NEW YORK -- The Bahamas recorded an all-time high of 4.37 million
foreign visitors in 2002, bucking the global downturn in leisure
travel last year -- even if growth was slower than expected, at
4.5%.
Americans accounted for more than 70% of those visitors, said
tourism officials.
The Bahamas, observers said, may have benefited from the
reluctance of some Americans post-Sept. 11 to travel to Europe and
beyond.