Tourism and colonialism The experience of the Bahamas

To complement the rich and varied body of literature concerning the impact of tourism on the host community, this study concentrates on the legacy of the Caribbean experience of colonialism. With specific reference to the Bahamas (and to the capital city, Nassau) the discussion focuses on the relationship between tourism and colonialism and on the implications this has for the development of a national identity. By relying on the images of a colonial past, the tourism industry merely perpetuates the ideology of colonialism and prevents the local people from defining a national identity of their own.