Top Three Bahamas Course Takeaways

As an International Affairs major, I have never taken a course that has delved into the topics of tourism and hospitality and I knew that I was in for a considerable amount of experiential learning. Nonetheless, I could have never imagined the depth of knowledge that I would truly gain through my experiences during this course. There are three main course takeaways that I have obtained through my time in the Bahamas.

The first takeaway that I gained from this course was centered around participant observation in restaurants with regards to quality and service. Before when I dined in an establishment, my main focus was on the quality of the food and on the general service given throughout the evening. Never before did I focus on the pre-visit reservation phone call, how long it took to be seated, or the length of time it took for my food, drink, and check to be delivered. I also never really took into account the interior decor and music of the restaurant and if it fit the establishment’s cultural experience. Now when I analyze my experience at a restaurant, I will always consider aspects of my overall experience that I previously would not have paid attention to.

The second takeaway that I obtained from this course was a greater understanding of and appreciation for local culture. Before I came to the Bahamas, my dad warned me that everything in the Bahamas was on “island time” and a little bit slower than I would be used to. Little did I know that our lunches would average 2 hours and dinner would sometimes take around 3 hours. At first, I was frustrated by how long it took for our food to arrive and confused this type of service for poor service, but I later came to realize that this speed of delivery was just a part of the Bahamian culture. After learning to appreciate this aspect of my experience, I later began to enjoy the longer dining experiences as a way to relax and get to know my classmates better. I have now learned that whenever I travel again in the future, I should let myself expand out of my normal bubble and take the time to understand the culture around me before letting my inner frustrations potentially ruin my experience.

The third takeaway that I gained from this course was how useful engaging with other travelers is when analyzing tourist destinations. The peak experience interviews that I conducted during my attraction visits, restaurant experiences, and the Junkanoo festival illuminated aspects of each experience that I was unaware of beforehand. An example of this was when we went to the Pompey Museum of Slavery & Emancipation, I spoke with a lady who mentioned how she would recommend that the museum incorporated more interactive exhibits, which was something that I previously had not thought of but fully agreed with. I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with other individuals and now fully understand the importance of these interviews.

Pompey Museum of Slavery & Emancipation

Located in the heart of downtown Nassau, the Pompey Museum of Slavery & Emancipation provides a rich telling of the history of slavery within the Bahamas. The historic building that the museum is located within, known as the Vendue House, was built in 1769 and was utilized during the 18th and 19th centuries as a venue for slave auctions. The building became a museum in 1992 and not only chronologically details the history of slavery within the Bahamas, but also delves into the forms of slavery that exist within society today.

When we first entered the museum, we were instantly greeted by the desk attendant. We had seen on the website that the cost of entrance for the museum was $3 but noticed that the sign on the desk stated that the cost was actually $5. We, fortunately, had extra cash on hand and were able to pay the entrance fee. Updating the website to reflect the true pricing would be a very easy fix to an issue, such as this one, that might prohibit or discourage individuals interested in visiting the museum.

As we were trying to figure out where to start in the museum, the desk attendant told us to start on the left-hand side of the room, then go through the center exhibit, and finish with the information on the right-hand side. We walked to the left and started clicking on a large screen panel to read the beginning history of slavery in the Bahamas. Each slide was incredibly dense with information and included several other tabs on the right-hand side and bottom that were just as detailed. Although the information was very interesting, it was difficult to keep track of which tabs we had already selected and the amount of reading was extremely lengthy. Condensing the material on the panels would help to keep readers engaged and organizing the tabs, potentially through color-coding, could better help individuals keep track of which tabs they had already selected. Additionally, adding an interactive portion to the material on either side of the museum beside the panels could help guests learn more about the history of slavery through other mediums.

After we had finished reading the panels and looking through the artifacts on the left-hand side of the room, we approached the center exhibit. We were unsure of where to begin and which order we should read the panels in. In order to alleviate this confusion, having signs to clearly demarcate where to begin and numbering each panel could help guests better navigate this portion of the museum. 

Overall, the Pompey Museum is an excellent place to learn more about the history of slavery within the Bahamas, but a couple of internal improvements could be beneficial to ameliorate the customer experience of the museum.