This week, LIVE from Old Bahama Bay!

Talkin’ Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast (and Beyond!) is once again focused on the “beyond” as the team crosses the Gulf Stream to Grand Bahama Island to bring you a show live from Old Bahama Bay, located at West End, on Grand Bahama Island.

With over 700 islands and cays and 100,000 square miles of pristine ocean and coastal environments, the Bahamian government knows that if the marine environment degrades so does their tourism industry. The Sustainable Tourism Division of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism is responsible for helping to insure the protection of Bahamian waters and is the administrator of the Blue Flag Programme. Similar to the Clean Marina Program in the U.S., the Blue Flag Programme provides criteria and standards to guide those responsible for marinas, beaches and individual boater education.

Old Bahama Bay is a certified Blue Flag Marina. On all our live remotes, we always try to highlight the Treasure Coast connection. Here it is---located 68 nautical miles, West End, Grand Bahama is the closest marina to the Treasure Coast area for our Treasure Coast boaters to clear Bahamas Customs & Immigration.

Sustainable Tourism general manager Earlston McPhee will join the Talkin’ Tourism Team to explain in more detail the importance of this certification. Old Bahama Bay director of operations Nathan Moody, and other representatives of this beautiful resort, will describe in full detail the amenities and attributes of this world-class facility. Adding a little “local flavor” (literally) will be Tony “Macaroni” Hanna, Cacique Award Winner and owner/operator of Tony Macaroni’s World Famous Conch Experience. Who knows? Perhaps Tony will bring some of his tasty roast conch or conch salad. Yum!

An added bonus for this week's show is the first leg of the Bahamas Wahoo Championship is being held at Old Bahama Bay during the time we are there, so we’ll update you on the catches and progress of the tournament!!! Wahoooooo!!!!

See you from Grand Bahama Island this Friday morning!

Talkin' Tourism on Grand Bahama

What does a smooth, perfect crossing of the Gulf Stream, a classic “Gilligan’s Island” cast of characters, two radio show personalities passionate about tourism, ultimate hospitality and kindness, connecting with old friends and making new friends, and meeting “Junkanoo Man” all add up to.......another fantastic Talkin' Tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast remote episode!

Taking to the high seas once again, we visited the beautiful island of Grand Bahama and were greeting with true Bahamian hospitality. The Pelican Bay Hotel at Lucaya was outstanding. Are you ready for this? How about a 'special door' on the guest room door that is used to deliver complimentary pastries and sweet breads each morning! How about a bellman, who last year was the winner of the Cacique Award, the highest Hospitality Industry Award given in the Islands of the Bahamas for outstanding customer service, personally insuring that the room used for the broadcast was set up perfectly along with sweet breads, Johny Cake (thank you Marva), juice and water for the show hosts and guests!

Are you ready for this? Host Gary Guertin walks into the Pelican Bay Hotel lobby and is tapped on the shoulder for a “hello, don’t I know you” by Jesse Anderson of Port Salerno! The entire Treasure Coast Anderson family was in town for a wedding. Unbelievable!

Are you ready to meet Keith Cooper, sales and marketing director for UNEXSO (Under Sea Explorer’s Society)? Guess what? He was educated in South Florida and his “mommy” is one of the owner/operators of My Three Sisters Pot, a special events food vendor that has provided fabulous Bahamian food to events and festivals throughout the Treasure Coast and the Palm Beaches! And, if you ever need a Colin Powell look-a-like, Keith's your man!

Special thanks go out to Marva Monroe, sales and marketing director of the Pelican Bay Hotel at Lucaya for her assistance and support of this weeks show from Grand Bahama. Without her help we would have not been able to achieve a tenth of our success. Thank you Marva. Oh, by the way, Marva has family that lives in the Port St. Lucie area. The Treasure Coast and the Bahamas are truly “connected” in more ways than we know.

Want to do some serious bonefishing? Listen to the show and you will find out where to go for double-digit catches where the daily charter rate includes an “open bar." Thanks Stanley!

Last and most importantly, special thanks to Betty Bethel, Ministry of Tourism General Manager of Business Development for Grand Bahama for her appearance on the show. She shares her inside knowledge as to where St. Lucie County is with regard to the quest for a mutually beneficial relationship with the island of Grand Bahama.

You can listen or download the show HERE. Be sure to view some of the fun-filled photos of host Gary Guertin (island name: Radio Man) and co-host Robin Hicks-Connors (island name: History Lady) enroute to the Bahamas, during the live broadcast, and during other on-island adventures.

The next Bahamas Boating Fling departing from Harborage Yacht Club & Marina is scheduled July 15-26. This trip is an extended trip encompassing the Abacos and Grand Bahama. For more details, visit www.bahamas.com/boating or http://www.flahama.com/.

Will Radio Man and History Lady be on that trip? Tune in to the show this coming Friday to find out!

Forgive the audio and low quality video (captured on a small point & click digital camera), but meet one of the many colorful and fun characters we encountered on Grand Bahama: