The professor of the west informs tourists
Ivor Grant is the chief warden tour guide at the Bermuda Maritime Museum at Dockyard and he projects more like a professor than a warden with his wealth of historical and cultural information about our Island.
Mr. Grant has been in his current role as museum warden for 17 years and became chief warden in 1988.
He loves history as it is one of his hobbies.
He has retired three times; firstly he was an accountant, then he managed the finances of the Air Force, followed by a 20-year stint as collector of customs.
The questions which the tourists ask him most frequently are: 1. Where do the exhibits for the Maritime Museum come from? 2. Which restaurants are at Dock yard? 3. What's the ferry schedule and how long does it takes by ferry? 4. How do we get to the beaches on this end of the Island? As for helpful suggestions to improve tourism he gave three: "We need to highlight locally and internationally our history and culture.
The institutions which make this information accessible are very important and we can do more to appeal to adults and children at home.
"Bermuda has been promoted as a leisure destination for decades but if we provide more information on our traditions and history, tourists will be interested. In the same vein we need locals to support the concept of projecting our history and arts.'' "It would be wonderful if we had more ferries and transport was offered every half hour.'' "Cheaper airfares to Bermuda would be helpful. I believe tourism is aiming for more gateways and this will help get the tourists.'' "It would be nice if we sold a Maritime Museum tie. Tourists would have a cultural souvenir and if they buy it as a gift someone will ask about the museum and this will give us a small cultural window.'' Ivor Grant, chief warden tour, is highly respected and admired by tourists by just doing his job at the Maritime Museum at Dockyard.
TOURISM TOU