Dear Sir,

Driving along South Shore the other day, I was struck by the changes taking place at the new Princess Beach Club — the site of the old Sonesta Beach Hotel — as coconut palm trees have been planted on the beaches there.

While some may think this is an insignificant enhancement, it should be noted that Bermuda is not a tropical island and that coconut palms are neither endemic nor native to the island.

There was a time when we proudly thought of Bermuda as unique — dare I say, another world — but coconut palms trees on our beaches hardly differentiates us from the islands to our south or those in the South Pacific.

I may very well be in the minority on this. However, I do not believe that we make Bermuda more attractive to tourists by turning it into something we are not.

Sincerely, ARLENE SIMONS