I was born and raised in The Bahamas. Here are 11 of the biggest mistakes I watch tourists make.

My family has lived in The Bahamas for centuries. Like my ancestors, I was born and raised in New Providence, one of The Bahamas' most heavily touristed islands.Between this and several years spent working in the local tourism industry, I've spent a substantial amount of time around tourists and witnessed them make unfortunate missteps.Here are a few common mistakes I wish travelers would avoid to best maximize their time visiting my home while showing it proper respect.

Only visiting New Providence and Paradise Island

The Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in The Bahamas is popular with tourists.

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New Providence and Paradise Island (the home of Atlantis Bahamas) are world-famous vacation destinations, leading many people to assume that the islands are the only places worth visiting here.However, there's much more to see and do in The Bahamas.The Bahamas are an archipelago of about 700 islands and 2,400 cays across the Atlantic Ocean — only about 30 of those islands are inhabited and open to visitors.Some of those islands include The Exumas, Cat Island, Eleuthera, Bimini, Andros, Long Island, Grand Bahama, Abaco, and San Salvador. Each of the eight Bahamian islands I've visited in my lifetime has a distinct and unique feel.