Above: the Baha Mar resort project, the largest in the Caribbean

By the Caribbean Journal staff

It’s perhaps the biggest question about what is the largest resort project in the Caribbean: can the Baha Mar, financed by China’s Export-Import Bank, attract tourists from that country?

Baha Mar says yes, and executives from the company recently held talks with China’s Ambassador to the Bahamas, Yuan Guisen, on the issue.

In a meeting in Nassau earlier this month, the two sides discussed the development of airlift from cities in mainland China, outreach to Chinese investors and “raising awareness among travel agents and consumers of the ease of travel between the two countries.”

At the end of last year, the Bahamas and China signed an agreement providing for mutual 30-day access to Bahamian and Chinese passport holders without the need for a visa.

“Our ties with China will be key in helping to diversify The Bahamas’ global tourism base,” said Sarkis Izmirlian, the chairman and CEO of Baha Mar. “We’re grateful for the Chinese Government’s ongoing efforts to further develop relations between our countries. It’s particularly important to Baha Mar, which stands to benefit by providing a unique travel experience—an authentic Bahamian resort offering the full complement of luxury accommodations, golf, casino gaming, spa treatments and access to one of the world’s most beautiful beaches.”

The property’s flagship Baha Mar Casino & Hotel is se t to open at the end of 2014.