Shadow Minister Furbert On World Tourism Day
[Written by Shadow Tourism Minister Wayne Furbert] Today we join with people around the world in acknowledging World Tourism Day and particularly the Bermudians over the years who have made Bermuda a wonderful place to visit. With air arrivals down and many hotel rooms sitting vacant, it is easy to be pessimistic about tourism and believe that no matter who the government is, our best days are behind us. The winds of recession are blowing and many of us feel like we are drowning in a tsunami rising bills, falling wages and job losses. Despite the economy and despite the dismal numbers, there is a blessing in the storm.
We have an opportunity to revitalize our tourism industry, not with fancy ads or with high priced marketing schemes. All that means nothing if our product is not where it should be. It has been proven time and again that Bermudians themselves are the best marketers and the people most qualified to sell Bermuda directly to the world. Today we have an opportunity to take back tourism and with creativity and hard work create jobs for ourselves.
PLP Leader Marc Bean has built on the vision laid out in the PLP’s National Tourism Plan by identifying not only the need to get our people back to work but also the importance of us being on the frontline of tourism interacting directly with our guests. Whether it is taking your empty apartments and condos and marketing them to the world as guest apartments; creating products to sell to the thousands of tourists who enter Bermuda via cruise ships; or finding new ways to get a piece of the tourism pie, we have the ability to contribute and profit.
For too long Bermudians have been spectators in our economy, dependent on others to hire us or not, validate us or not, reward us or not. Today, many of those who have done the hiring, the validating and rewarding are unable to hire or create opportunities for their own families and friends. We cannot wait for that to change. We have the power to hire and create opportunities for ourselves. All we need is for the government to get out of the way and in the words of Marc Bean, “free up,” turning the onerous fees, restrictions and red tape into red carpet for Bermudian entrepreneurs.
Why shouldn’t we be full and active participants in our economy? Why should we sit on the sidelines and hope that enough crumbs will fall from the table to feed our families?
We believe in a Bermuda where anyone with the will to succeed, legally and without harming or exploiting others, deserves the opportunity to try.
There are those who have denigrated this concept, saying that the PLP wants our people to “sell beads and trinkets” by the side of the road. The next time you hear them say that ask them, “Are you hiring?” and if they are not, then let them know if you are unable or unwilling to help us, please do not hinder our dreams, aspirations and eventual success.
Bermudians have so much greatness with us and we should no longer bottle up that greatness and allow others to place limitations on us. Times are tough. It won’t be easy. It won’t always be fun and not all of us will succeed but there is a blessing in the storm.
- Wayne Furbert
hey Flip Flop.what spin doctor wrote this for you
If they have all the answers, why exactly were we left in this mess?
“We have an opportunity to revitalize our tourism industry, not with fancy ads or with high priced marketing schemes. All that means nothing if our product is not where it should be. It has been proven time and again that Bermudians themselves are the best marketers and the people most qualified to sell Bermuda directly to the world. Today we have an opportunity to take back tourism and with creativity and hard work create jobs for ourselves.”
Ok Wayne, explain time and time again to me!? Tourism has failed, the product has failed (mostly under the PLP) and we have wasted Millions of the Tax payer’s $$$$$ on contracts with marketing groups such as global Hue.
We live in a digital age with youtube, tweets and online reviews. This has nothing to do with time again. We are on the losing side of this, largely because Tourism remained a political agenda to the PLP. Where cruise arrivals rather than hotel and air arrivals became the main focus.
We have a product and a target market, that is the upper middle class East Coast individual or family who has disposable income. Want boutique style resorts, golf, gambling entertainment, shopping, water sports and Spa’s.
But that requires investment and it requires infrastructure and lower labour and operational costs. All of this needs to be in place in Bermuda for that to happen. But with high debt, unreasonably high labour costs, dogmatic Unions and lack of hospitality trained Bermudians, we continue face a massive uphill struggle. But one new hotel can make a difference, something that you failed to deliver.
To be entrepreneurial, you need capital to start off, where is that going to come from Wayne?? the Sky?? and why is the Government in the way!?? Are you saying that the only barrier between Bermudians and Hospitality driven prosperity is the current Government!? Ok sure, so where has your party been the last 14 years and where were you as Tourism minister? Your record speaks for itself and your poor attempts at spin don’t even make any logical sense!
“Time and time again” LMAO!
Wayne, I believe u’lot in the Progressive Labour Party run your mouths just to hear yourselves…Who was it that wasted more dollars than the PLP on unnecessary advertising and trips around the globe,literally:-(
U’lot,(all of you)in the P.L.P. need to re-read the letter presented above written by, “Beryman”
Well said.. flip flop, go fly a kite!
its time to send this man off to martha’s vineyard with his ace boi eb and wanda.
It’s also World Contraception Day !
Thanks Wayne. Awesome job mate. Keep up the good work. We can’t wait for your next statement. Xoxo.
flip flop trying to stay in the public eye
Funny thing is he didn’t even touch on what World Tourism Day is celebrating this year. When talking about such a worldwide topic sir, I’d suggest you at least mention what the issue is that the world is celebrating tomorrow. What a disgrace.
……………..What a disgrace.
yes,sums up the plp perfectly!
Shut Up Furbert
laughable..just shows how little ability and communication skills are required to be an elected official..what did he say?
All you idiots posting nonsense. What the man said makes a lot of sense. And if any of you had a clue, you would know that it was the UBP that effed up tourism, when they put it on the back burner when they found that they could line their pockets better by focusing most of their efforts on the money laundering business(IB). Tourism has not been the same since. We are now seeing the same mentality from the OBA, they have already cut costs for billionaires to do business and most of the business that has been done since they have been in office is geared towards making life easier for the rich guys. The tourism minister has been on 5 trips but the only thing that we have heard from him is they are firing everyone in the dept. of tourism to let some rich guy run tourism and pay him a salary higher than ever before.
Johnny … were you around in 1981?
flip flop is Johnny Bravo??.. LMFAO!!
um yeah because IB is the pillar of our economy and until you dummies realize that without them Bermuda would be up sh**ts creek without a paddle. What would bermuda be without IB, a sh**hole of a country….real talk. you have no clue what you’re talking about…
hahha. He was the one who implemented a marketing only, tourism product ignored strategy! 75 % of Furbert’s budget was solely glossy brochures and bill boards. what tosser.
don’t forget the round trip first class airfare and fancy meals. if the people only knew. what i find even more ironic, he dares to be critical of the same ubp he was a pillar of!! flip floppin’ and he keeps on rocking!!!
haha very true.