NASSAU, The Bahamas — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism Investments and Aviation the Hon. Chester Cooper expressed excitement that visitors will be able to capture the beauty of the islands through the very popular digital app Google Maps.
This is being made possible through an extensive Google Street View Coverage Project, spearheaded by World Travel in 360, a leading specialist in 360-degree tourism promotion, in collaboration with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation.
The project was announced on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, in Pompey Square, downtown Nassau.
“We are excited to collaborate with World Travel in 360 and smooth a path for Google Street View to immortalize our islands with 360-degree imagery on Google Maps,” said the minister.
He added, “Access and engagement are bedrock principles of tourism success. This project will make it easy for travelers from around the world to size up the beauty and wonders of The Bahamas from wherever they are.”
The project will see several street view-equipped vehicles with mounted camera systems roaming roadways throughout the islands to capture more than 2,000,000 geolocated 360-degree images for showcasing the country on Google Maps.
The Bahamas Street View Coverage for Google Maps is proposed to capture imagery of more than 3,729 miles (6,000 kilometres) of key tourist areas throughout the country’s more than 700 islands, including 16 major islands featuring towns, beaches and other attractions that are visited by millions of in-coming travelers.
With the imagery capture, The Bahamas will join more than 100 countries and territories currently featured, in whole or in part, on the Street View function of Google Maps, which enables users to explore settings around the world via 360-degree images.
The function is among the most popular features of applications on Google Maps, enabling users to effortlessly plan visits, observe attractions, pinpoint restaurants and hotels and more, using the convenience of technologies including mobile devices, tablets, and computers.
Among a host of popular tourist areas proposed to be photographed through the Street View Project are Downtown Nassau and Montagu Beach in Nassau; Port Lucaya Marketplace and Peterson Cay National Park in Grand Bahama; and Marsh Harbour, Green Turtle Cay and Cherokee Sound in The Abacos.
Street View is not for vacation planning alone, but benefits of imagery-captured ranges from support for urban planning and emergency response, to historical preservation and environmental conservation.
Special considerations are also being made to increase public awareness of the Street View Project locally in The Bahamas, as well as for the mapping of sensitive areas and special restrictions and permission for capturing images in public areas.
Director General of Tourism Latia Duncombe also weighed in on the digital project.
“In today’s digital landscape, immersive experiences are key to attracting travelers,” she said. “This Google Street View initiative is a game-changer for Bahamian tourism. By bringing our islands to life on Google Maps, we’re not just showcasing our beauty, we’re making The Bahamas more accessible than ever before.”
Added the director general, “Potential visitors can explore our diverse offerings virtually in the palm of their hands, igniting their desire to visit and experience the authentic wonder of our islands firsthand. This initiative also presents a tremendous opportunity for local businesses — restaurants, hotels, and attractions — by increasing their visibility to a global audience and making it easier for travelers to discover and support them before they even arrive.” (BIS Photos/Kemuel Stubbs)
