IX.  BUSINESS TRAVEL

Visas and Travel Advisories:  American citizens do not require a
passport or visa to enter The Bahamas, but proof of citizenship such as
a birth certificate or voter registration card accompanied by a photo ID
is required, as well as a return ticket to the United States.  In mid-1994
there were no current travel advisories for The Bahamas.  American
citizens traveling to an area where they may have some concern about
local conditions can contact the State Department's Citizens Emergency
Center at tel. (202) 647-5225 to learn of any current advisories.

Crime:  Crime has become a growing problem in Nassau, although the
overall crime level is no greater than in a major American city and the
rate of violent crime remains lower than in the United States.  Visitors
are advised to avoid deserted areas at night, to avoid flashy displays
of jewelry or other expensive items, and not to walk by themselves
on beaches at night.  Other common-sense precautions, such as being
wary of pickpockets in crowded areas, are also useful.  The rate of
crime in Freeport is lower than in Nassau, and the problem remains
relatively unknown on most of the family islands.

Business Infrastructure and Travel:  Both Nassau and Freeport boast a
wide variety of excellent hotels and resorts.  Although Bahamian hotels
are more used to catering to the vacationer rather than the business
traveler, many large hotels have business centers.  Even hotels without
such centers will be happy to arrange for fax transmissions, office and
conference facilities, and other business services.  Electricity is 110 v,
60 hz (U.S. standard).  Taxis are plentiful near hotels and downtown,
and radio taxi services are available.  Some taxi drivers are willing, for
a prearranged fee, to spend the entire day with a single customer.  Car
rentals are also available, albeit far more expensive than the American
norm.  Bahamians drive on the left side of the road, as in Great Britain,
even though most cars in The Bahamas are imported from or through
the United States and have left-hand drive (U.S. standard).  Nassau
has two large, modern hospitals, and there is one in Freeport; Nassau's
privately-owned Doctors Hospital is widely regarded as the best
medical facility in The Bahamas.  No special health precautions or
vaccinations are necessary.  Tap water is potable but brackish; most
Bahamians prefer one of the locally-produced brands of bottled water.
As major resorts, both Nassau and Freeport have a wide variety of
restaurants ranging from local franchises of American fast-food chains
to expensive five-star gourmet palaces.  Local cuisine tends to favor
freshly-caught seafood, particularly using grouper, lobster (locally
known as "crawfish"), and conch (a caribbean shellfish), but American
and ethnic cuisines such as Chinese and Italian are also available.

Business and Social Customs:  The national language of The Bahamas is
English, sometimes spoken with a distinctive local accent and the use of
colorful local expressions.  Due to the proximity of The Bahamas to the
US. and the extensive familiarity of most Bahamians with Americans and
American culture, business customs tend to be similar to those in the
United States.  Business dress is more formal in The Bahamas than
elsewhere in the Caribbean or in Florida; a business suit and tie is
recommended for men and conservative business dress for women.
Business attire generally follows the standards of the northeastern
United States.  Bahamians shake hands upon first meeting, usually
exchange business cards, and address first-time business
acquaintances by their last names and titles, if any.  Conversations
generally move to a first-name basis a bit more slowly than the
American norm.  Prior appointments for business meetings are
advisable.  Although Bahamians are not often punctual for meetings,
punctuality by foreign visitors is noted and appreciated.

Bahamian society bears some similarities to that of small-town America,
and there is an occasional air of provincialism.  There is tendency not
to trust the intentions of foreigners at first (regardless of the
foreigner's ethnic background), and a greater suspicion of new
concepts than is often the case in the United States.  (To be fair,
Bahamians have all too often been approached by foreign businesses
which tried to take advantage of what the foreigners mistakenly
believed to be a lower level of business sophistication in The Bahamas.)

In addition, The Bahamas is very much a consensus-driven society, in
which people have learned to disguise personal feelings beneath a
surface cordiality.  Business meetings in The Bahamas tend to be very
pleasant, therefore, and Bahamians are often eager to end a meeting
with an air of agreement even if real differences remain.  American
business visitors have occasionally expressed surprise to learn later
that their Bahamian partners still retained some reservations at the
end of a meeting which appeared to end with a firm handshake and total
accord.  Bahamians at the middle level of a business or government
entity may also assume without saying so that their foreign
counterparts understand that the Bahamian needs to have any
agreement approved by his or her colleagues before a deal can be
finalized.

Bahamian businesses tend to operate on a tighter margin than their
American counterparts, often juggling financing from one commitment
to another.  It is thus advisable in many cases to require a deposit
against future payment for goods or services delivered, and to expect
that there may be some delays in final payments.

Business lunches are very common in The Bahamas, and invitations to
discuss matters over lunch in a quiet restaurant are generally
accepted.  Bahamians tend not to drink very much at business lunches
and usually expect the lunch to last between an hour and an hour-and-
a-half.  Business dinners, on the other hand, are relatively rare, and
Bahamians do not generally entertain at home.  When they do so,
dinners at the homes of well-to-do Bahamians tend to be elaborate and
formal affairs, at which business attire for men and conservative
evening wear for women is appropriate.  A small gift for the hostess,
such as flowers, and a follow-up thank you note are appropriate
acknowledgements.

Acceptable Topics of Conversation Include:  Sports (particularly
fishing); the tourist business (although references to the Bahamian
economy's overwhelming dependence upon American tourism are not
welcomed); the beauty of the islands; the weather; and unique or
distinctive aspects of Bahamian culture such as the local cuisine,
junkanoo, local music, art, architecture, and history.  Topics best
avoided include:  Racial issues (regardless of the ethnic background of
the visitor); drugs and drug trafficking; negative remarks about
Bahamas; comparisons of the small scale of things in The Bahamas vis-
a-vis the United States; family matters (while it is polite to comment on
a large family photograph prominently displayed in an office, the high
rate of illegitimacy and of informal, and sometimes confused, "family"
arrangements in The bahamas can render this an awkward subject).

Since much of Bahamian social life revolves around church, an
invitation to a church service is a sign of personal respect and
affection and is normally accepted regardless of one's own
denomination.  Many protestant denominations in The Bahamas have
proud traditions of gospel choir singing, and church services can be
quite lively.  Nevertheless, dress at church services is quite formal:
conservative business suits for men, colorful, sometimes elaborate
dresses for women.  Bahamian women tend to wear elaborate hats to
church, although it will be understood if a foreign woman did not bring
one with her.

Local Holidays:

-- New Year's Day (January 1)
-- Good Friday (variable)
-- Easter Monday (variable)
-- Whit Monday (seven weeks after Easter)
-- Bahamian Labour Day (first Friday in June)
-- Independence Day (July 10)
-- Emancipation Day (first Monday in August)
-- Discovery Day (October 12)
-- Christmas Day (December 25)
-- Boxing Day (December 26)

Holidays which fall on Saturday or Sunday are usually observed on the
following Monday.  Persons present in The Bahamas on the night of
December 25-26 or December 31-January 1 can enjoy a unique cultural
experience by purchasing tickets to the annual Junkanoo Parade in
downtown Nassau, a carnival similar to Mardi Gras of which Bahamians
are justly proud.