December 7, 2011Dear Sir,On Wednesday, November 30, 2011 I came across the front page article “Axed staff hopeful hotel will reopen”. I was very unhappy to see yet another article about how the falling tourism industry and the recession are affecting our country. The falling tourism industry is now taking jobs away from both good Bermudians and foreign folk; thus increasing our unemployment rate. I believe that the recession is only part of the reason for this. Some fault also lies within our Government and the island itself. Here in Bermuda we have the law that is against gambling both on Island and in our ocean space; I disagree with it one hundred percent. It isn’t a good idea to ban gambling on land and I feel that allowing gambling in our water space would actually increase our tourist rates quite a lot. One of the problems with Bermuda is that there isn’t really anything for different types of audiences (tourists) to do. Bermuda is typically attractive to couples, the older generations, and people who just want that island vibe. This isn’t a bad thing, but the Island only appeals to a niche market.It would be beneficial to let tourists who come in on the cruise ships to gamble. People who gamble are stereotypically males in their mid-20s to their late 40s, allowing them to gamble in our waters (on the ship) will keep them happy, and give them a generally a good impression of our island. While as letting them gamble on land will bring in more business to the island. Mostly the hotels, bars, etc. The reason our island doesn’t necessarily appeal to that audience now is because of the lack of activities for people who share that interest. There is not enough in Bermuda for the younger generations. Of course every decision has pros and cons which is why I suggest that other specifications will definitely have to be put into place to fill any loopholes; maybe only allowing people who live off island to gamble to avoid the crime that comes with gambling. I feel it would be worth it to bring in some extra business. Bermuda is too old fashioned and needs to step up with the times, which brings me to my next point.One of the biggest mistakes that Bermuda has made is staying stuck in the old days. In 2007, the gay and lesbian family cruise line organised by Rosie O’Donnell decided to cut Bermuda out of their destination stop list. This is because Bermuda is one of the few places where homosexuality is still unacceptable to most of the people living here. Something as ignorant as this has cost us a lot of possible business. We have turned off a whole class of tourists that could have brought the Island in more money. My main point here is that Bermuda needs to keep up with the rest of the world if it wants to stand a chance in the tourism industry.HALEY RAYNORPembroke