To complement the rich and varied body of literature concerning the im
pact of tourism on the host community, this study concentrates on the
legacy of the Caribbean experience of colonialism. With specific refer
ence to the Bahamas (and to the capital city, Nassau) the discussion f
ocuses on the relationship between tourism and colonialism and on the
implications this has for the development of a national identity. By r
elying on the images of a colonial past, the tourism industry merely p
erpetuates the ideology of colonialism and prevents the local people f
rom defining a national identity of their own.