Solutions for tourism

April 27, 2009

Dear Sir,

Why do visitors cruise to Bermuda rather than fly? You could argue that some people don't like to fly, but I believe that if we do our homework, a significant number of passengers on the ships fly farther to reach their departure port, than the average visitor flies to get to Bermuda.

So why do they cruise to Bermuda? Is it the price? Maybe, but the right demographic will pay thousands for a great time on their ten days of annual vacation. So is it the itinerary? It can't be to visit multiple ports, we only have one. And don't forget about the bumpy Gulf Stream transit that puts most of them in bed on the first day out. So if it's not the bumpy journey, or travel to multiple ports, then what is it?

Here is my take: The ship welcomes you aboard with smiles, from the port security staff to the gate agents. A Bermuda Customs agent is the first face our air guests see. Now this is not a shot at the Customs agents, they have a tough job. But why not find a "Johnny Barnes" type at the entrance to the terminal who can welcome all our visitors with open arms. Perhaps we could use the money that the Department of Tourism saved by closing the help desk.

OK, so after battling their way through Customs, and possibly a thorough body cavity search, our guests get outside the terminal to find a shortage of taxis. Fine, they'll take the bus, if they remembered to bring the tokens from their last visit since you can't buy them in the Airport.

After a lengthy transfer to their South Shore hotel they finally arrive. They enter the deathly quiet lobby, a sign of just how relaxing this vacation will be, like it or not. No shows in the hotel auditorium tonight, but there may be a happy hour full of the local business people, and a DJ playing the current hit list.

Meanwhile, the visitors who flew into New York City and hopped on the NCL Dawn have already stopped by their stateroom to find it about the size of their freshman dorm room in college. That's OK; they've already on the pool deck, and are sipping on a Piña Colada watching the reggae band play a little Bob.

Two thousand people are wandering around the floating city. It feels more like a tropical island than Bermuda already (and it's floating in the middle of New York Harbor). They decide to explore their new home. They catch a glimpse of the theatre with seating for 450 guests. A theatre that promises two live shows per night, with singing, dancing, magic and even a ridiculous newlywed game.

They see the velvet ropes shutting off the casino till they reach international waters, but that's OK too. They didn't come here strictly to gamble, but what a great option to have. Note that there will unlikely be any suicides, divorces, or bankruptcies on this voyage.

Past the casino is the kids' area where they have arcade consoles, water slides, and entertaining games for the little visitors.

The tour desk is alive and kicking, with endless activities arranged for them when they arrive in Bermuda. Ironically, the same activities that can't even be booked individually had they decided to fly to Bermuda. I could ramble on, but let me stop here. You get the idea.

What is my point? Here it is, offer everything that we can Bermuda! Are we a tourist destination, or are we simply a waypoint for the cruise lines? Why is there more to do on a 900-foot ship, than on a 21-mile island?

What can we do about it? We can stop fighting people who want to breathe life into the industry. Don't protest against Mr. Thomas when he wants to put a beach bar together, get involved in a process to ensure he does it well and in a way that can be monitored to ensure it's both successful and environmentally friendly.

There is no new blood jumping into the tourism industry. Hoteliers are sending their children to college for insurance qualifications. Boat owners and restaurateurs are doing the same thing. We need to support those optimistic individuals who believe our tourism days are not over. Furthermore, we can't even demand assistance from our Government or the tourism ministry. There is no accountability, no flexibility, no flow of information, no publicised plan (or if there is a plan, where can we view it)? A mission statement is not a plan.

Why is the Department of Tourism not headed by a qualified and experienced tourism professional (Bermudian or not) with a masters in Tourism or Consumer Marketing? Dr. Brown has worked hard and done his best as an ambassador for tourism, but it's time to turn the helm over. He has too much on his plate as it is. In his own words: "I serve at the pleasure of the Premier." If it were any other minister in charge of this portfolio Dr. Brown likely would have demanded their resignation months ago. Why don't we call it as we see it?

Let's get back to advertising to the Hamptons, the Bostonians, and the Manhattanites. Target the wealthy, who cares what colour they are. We want their money, and they want a wonderful experience that they can brag about for years to come. It used to mean something when a person said "I'm going to Bermuda". Can we bring that reputation back? I don't know, but how about putting together a basic framework, a simple plan.

Some basic items to include: Allow hotelier operated casinos, but with no local gaming access; Drop the room taxes; Throw out the head tax for visitors; Put live local bands back on Front St; Put rent control in place for bars and restaurants; Create a one week fast track permit for seasonal tourism workers, etc.

To the editors: get the racial rhetoric and the violence off the covers of every newspaper.

To the magistrates: continue handing out harsh sentences for violent behaviour.

To the unions: fight your battles, but not at our visitors' expense.

To the UBP: suck it up and work with the PLP, stop attacking every idea, and start working toward the common goal.

To our leadership: forget the T&C Islands and their politics, that's not our problem. Fix our woes, and you'll never have to worry about the crown coming after our political system.

We had a good run of luck for half a century, but when these exempted companies start to leave, we must have sorted our tourism woes. If you want to see what can happen to us at the drop of a hat, take a trip to Nassau and walk the downtown strip.

BEEZ EVANS

A Tourism Operator

P.s. I am thrilled to have all the ships coming to Bermuda. My business does very well through our connections with our cruise line partners. I applaud every effort by our Premier Dr. Brown, Larry Jacobs, and all the parties involved in luring these ships to our waters. I just hope that we may one day see the hotels make a comeback, as it would be nice to see everybody succeed and Bermuda to find itself back on the map.