“Mismanagement Must Not Continue”
[By Shadow Tourism Minister Cole Simons]
In yesterday’s article of the RG, it was mentioned that Bermuda’s air arrivals down 30% from the same air arrivals in 2000. This is not surprising as we have been in a Tourism trough for the past 15 years. Our downward spiralling statistics have confirmed only one thing., and that is the PLP Government has failed to effectively manage Bermuda as a Tourist destination. This is not surprising as there is no national tourism plan. In addition, the Government cannot even decide, what space Bermuda wants to occupy in the global tourism market.
Bermuda can not continue to send mixed messages. At one point we talk about being a five star destination. At another point we talk about being a platinum destination. At another point we want to attract more cruise ship visitors. We even sent out a message that we are looking for a destination resort. This epitomizes a state of confusion, and is a true formula for failure.
Our brand awareness is shot. Bermuda’s brand recognition has virtually disappeared from our well known core markets which include the East coast hubs like Boston, New York, Atlanta, Miami
Our mismanagement must not continue. We can not continue to spend millions of tax payers money for such abysmally poor returns. We can ill afford to waste Government money for these poor results.
The Government can not continue in the same trodden path and expect wonders.
During these difficult economic times we need entrepreneurial, focussed, disciplined and measured.
We must have a clear tourism vision. We must have a clear national tourism plan. We must have a better means of measurement so we can better measure our performance, and determine what we are doing wrong. We must do a better job in tracking our markets from a marketing perspective, brand recognition perspective, and airlift perspective. There must be a road map that coordinates our promotional and marketing activity
From a business perspective, we must remove the red tape. In the international hotel development arena the perception is that Bermuda can’t make quick decisions. There are too many layers to decision-making, and it stems in part from a culture of ‘no change’. In addition we are known for putting out the red tape instead of the red carpet.
This Government must also come to terms with how to make Bermuda more competitive from a labour cost perspective. This thorny issue is also killing the industry. In Jamaica the labour cost as a percentage of a hotel’s operating costs, is around 18% ,where as the same labour costs as a percentage of Bermuda’s hotel operating costs is around 70%. How can we compete?
Finally our Government needs to do more to support and foster night-time activities. Our guests never complain that there is not enough to do during the day. But the night-time is different, and extremely lacking.
On the matter of the multi million dollar Globalhue contract, I am following the current Tourism Minister’s next steps. I trust that she does not follow the former Tourism Minister’s foot steps and give the new multi million dollar marketing and advertising contract to her friends.
I hoping that she does the right thing, and encourages a fair and an open tendering process. In addition, she needs to ensure that her committee adheres to Government’s Financial Instructions.
Bermuda deserves nothing but the best
If we are to hire tourism consultants they must be the best of the breed, a proven track record in these difficult times, and adhere to the standards prescribed in Bermuda’s open tendering process.
In closing, the new Tourism marketing and advertising contract must be approved by and signed of by Bermuda’s Attorney General.
Bermuda deserves nothing less.
ya a bunch of record executive wannabee’s
Cole..There is no question that the PLP have failed miserably in the tourism arena as well as handling education and the economy in general, however, please let’s not forget that it was the UBP that championed Bermuda’s significant move to International Business and away from Tourism. This massive policy shift resulted in huge profits for many, however, it also simultaneously created the need to increase salaries in all sectors, to ensure that the ave guy could afford the ever increasing COL.
The Bermudian hotel worker ( foreign workers that live in are significantly sheltered, hence the reason working in Bermuda is still hugely attractive to them ) is in the main Joe Ave, and as such, must find a way to earn sufficient funds to make ends meet in our false paradise.
I am very interested in your views on the report crafted by the Monitor Group. Their recommendations are pragmatic and achievable. Brace yourself because it will require politicians to admit what they already know, which is, that they no very little about tourism, albeit just enough to get them and this entire country in trouble. That is indisputable..
Sir Cole…but they did have a plan. A plan that several of your colleagues at the UBP would have played a part in developing. A plan that was directed by some very, very, very birght folk. A plan that had the input from over 240 tourism industry folk (Hotel GM’s, Directors of Sales&Marketing; Restuarant owners;Retail shop owners,Tourist attraction/excursion owners; All of the B’s, Bermuda Hotel Association, Bermuda Chamber of Commerce, Bermuda International Business Association; Taxi Operators; Key government Ministries– Tourism,Finance, Transportation, Works & Engineering; Cultural Affairs etc;major service &distribution partners — airlines, cruise lines; tour operators etc.
That plan was the B.A.T. Plan…a plan that cost this coutry over $700,000. The problem Sir Cole, is simple, managing a $35M budget is heady stuff and is tough for some folks to give up. The plan called for a non partisan, private sector / public sector authority but again, relinquishing control is tough for most folks.
Back when there was no internet, no real competition for Bermuda it took decades to build the Bermuda product, establish a market, build relationships with solid marketing firms & travel agents. All of this was overseen in Bermuda by people with experience. People with a plan & a vision of where to take Bermuda.
The rot started with the regular industrial unrest in the 70s. Remember breakfast tabletop dancing at Sonesta? In the summer of 1981 a big nail was put in the tourism coffin with a general strike & taxis refusing to deliver escaping tourists to the airport. They had to walk, in the blazing sun, carrying their bags to the terminal. Through the 80s & 90s tourism continued to decline. Bermuda had gotten too expensive & there were now other places to go. Bermuda also took its eye off the ball & turned to IB thinking tourism would always be there.
Tourism coasted along, slowly going downhill.
1998 we get the impossible promise to turn tourism in 100 days. The ignorant sheeple believed it & voted in the PLP.
Since 1998 tourism gained speed going downhill till the arrival of Minister Ewart Brown when it went into virtual freefall with all the hairbrained self indulging promotions which did nothing.
Now Bermuda sits at the bottom of the heap. Destinations which learned from the Bermuda model in the 70s are laughing at us. We are a bunch of fools. We killed the golden goose.
We are closer to the largest market than any of our competitors. We can’t screw that asset up. To revive tourism there needs to be a seismic change of attitude towards work & what value we provide for the money we charge. If we charge 6 star prices we had better give the service to match.
Bermuda, Whatcha gonna do?
My plan is better than Govt and UBP put together
(1) Dismantle the Department of Tourism and fund a Tourism board
(2) Cut all tourisim based taxes in half to stimulate Hotel projects
(3) Assisgn all advertising scheduling to the Dept of Communications
(4) Grease the palms of major travel agencies
(5) Work with low cost airlines and hotels to offer attractive air/hotel packages
(6) Support ‘tourist only’ areas, nude beaches, casino’s and other entertainment
Let’s just go with #1 and let the experts create the plan or better, ie, simply follow the Bermuda Alliance for Tourism Plan..
Unfortunately you all make great responses and observations about the power struggles on managing budgets and the stakeholders that need to be a ppart of the planning ideas going forward.
What i see is that you first need to change the product and stop going after that high end market and getting rich quick and go after everyone young and old, rich and working class, as these are the people that will spend the money and start to rejuvenate the economy. Secondly you need to stop dragging out the processes of allowing investors to build hotels and get on with building them as this will bring money into the island and provide jobs for the masses and start to boost the economy again.
Once these things start to happen and people STOP talking about it we will be a Tourism destination that people will enjoy once again.