Bermuda Tourism Authority are looking to make John Smith’s Bay more attractive for tourists.

And to that end, they are reaching out to entrepreneurs who “can deliver a health and wellness experience” at the South Shore beach.

“A new opportunity has emerged for beach entrepreneurs as a result of the Bermuda Tourism Authority’s Beach Economy Vision,” explained a BTA statement.

“The Bermuda Beach Economy Vision establishes an identity for each of the five public beaches in the plan. John Smith’s Bay, with its serene and unhurried atmosphere, was designated an ideal beach for people seeking health and wellness experiences like massages, yoga instruction, hammock rentals, organic food and healthy drinks.

“The Ministry of Public Works collaborated with the Bermuda Tourism Authority to ensure its concessionaire recruitment process aligned with the vision for John Smith’s Bay. Submissions are being accepted until March 31, 2017.”

“We are very excited to see the government take this step and we expect entrepreneurs will be excited as well,” said Glenn Jones, who leads a Beach Economy Working Group at the BTA. “When we shared the beach identities with entrepreneurs in November they were ready to put their ideas to work, but voiced concern that government processes had not caught up with the overall vision. We still have a long way to go to get all the government and legislative pieces coordinated, but this John Smith’s Bay tender is a major step in the right direction.”

Successful John Smith’s Bay applicants will be expected to be pop-up in nature and not require a brick and mortar structure to operate, added the statement. “Food trucks are also being considered for the location, providing their offerings are aligned thematically.

“Entrepreneurs are encouraged to review the Bermuda Beach Economy Vision before submitting proposals. A presentation of the Beach Economy Vision and access to the John Smith’s Bay tender are available via the Bermuda Tourism Authority corporate website.”

The BTA formed an internal working group a year ago to recommend improvements to Bermuda’s beach economy, as directed by the National Tourism Plan. The working group had three primary objectives:

• increase visitor spending on public beaches;

• improve the beach experience for visitors and locals;

• create beach economy jobs.

“After extensive visitor and resident research, matched with broad local consultation, the final Beach Economy report was submitted to the Ministry of Environment in May 2016. The report’s recommendations centred around five specific public beaches: Horseshoe Bay, Shelly Bay, Tobacco Bay, Clearwater and John Smith’s Bay.”