Bill Hanbury “Filled With Optimism About Future”

August 16, 2016

Bill Hanbury Bermuda August 15 2016The second quarter visitor arrivals report released last week “demonstrates significant progress, the most vacation air arrivals since 2008,” and “I am filled with optimism about the future,” Bermuda Tourism Authority CEO Bill Hanbury said.

In a message emailed to stakeholders, Mr Hanbury said, “I hope you are as pleased as I am with the tourism industry recovery that is underway.

“The second quarter visitor arrivals report released last week demonstrates significant progress – the most vacation air arrivals since 2008 – and is a testament to the work the Bermuda Tourism Authority [BTA] is doing with valuable partners like you.

“We won’t spend too much time gazing in the rear view mirror because our focus is squarely on the future. Looking forward, I see a bright future. One particularly bright spot is the Pace Report, which gives us a fairly reliable forecast of further hotel stays. That report is signalling results far better than just one year ago.

“In May 2015, we shared a paper with the industry called ‘Group Travel: Where We Are and Where We’re Going’. It outlined the things we are doing at the BTA to improve group travel.”

“I recommend taking a second look at the paper because it’s still relevant, still critically important. It demonstrated that although we were impressively growing individual travel to Bermuda, we couldn’t really break through with success until we fixed group travel.

“Today as we study our forecasts things look much better this year, and it’s on both fronts – individual and group. In fact, the pace of hotel bookings through the end of this year is the strongest seen in a very long time; even with discontinued fall and winter service from United Airlines factored into the forecast.

“And when we broaden that out over the next 12 months to include the America’s Cup, our Pace Report shows the most dramatic 12-month turnaround I’ve seen in my 30-year career.

“Nothing counts until the passengers file off the plane and experience Bermuda’s unique island life, but that notwithstanding, I am filled with optimism about the future and I’m reminded there is no substitute for a sound strategy and hard work.

“It’s what got us to a successful halfway point in 2016; and with your help going forward, strategic thinking and elbow grease will propel us toward a stellar year. Let’s keep at it.”

The Q2 2016 Tourism Measures Public Report follows below [PDF here]:

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Comments (25)

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  1. archy says:

    PLP must be squirming – how do they criticize this? LOL.

    • Black Bermudian swing voter says:

      Total air arrivals for the quarter rose from 71,972 to 75,730. The extra 3758 visitors had nothing to with the BTA. What Mr. Hanbury fails to tell Bermuda is that from the start of the year the island experienced numerous independent sporting events that attracted competitors as well as spectators. The list includes the Newport to Bda yacht race, reggae and soca concerts put on during heroes weekend.

      When someone lies to you! It is because they don’t respect you enough to be honest and they think you’re too stupid to know the difference. What I feel like now after I voted for the OBA.

      • Anbu says:

        Lmfao!!! And the pee el pee never lied to us?!!! Mercy. U really cant make this stuff up. Hahahaha . Stop lying. Uve never voted ubp or oba

      • JB says:

        Yes, and the BTA Part funded some of those events

      • Was There says:

        Newport Bermuda Race – BTA funded and funded by the Department of Tourism as well. For years.

        Heroes Weekend Bermuda Carnival – BTA funded since inception (despite outcry from the career naysayers)

        Sporting Events – BTA funds many sporting events, has a sports tourism division and a partnership agreement with national sports centre

        Reggae & Soca Concerts – vague and unspecific so cannot reply, but just as well. You don’t know what you’re talking about anyway.

      • jiggs bda says:

        What you fail to understand is that the role of the BTA is to facilitate all of the events, advantages and upsides of Bermuda to show us in the best possible light.

        Hanbury basically took all of the same people from the BDOT and re-purposed them and now we are successful… got to be good leadership.

    • Point boy says:

      What’s the plp?

  2. Full Fuulish says:

    Que the peanut gallery! Onion Juice, were you at on this one?

  3. Triangle Drifter says:

    Good for you Bill Hanbury. You stuck it out inspite of the naysayers & underminers. A lessor person would have bailed out of here long ago. There are still too many ex DOT in the BTA but I guess you have to work with what you have.

    Lets hope the foundation for recovery of the air visitor will be built upon. Success depends on everyone from the imigration officer to the airline counter agent checking the boarding pass.

    • just wondering says:

      wow there are 19 people who didn’t like this – why? you don’t like the fact of increased air arrivals to benefit those of us (including me!!) who are in the tourism industry??

    • Warwick Wonder Woman says:

      Yea, he “stuck it out” for how much $$$?? :)

  4. Tourism Advocate says:

    This is a total confidence builder. Well done!

  5. Thank you Mr Hanbury says:

    Congratulations to you and your team for this impressive results!!!

    Thank you for your perserverance and maturity when dealing with the nonsense that you did when you took your role to help Bermuda into the 21st Cenutry of tourism.

    You became a lightening rod for criticism by those who failed Bermuda miserably over the years and knew it and their only recourse was to behave in a very childish and unprofessional manner. Bermuda is better than what you had to endure and I hope when you move on you will remember thos of us that are grateful for your work and not the noisey mouthpieces that tried to prevent your success.

    You deserved far better treatment by this country than you received and you should be proud of the results you led your team to achieve.

    You have a great team at BTA that will drive the strategy you implmented foward into the future.

    Thank you so much for helping us get out of oour own way to move our tourism product forward.

  6. Cow Polly says:

    Bermuda owes you a big thanks and an even bigger apology. You well and truly earned your bonuses, now go and enjoy them. I know you’ve put in place good strategies and procedures to keep us moving forward without you, so we will keep growing as long the BTA is kept away from political meddling in the future.

  7. RBYC member says:

    The BTA keep blogging about the same results over and over again for the last 2 weeks. Who are they trying to convince? Best thing to do is for the OBA to call a snap election while the PLP pants are down, or is the Premier going wait until next year when their stronger. The Cog on the wheel did that and look what happen when she lost the PLP and her seat.

    • Keepin' it Real!...4Real! says:

      I just keep hearing dumb people…Bermuda is on its last leg of its downward free fall…WHOEVER! y’all put into the leadership role…There is NO! coming back…destruction of 99%…only the 1% will survive…your financial status will be your protection…I ain’t got nuffin to protect me …how much YOU got..?

      13 families…

  8. Tomas says:

    Using BTA’s Q2 chart, total air arrivals in Q2 2008 = 85,416 and Q2 2016 = 75,730, does not appear to be significant increase. Who can explain this?

    • Jus' Wonderin' says:

      Put on ya glasses next time bra!

      • Tomas says:

        Had my glasses on that is how I spotted discrepancy. Better than blindly following BTA’s spin.

        • Lois Frederick says:

          As the statement said, the best arrivals since 2008. Amazing the amount of negativity out there.

          • Tomas says:

            Better check your statement, Hanbury said “the most vacation AIR arrivals since 2008.”

  9. Sickofantz says:

    Last night spotted disgusting grease and fecal matter balls on grape bay again. How can we expect to have tourists here when there is raw sewage on the beaches?

  10. just wondering says:

    The BTA may not be perfect (in fact I think its fair to say they are far form perfect) BUT they are a hell of a lot better than that shambles of a Department of Tourism that existed under previous Governments.

  11. Dependent says:

    Must have been a result of the fish sandwich competition.