By Carole Dennett
The Isle of Wight has made a lasting impression on Joy Jibrilu, CEO of the Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board (N&PIPB), who spent the week in Cowes, to support their role as the Official Destination Partner for Cowes Week 200. Joy described her visit as “one of the best weeks professionally of my career,” praising both the Island’s natural beauty and the warmth of its people.
Chatting to the IW Observer about her visit, Joy, who is proudly Bahamian, said she had heard about the Isle of Wight all her life but had never before visited. “I confess I thought, ‘I’m from an island, I don’t need to go to another island.’ What a missed opportunity,” she said. The contrast between the Island’s cliffs, hills and dramatic coastline and the Bahamas’ low-lying landscape struck her immediately, but the welcome she received left the deepest impression. “It’s the people,” she said. “The warmth, the way they’ve welcomed us – it’s been exceptional.”
The team set up in The Courtyard on Cowes High Street, attracting steady interest from sailors and visitors. Joy explained many people they met admitted they had never considered The Bahamas as a holiday destination but were now giving it serious thought. “We’ve whetted their appetite,” she said. “That’s an achieved objective.”
Throughout the week Joy has also been busy attending a full programme of Cowes Week events. She has hosted a family day, ladies’ lunch, wellness retreat, and wine tasting, as well as the inevitable sailing, establishing new relationships, and building on existing links with freelance travel writers, content creators and influential figures in the travel industry, encouraging them to promote Nassau & Paradise Island.
She also met Dominic Wray, the new CEO of Visit Isle of Wight, and the pair discussed the joys and challenges of encouraging visitors to their very different Islands. They agreed they shared much common ground – including the importance of promoting the strong community identities of the two destinations and the need to stand out in a crowded global tourism market.
Sailing is central to Bahamian life, and Joy was struck by the parallels with Cowes Week. “Sailing is our national sport. Every island has its own regatta,” she said. “Seeing sailing here on such a scale highlight both the differences and our shared maritime traditions.” While her role this week was to promote Nassau & Paradise Island, it appears that she may also help Dominic attract more visitors to the Island, because she plans to encourage Bahamian sailors to take part in future Cowes Week regattas, and on her return intends to speak with government officials about strengthening links between the two communities.
Joy wants Islanders to consider The Bahamas for future holidays. She is promoting Nassau and Paradise Island, but highlighted the 700 distinctly different islands all serving delicious fresh seafood as a chance to experience a completely different culture, while still enjoying the best of island life. Islanders who would like to see a taste of what The Bahamas has to offer can plan their trip – or simply daydream – at iw.observer/n-and-pi.
Asked about a return visit, Joy says that already feels inevitable, whether in an official capacity or not. “All of us who’ve attended will become spokespeople for the Isle of Wight,” she said. “I’ve fallen in love so much that I’ll be talking about this place constantly.
“I’m coming back – not much will stop me.”
Mal Butler