Opposition MP Zane DeSilva has accused tourism bosses of running the industry “like an old boys club” after taxi drivers were not hired to ferry hundreds of visiting travel agents around the Island.

But the Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) has denied that claim, pointing out that it approached Bermuda Taxi Owners and Operators Association (BTOOA) to discuss transport options as soon as it became aware that the travel agents were coming to Bermuda. It said talks broke down after a discounted rate could not be agreed.

Responding to Mr DeSilva’s criticism last night, Bill Hanbury, the BTA’s chief executive, said ‘countless others’ had discounted their rates in a bid to provide the best possible experience for the visitors.

“When I spoke on Monday about the visit of ASTA I talked about the need for a united front, where we are all in this together,” he said. “Retailers, taxi operators, hoteliers, excursion providers, mini bus drivers, jewellers and countless others are all working in unison right now to give the best possible visitor experience to these travel influencers. Many stakeholders discounted their rates because, like us, they see the marketing value of this small piece of business leading to a lot more business later — not just for themselves but for the entire industry.

“As long as we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot, there will be many opportunities in the future.”

Around 400 members of the American Society of Travel Agents arrived on the Island yesterday for the organisation’s annual convention. According to BTOOA President Derek Young, the BTA did contact him to discuss whether scores of drivers could be available to provide transport around the Island for the guests, who are staying on-board the cruise ship Norwegian Breakaway.

“I was told back in May that up to 600 travel agents would be coming to the Island and was asked whether the taxi industry would consider offering discounts to those persons taking tours throughout the Island travelling in a taxi,” he said.

“The initiative was discussed with my committee who welcomed the idea, but we realised we could not price a rate for each individual taxi driver. We would have had to look for drivers to participate in the programme who would have had to agree to a discounted rate.

“This would not have been a difficult task because the business is very slow for drivers in September, and we would have appreciated the work, even if it were for a lesser rate. This information was fed back to the event organiser who did advise me that they were going to shop around and see where they could get the best rate.”

Mr Young said he didn’t hear back from the BTA about the scheme, and when he did contact the organisation, he was told that the contract had been awarded to a private firm.

“We feel that further discussions at least should have been held so that fair decisions could have been made,” he said. “If visitors are looking for a warm welcome and an informative journey or tour of the Island, who better to give them that than our taxi drivers? We are willing to provide these very influential guests with a genuine and positive experience that would give them a taste of the real Bermuda.

“In the future we are hoping to work more closely with the BTA and other entities looking to provide transportation which would allow us to provide our guests with a genuine and positive experience that would give them a taste of the real Bermuda.”

Shadow Tourism Minister Mr DeSilva yesterday said that the BTA needed to be more inclusive, claiming that taxi and boat operators “appear to have been deliberately left out of efforts ... to sell Bermuda to the hundreds of travel agents set to visit Bermuda.”

“Our taxi drivers, boat operators and small property owners all have a role to play in the restoration of Bermuda’s tourism industry,” he said. “We must ensure that all are included, all have an opportunity to have their voices heard and all have an equal opportunity to make money off of BTA initiatives such as this. We can’t afford to turn tourism into an exclusive ‘old boys club’, with so many Bermudians out of work and struggling.”

Mr Hanbury meanwhile has called for a show of unity while the travel agents are on the Island, and said that anyone with complaints should contact the BTA directly.

“I hope we don’t waste this opportunity before us,” he said. “I hope we can push aside differing perspectives so these influencers know a truly outstanding visitor experience is the country’s top priority. Everyone should be united in protecting the brand.

“As always we are an organisation open to criticism and welcoming of home-grown ideas to improve tourism. We invite our stakeholders to contact us directly to foster stronger partnerships.”