October 18, 2012Dear Sir,It is time to address the tourism situation seriously with unemployment reaching all time highs and the Tourism Department going through "so much more" choppy waters.With the downturn in the economy in the US and the worldwide, tourism has suffered in many places and it is really a wake up call for many destinations to take inventory and see what has worked and what has not as the market place changed from print to online and the consumer is flooded with new places to go every day. I care for Bermuda, therefore I would like to share our expierence with you.The manufacturing sector in Puerto Rico has lost many jobs over the years and tourism has become a very important pillar of the economy with new hotels opened and opening, The St Regis Bahia Beach Resort, the soon to open Ritz Carlton Reserve (six stars), with four 18-hole Trent Jones Golf Courses in Dorado, the Five Star Royal Isabela Golf Courses and Villas, the new Convention Centre Hotel Sheraton and just to about open the renovated luxury Vanderbilt in Condado, just to mention a few. The local Government had a similar problem as Bermuda with the advertising message changing all the time and no constant reliable brand out in the market place, it was the ‘Shining Star’ of the Caribbean, explore beyond its shores, etc — sounds familiar to what is and has been happening in Bermuda.The Governor of Puerto Rico, the Honorable Louis Fortuno (who knows the industry as he was many, many years ago the Director of Tourism) announced the creation of an advisory committee to establish a Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO). The committee will ensure a continuous stable and solid relation with the tourism sector in order to develop marketing strategies aimed to strengthen the leadership position of the island as a tourist destination in the Caribbean. The DMO will be a non-government entity, with participation of the government, but with leadership of the tourism industry. As the Governor points out, the tourism marketing strategies should not be subject to changes of administration or to whims.There is a strong belief that the Destination Tourism Organisation is needed here to make the Island an even more attractive destination and provide stability for the investors and boost the enthusiasm of thousands of workers in the industry. Many tourists destinations all over the world going the route of DMO's as it is a clear and continuous message, but it goes beyond this, training of staff, needs of the community and short and long term visions and the creation of a DMO in Bermuda could be the tool to improve the tourism industry and send out a positive message to potential visitors and very important, to investors.WILHELM SACKGeneral Manager/Co-ownerThe Horned Dorset PrimaveraPuerto Rico