25.0480° N, 77.3554° W

As a geography student, when I engage with an area for experiential learning I generally am more drawn and fascinated by the way that place can inform development. What I have found while studying this past trip is that I have become much more aware of the ways in which place informs the experience of surroundings. In the Bahamas where so much of our experience was targeted to appreciate the sun, the beaches, and the water - it was very apparent that these resources have become central to the brand of the Bahamas, but not in a way that is exclusively competitive. As we were learning about the competition between Caribbean islands, I discovered that when competing as brands most islands are able to also make the same claims as the Bahamas. I suppose the one aspect which I really was fascinated by the other tactics implemented to attract tourists and how the resorts, casinos, and all inclusive experiences were prioritized in that vision.

Another component that I better understand about tourism is related to the importance of reliability. While evaluating the performance of restaurants and experiences, I found that certain criterion are evaluated based on whether they happen and whether it was timely. While we didn’t name this outright, the importance of reliability performance is the basis of a well rated service. Especially when expectations are high, the expectation for a reliably high standard are incredibly important. Servers that did not perform quality checks or were not available to receive feedback therefore contribute to the expectation of good service. In fact, I began to realize that most issues associated with “poor service” are generally commentary made about service that is unreliable - as if the wait time is expected to be long and servers maintain engagement with customers, expectations can be managed. 

One of my most enjoyable experiences while in Nassau was the opportunity to participate in a walking food tour. I appreciated participating in an intellectually stimulating opportunity while most other offerings were catered strictly to relaxation and the beach. The food tour focused on highlighting the best offerings of local cuisine while describing important and relevant locations. For instance our opportunity to see the John Watling's distillery that was located on a former plantation site was incredibly interesting. The perspective of seeing the history of Nassau through the lens of the development of foods and other industries.