Bahamas to host Miss Universe Pageant 2009 - Smallest per capita Miss Universe host ever!

Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza with a gift of an authentic Bahamian handbag from the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation.

NASSAU, Bahamas  – All the islands of the Bahamas will receive worldwide exposure this summer when the Bahamas becomes the country with the smallest population to host the annual Miss Universe pageant.

The competition finale will be held against the backdrop of picturesque Paradise Island on August 30. But although Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island is the home of the finale, the Bahamas will give contestants and their cameras every opportunity to explore many of the country’s 700 islands, Minister of Tourism and Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace guaranteed at a press conference to officially announce the event in the Bahamas.
Minister Vanderpool-Wallace said the plan was never to showcase only Paradise Island and Nassau but to all beauty queens and the entire world to get acquainted with all of the Bahamas. Although Paradise Island is a beautiful island, there are a staggering number of other beautiful islands within the country.

“We have many across the entire range and expanse of the Bahamas that are equally as beautiful,” Minister Vanderpool-Wallace said. “There is no question that the range and variety that we have within the Bahamas is going to be put on full display. And part of the job we have in front of us is to make sure that during the course of the time that they are here, they get an opportunity to see all of the spaces that we are so proud of across this incredible country that we have here.”

Minister of Tourism and Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace with (from left) Director General of Tourism Vernice Walkine, Kerzner International (Bahamas) President George Markantonis, Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza, Miss USA Crystle Stewart, Miss Universe Organization President Paula Shugart, and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism Hyacinth Pratt.

The Tourism Minister said international camera crews will follow beauty contestants to other Bahamian islands, exposing them to world of the three-four weeks that they will be in the Bahamas. He said people will be able to visit the Bahamas to support their beauty queen and experience the country for themselves. Visits to www.bahamas.com  will be excellent ways to learn what is available in the country and to find out how visitors can participate in its events and Miss Universe activities, he said.

“There is no question that there are few things in the world that are as natural as this,” Mr. Vanderpool-Wallace pointed out. “We have the most beautiful women in the world coming to the most beautiful islands in the world. It is that combination that, I think, makes it the very best of all possible worlds.”
Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza, who was in the Bahamas for the first time, had already fallen in love with the beauty of Nassau and Paradise Island. “Coming to the Bahamas was one of my dreams, and I get to be here right now and I am very happy for that,” she said. “I am very happy that I am going to spend a month here enjoying and sharing with the whole world.”

George Markantonis, president of Kerzner International (Bahamas), pointed out that this is an exciting time for Atlantis and all the Bahamas. “We are just so proud that we could beat out so many of the cities around the world, countries that wanted to host this,” he said enthusiastically.

Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, shared that the hospitality and enthusiasm of Bahamians make the Bahamas an excellent host. Though the main event is scheduled for August 30, it is anticipated that the entire month of August will be a busy one for hotels in the Bahamas. Ms. Shugart said the host country would always benefit from a tremendous, direct economic impact of the fans, staff and crew of the event.

Miss Universe draws 89 contestants and is distributed to more than 170 countries.