We Have a Winner! Celebration Key Wins the Community Contribution Leader Award at the ESG Shipping Awards
Carnival Corporation has been named the recipient of the Community Contribution Leader Award at the 2026 ESG Shipping Awards International Gala Dinner in Athens, Greece. The recognition honors our work at Celebration Key — one of our seven exclusive destinations — for its meaningful and lasting economic impact in The Bahamas.
The ESG Shipping Awards celebrate excellence in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices across the global maritime industry. Carnival Corporation was selected from more than 400 maritime companies and industry stakeholders.
From the start of the $600 million development on Grand Bahama, we worked alongside Bahamian stakeholders, community leaders and local businesses to build Celebration Key as a model of shared value creation. During construction, 96% of landside employees were Bahamian, with 29 Bahamian construction companies contracted. Today, 99% of our hires are Bahamian, and 81% live in Grand Bahama.
As of February 2026, the project has generated more than 1,000 permanent local jobs spanning management, finance, IT, guest services, lifeguards, maintenance, security, culinary and retail — including senior leadership roles. At least 75% of all director-level and above positions are held by Bahamians, along with 100% of supervisors and 94% of assistant managers.
Onsite, more than 80% of Celebration Key’s 70+ businesses are Bahamian-owned and operated, including 20+ artisan market stalls and 20+ food and beverage outlets showcasing local specialties. A study by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, estimates the development and ongoing operation of Celebration Key will create over 2,500 direct Bahamian jobs, generate $3.2 billion in incremental revenue to the Bahamian government, and contribute $9.7 billion to The Bahamas’ GDP over the next two decades.
Beyond economic impact, our “Plant a Tree” program highlights the natural beauty of Grand Bahama while sourcing native plants from local growers, and our beekeeping initiative supports pollination and biodiversity. Approximately 100 acres of wetlands have also been set aside to protect natural ecosystems for future generations.
