Marketing A Country Through Sports

[Historian]

I have absolutely no interest in beach soccer, but that is not the point. The fact is that many people enjoy this sport and so, from a tourism standpoint, having an event like Beach Soccer World Cup makes a great deal of sense. The Bahamas’ sports and tourism ministries are obviously serious about helping the country maintain its dominant position in regional tourism.

By the way, this is the same country that succeeded in hosting last year’s inaugural IAAF World Relays, and that will again host this prestigious event in 2015.

[*sarcasm button on] Please remind me, who is minister of sports in Jamaica? [*sarcasm button off] Jamaica continues to talk and talk and talk, while missing so many opportunities to more effectively market the island through sports.

[*sarcasm button on] Now let me sit back and await Gamma’s inevitable one-liner. Nobody drags this dude to the surface more effectively than Historian. [*sarcasm button off]

Bahamas scores Caribbean first, winning 2017 Beach Soccer World Cup bid
Published on Monday, 22 December 2014 14:38

December 22 – The Bahamas will become the first Caribbean nation to host a senior FIFA tournament when it welcomes the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.

The 2017 championships will be the ninth time this bi-annual competition has been held. The 16-team 2015 competition will be held in Portugal.

Speaking after FIFA's executive committee meeting in Marrakesh where the award was made, CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb said it as an honour to welcome "such an appropriate tournament to the Caribbean region."

Source: “Inside World Football,” December 22, 2014
Continue reading at http://www.insideworldfootball.com/w...-world-cup-bid

[Gamma]

Everybody drags me out effectively! Yuh pompous an fulla yuhself!

Having said that you are correct about us underutising sports tourism as a major part of our overall tourism offerings.

[Karl]

Leadership at all levels is mere reflection of teaching=the education delivered in and by our schools. Poor by the schools = poor leadership by their graduates!!!

[Mosiah]

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Speaking after FIFA's executive committee meeting in Marrakesh where the award was made, CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb said it as an honour to welcome "such an appropriate tournament to the Caribbean region."

So, right, Jeffery!

Big up unnuself, Bahamas! This was a clever move. But, as I believe Historian is saying, why couldn't Jamaica see the wisdom in such a move?!?

Footballwise, we have aleady qualified multiple times for various world championships. Yes, we have, despite what's happening with the awful U20 team which is about to lose handsomely to the USA this evening. So we have some football pedigree. (Stay with me here, laff later!) And we consider ourselves blessed with good beaches. There is the match! Can we not handle accommodations? Transportation? Security?

Our sports tourism remains a dream!

[Islandman]

To a degree yes, but a lot of leadership skills are learnt by association and being in an environment where developing such skills are encouraged.

A culture of leadership and critical thinking is what is needed. Not easy to do by any means especially considering that we are struggling to teach basic literacy to many of our children.

[Don1]

So we have some football pedigree. (Stay with me here, laff later!) And we consider ourselves blessed with good beaches. There is the match! Can we not handle accommodations? Transportation? Security?

Our sports tourism remains a dream!

We find those things relatively easy to handle. Appropriate vision and then its execution to an actual product or service?...that we find relatively impossible