Latia DuncombeDirector General of Tourism, Investments & Aviation
Latia Duncombe is the Director General of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation.
In the fall of 2021, Mrs. Duncombe started her tenure at the Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, serving as the Deputy Director General. In January 2022 she was appointed Acting Director General during a critical junction, where she brought energetic leadership and worked diligently to navigate the nation’s number one economy as the tourism industry recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic. On 16 January 2023, she was appointed as the Director General of Tourism. She is the seventh Director General in the Ministry’s 54th year and the third female chosen as the Technical Head.
As Director General, she has oversight for all technical matters related to increasing visitor arrivals including, global sales and marketing initiatives, airline, cruise and tour operator relationships and product development.
For over 28 years, this Bahamian business professional has leveraged cross-industry experience to promote organisational and personal success.
Her career spans the arenas of Banking & Finance, Wholesale and Retail Foods, Beverage Distribution and most recently the Oil Industry where she spent a decade. As the Senior Executive and Head of Sales & Marketing for the global oil company, she had responsibility not only for The Bahamas but also for the Turks & Caicos Islands and Cayman Islands.
Mrs. Duncombe is a transformational leader. Her leadership style is inspired by Steven Covey – she seeks first to understand and encourages multidirectional collaboration. Coming from humble beginnings on the island of Abaco, she is driven by nationalism, a spirit of excellence and the pursuit of lifelong learning. She recognises the value of service to others and is equally committed to charitable and community work and lends support whenever she is can.
She holds an MBA with Merit from the University of Liverpool and an Associate of Arts in Accounting with Distinction from the Bahamas Baptist Community College. She is an affiliate of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).
She is married to Othniel Duncombe and they are the proud parents of two energetic sons, Tré and Zion.