The Bahamian Ambassador to China Paul Andrew Gomez speaks to media on the country's participation in CIFTIS on May 17, 2016. [Photo Courtesy of CIFTIS]

Bahamian Ambassador to China Paul Andrew Gomez said on Tuesday that the country will present its potential in agriculture, fisheries, tourism and culture at the 4th China Beijing International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) to be held later this month.

Ambassador Gomez says, despite the Bahamas being a beautiful Caribbean country with over 700 islands, it only receives about 2,000 Chinese tourists each year.

"When you look at a country that has 1.3 billion people, and 2,000 traveling to the Bahamas…It's a very low figure."

Chinese travelers are allowed to visit the Bahamas for 30 days without a visa, thanks to a visa exemption agreement signed by the Chinese and Bahamian governments in 2014.

But the ambassador says the Bahamian government still needs to educate Chinese travelers about traveling to the Bahamas and what the Bahamas has to offer. Further the country will take the opportunity at CIFTIS to showcase its tourism potential for Chinese people.

Apart from tourism, agriculture and fisheries, the ambassador says there's also a significant opportunity for Chinese and Bohemian business people in the area of culture.

"We had a music festival just the other day. The Bahamas brought a delegation of 40 musicians to participate in the Latin American and Caribbean Music Festival. So Bahamian musicians asked about how they can get more Bahamian music played in China."

Apart from the Bahamas, three other Caribbean countries- Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Jamaica will also participate in the upcoming CIFTIS. It will be the first time for Caribbean countries to be present at the fair.