Tourism!  Since the inception of the show in 2009, Talkin’ Tourism has broadcast three shows from Grand Bahama. Here comes number four!

Since show co-host Robin Hicks-Connors (aka History Lady) is heading to a wedding this weekend, Gary Guertin (aka Radio Man) has found a wonderful co-host, Cacique Award winner Tony “Macaroni” Hanna, who will be mixing up the show with his great sense of humor, perfect common sense and total commitment to hospitality and tourism.  And, with probably no prompting, he'll be certain to share with our listeners why his roasted conch is one of Radio Man’s favorites.

Here's the guest line-up: 

• Betty Bethel, representative of the Grand Bahama Island Ministry of Tourism Office who will fill us in on upcoming GBI summer events and activities
• Shamine Johnson, manager of the Marina Operators of the Bahamas organization
• Richard Treco, manager of vertical markets-boating and diving with the Ft. Lauderdale Bahamas Tourist Office, and 
• Karen Pinder, manager of Port Lucaya Marina.  

There may be other surprise guests as well, so tune in!

As always, we will explore Treasure Coast/Bahamas connections otherwise known as the “Flahama Connection." You may want to be sipping a Bahama Mama, Goombay Smash or a Gully Wash while listening to this show!  

The fun begins Friday morning at 10:05 a.m. on your radio dial at WPSL 1590 AM or on your computer at www.wpsl.comhttp://www.wpsl.com from Port Lucaya Marina, Grand Bahama Island. Yea, Mon!

Grand Bahama Fun and a Crazy White Man

Last week, was a wacky week for Radio Man. Changes in the itinerary for the trip to Grand Bahama made scheduling the location and guests for the show a little challenging to say the least. While we knew that Crazy White Man from COOL 96 FM, Freeport was to be the special guest co-host, guest lineups and location were a mystery until the 11th hour. After a few calls, some great friends of Talkin Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast (and Beyond) and Coastal Angler Magazine came to the rescue. Linda Osborne, general manager of UNEXSO, offered her office for the studio. The guest line-up could not have been better. Betty Bethel, the general manager of new business for the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism office on Grand Bahama, Shamine Johnson, manager of the Marina Operators of the Bahamas organization, Althea Johnson, reservations manager for UNEXSO and Mario Bodner, project manager for Taino Beach Resort and Clubs all agreed to be guests. Radio Man could not have asked for a more stellar group to talk about what’s happening on Grand Bahama Island.

During the show, we covered diving opportunities, the great deals offered by local accommodations, Talkin' Tourism host Gary Guertin did a personal review of the Bahamas Celebration cruise ship, which now departing from the Port of Palm Beach, and more Treasure Coast connections were unveiled. A couple of things the show didn't have the time to cover were Lucaya, Taino and Pauchi, the celebratory parrots at Garden of the Groves. More to come on these green and gray feathered VIPs during our next show.

Last, and most important, by listening to this show, you will get a small dose of the great sense of humor and “perspective” of the most popular on-air radio personality in all of the Bahamas, Crazy White Man, Paul Frances.

You will definitely want a tall Bahama Mama to sip while listening to the show, and don’t forget to check out the show photos below!