Elsie, our middle-aged waitress in a Nassau restaurant, graciously asked us where we were from. "Pittsburgh," we replied.

"Oh, Pennsylvania! You have a big election coming there." In further conversation, we asked whom she would vote for if she were an American citizen. "Hillary." Then Elsie added emphatically, "Experience!"

Here in the Caribbean nation of the Bahamas was clear evidence for any doubter that our election is being fervently and knowledgeably followed across the globe -- with gender and racial lines criss-crossing.

But our visit to this nation of 305,000 (slightly less than the city of Pittsburgh's population) also confirmed the reach of globalization, the importance of the tourist trade and the rising tide of democracy, despite setbacks here and there.

Americans worry about globalization, particularly the loss of jobs to overseas countries. But globalization concerns places like the Bahamas, too. An editorial in the Bahamas Journal put it directly: "The Bahamas is part of a wider region [that] itself is enmeshed in a wider world. Ours is a nation that is ultra-dependent on others. We import practically everything we consume, while at the same time exporting practically everything we produce."

The editorial observed, "Quite evidently, the United States looms large." It's a reason why the continued openness of American markets is vital to the economic equilibrium of the world.

The Journal then made a point, too often overlooked by American protectionists, as it praised some of the Bahamas "leaders who have had the good sense to somehow try to diversify the nationality of this dependency on others, thus the relations we now have with countries and regions like the Peoples Republic of China, Cuba and the European Union."

So, the United States is not the only game in town.

The visit to the Bahamas also impressed upon me a propitious development often overlooked in our concerns about Russia, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, etc. -- not to mention Iraq. And that is the flourishing of democracy among the mostly black-led new nations of the Caribbean. I use the gauge not just of free elections but of nations where power changes hands from one party to another. That has happened three times in the 35 years since the Bahamas became independent, the most recent being last year.

I checked with the U.S. State Department and found this assessment of Caribbean democracy to be true. It's something for which we should be grateful and supportive. Of course, Cuba and continually troubled Haiti are the exceptions to good times for democracy in this cluster of our neighbor nations.

Now, back to Elsie as an example of the gracious hospitality we received in the Bahamas -- and its significance for Pittsburgh. With rare exceptions, such as personnel at airports, we were impressed by the friendliness of Bahamians at every turn.

I guess we had not quite expected this because of a post-hurricane paragraph in the Frommers Bahamas 2008 guidebook. "Although tourism and environment are bounding back, many problems still remain for this archipelago nation (700 islands). While some Bahamians seem among the friendliest and most hospitable people in the world, others -- particularly those in the tourist industry -- can be downright hostile. To counter this, the government is working to train its citizens to be more helpful, courteous and efficient."

The efforts must be paying off, judging by our experience in Nassau and during our stay on the tranquil outlying island of Eleuthera, with its uncrowded, gorgeous pink-sand beaches.

But it made us wonder what impression Pittsburghers make on visitors to our town, which increasingly publicizes itself as a "European city." Do visitors see us as affable and welcoming, starting with the airport personnel, taxi drivers and restaurant and hotel waitstaff that tourists first meet?

The Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau is well aware of the need for a good "first impression." It has a Pittsburgh Ambassadors program working with taxi drivers, a key component in the hospitality industry. But bureau officials say that, by and large, they hear frequent kudos about Pittsburghers going out of their way to help visitors.

Many Pittsburghers may not realize it, but tourism is an increasingly important part of the Pittsburgh economy -- bolstered by the Cultural District in Downtown, our museums and arts facilities, and our sports teams. And ordinary citizens can play a vital role -- whether it is welcoming immigrants or being hospitable to sports fans from rival cities such as Cleveland, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Morgantown.

Here is a way to make globalization work for us, as Bahamians such as Elsie recently demonstrated for two visiting Pittsburghers.