The Bahamas learned a hard lesson after Ja Rule's Fyre Festival crashed and burned ... and now the government is promising serious policy changes for future island events.
Sources at the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism tell TMZ the agency will be implementing a stricter vetting system for future festivals, and it will check in with organizers multiple times during the planning process.
We're told the only reason the Ministry didn't step in sooner with the Fyre Festival is because it didn't have the authority. It was a private event, so the government couldn't get involved until guests' safety became an issue.
As we first reported, the Fyre disaster could end up costing the island nation millions of dollars -- it's a bad look for a country that relies heavily on tourism. The MOT says organizers for Fyre have taken full responsibility, and going forward ... the Bahamas will take appropriate steps to protect its good name.
Also, not shockingly, we're told Ja and Billy McFarland have been barred from repeat business on the islands.