Central bank governor: Tourism kept economic growth close to 3% in 2025
10 Feb 2026
Tourism Keeps Bahamian Growth Near 3% in 2025
The Bahamian economy experienced modest growth close to three percent in 2025, with expectations for 2026 being that the country’s growth rate will be similar to 2025, as the tourism outlook improves this year, Governor of The Central Bank of The Bahamas (CBOB) John Rolle said yesterday during the Central Bank’s quarterly press briefing.
“Based on the latest available indicators, the Bahamian economy is estimated to have grown at a slightly moderated pace in 2025, when compared to 2024,” said Rolle.
“Growth in tourism earnings supported the outcome, with pricing improvements bolstering otherwise capacity-constrained performance in the stopover market, alongside a sustained and robust expansion in cruise output.”
Rolle added that foreign investments also stimulated the economy, and along with tourism, boosted employment levels. He explained that increased bank lending also supported consumer spending and local investments.
“For 2025, the economy is projected to have grown at a rate close to three percent, after an estimated 3.4 percent rise in 2024,” said Rolle.
“This remains above the medium-term potential, which is still projected at just under two percent per annum.”
Central Bank: Economy Holds Steady on Tourism Strength
According to Rolle, economic indicators reveal that tourist numbers from The Bahamas’ primary source market, the US, are expected to grow this year.
He added that the growing cruise sector is expected to ensure tourism numbers are bolstered this year and at least keep pace with 2025.
“On the upside, with the US contribution to stopover projected to strengthen, stopover earnings growth could stabilize or improve incrementally, and along with vibrancy in cruise activity, help to at least maintain the same rate of gains as was experienced in 2025,” Rolle said.
He also explained that the constraint in the stopover visitor segment felt last year is not expected in 2026.
“In the US case, we had an estimated reduction in total US visitor arrivals last year in the stopover segment. We do not expect that to continue this year,” said Rolle.
“And so that in itself makes a difference, because the US market is the super majority insofar as total visit arrivals are concerned.
“And that super majority really overshadowed a considerable amount of the upsurge we saw in non-US visitors in the stopover segment.”
Cruise Arrivals Anchor Growth Outlook
The country had another record-breaking year last year, welcoming 12.5 million visitors.
That number smashed 2024’s record and blew past pre-pandemic 2019 figures by more than 72 percent.
But while sea arrivals shot up by 14 percent last year, air arrivals had a slight drop of 1.6 percent compared to 2024 figures.
The government is leaning on the growth of the cruise segment and investments in cruise lines’ private islands and their subsequent activity to drive economic growth for the next few years.