Gordon-Pamplin: Ego, Pride Over Experience
Shadow Minister for Tourism Patricia Gordon-Pamplin responded to the dismissal of Tony Brannon from Tourism Board saying, “It is truly sad that the government would apparently put ego and pride over the utilization of willing expertise.”
After being dismissed yesterday [June 14] from the Tourism Board Tony Brannon said “The Tourism Board has written not one line of code on their plan. So in 6 months we’ve done nothing but talk, eat cakes, and have coffee.”
Ms Gordon Pamplin said, “There has not been one tourism minister in the PLP government with tourism management experience, yet they scoff at the idea of having those who know what they are doing to drive the industry.”
“I thought it was a move in the right direction to include the likes of Tony Brannon on the Tourism Board, as his background lends itself to effective input. How many hoteliers are on the tourism board?,” asked Ms Gordon Pamplin.
“If there is genuine concern about the revitalization of the industry and about putting Bermudians back to work (especially in the face of the massive layoffs that have occurred due to the PLP’s fiscal indiscipline), one would think that it is time to embody a Tourism Authority, staffed with people who know what they are doing. Clearly, the Minister and the government do not.”
“However, the right step is for the electorate to demand it. The government is averse to listening to good ideas, but they are beholden to those who voted for them, and it is time that they be held accountable for standards that are better than the mediocrity which is the PLP norm,” concluded Ms Gordon Pamplin.
Mr Brannon was named to the Tourism Board in December 2010 along with Malcolm Butterfield [Chairman], Jonathan Crellin [Deputy Chairman], Brian Duperrault, Wendell “Shine” Hayward, Kelly Francis, Quinton Bean, Vincent Ingham, Randolph Horton, Maxwell Burgess, Michelle Cox, Sallie Singleton, Isabelle Braxton and Anthony Santucci.
After his dismissal a Government spokesperson said “The public can be assured that the work of the Board will not be adversely affected by Mr. Brannon’s departure and it is anticipated that the vacant Tourism Board post will be filled in due course. As this is an internal matter, the BDOT has declined further comment regarding the issue at this time.”
After Brannon’s dismissal a Government spokesperson said “The public can be assured that the work of the Board will not be adversely affected by Mr. Brannon’s departure……” MAY I ASK “WHAT WORK”. I will eat my words if the MofT can detail the “work” that this Board has done.
Mrs Gordon Pamplin also has no Tourism experience and is the Shadow Minister, so where does she get her facts from? It is likely she has no clue what transpired between Mr Brannon and the Tourism Board. Her only purpose for this statement is to speak out against the current government. Yet again, the UBP/OBA/BDA continue their attacks on the government but don’t have the facts to support their opinions.
And you are speaking out against Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin….so I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion including her.
oh of course she is…even if and when it is based on falsehoods.
Well, the new team at the Tourism Board has done……..what exactly….nothing.
BTW, it’s their job to continually point out PLP failure.
Actually, Ms Gordon-Pamplin does have tourism experience. She has worked as the external auditor on several hotels, and has helped with their business plans.
That is not tourism experience…that is performing an accounting function.
Could “Credit” please list the combined tourism experience of the total membership of the Tourism Board so that we can compare their level of experience with that of Ms. Gordon-Pamplin. I would be interested in hearing just how much direct collective experience they have. I appreciate that Sallie Singleton has worked as a PR officer for BA for many years but surely Ms. Gordon-Pamplin’s hands on experience as external auditor for several hotels, together with helping hotels to formulate their business plans must give her first-hand knowledge of the workings and the financial issues facing our ever dwindling hotels.
Credit to Dis credit…………………………….
LOLOLOL
Credit to Dis-credit………….
LOLOLOLOLOL
I was just thinking the same. All chiefs looking for crumbs.
Just thinking the same. No experience but lots of mouth.
Tony Brannon is now speaking out and divulging what has or hasnt been done or what should have been done in his eyes. While i have no doubt he has some good ideas, he is not the be all and end all of Tourism in Bermuda.
I have confidence that under Minister Minors we will see improvement in the tourism arena. Arrivals are already up for 2011. Tourism spending is up. Hopefully the trend continues.
“Arrivals are already up for 2011. Tourism spending is up. Hopefully the trend continues.”
Confirms that scarping Global Hue was the first step in the right direction.
LOL
So you’re suggesting that AirTran, WestJet, cruise ships for 2011 and the marketing strategy that has most hotels full all happened from 1st November 2010? That’s someone else’s work and no matter how you try and paint it, it ain’t Patrice, Lister or Paula.
Well, we’re all really looking forward to ground being broken on the new Park Hyatt resort in St George’s. Dr Brown told us funding is in place, and work will start on building the new luxury resort and 6,000 yard golf course designed by Nick Faldo by November 2011 at the latest. We all know that Dr Brown wouldn’t tell us anything that isn’t absolutely true, so we are all waiting excitedly for building work to start by November 2011.
Just over 4 months to go.
Well be careful, this could be one of those things Paula undoes to be seen to be resetting the dial. Long time between November 2010 and November 2011.
No, Hmmmm, no need to “be careful”.
It was promised by the former Premier, in no uncertain terms. Funding is already in place, he said, for the Park Hyatt luxury resort with the Nick Faldo-designed 6,000 yeard golf course. And it has been reiterated by Minister Minors earlier this year. They both told us it’s definitely going to happen November 2011.
They wouldn’t mislead us about that, would they.
Only 4 months to go.
Think of the jobs it will create, and the boost to the tourism industry. Can’t wait to see it actually happen. This run-up to November 2011 is going to be very exciting. The whole country should be watching and excited about it.
Regardless of the increase in arrivals, if the arrival numbers are so dismal the only way is upward. We need a strategy to ensure we never reach these lows and our entire product can be branded and promoted with the least negative economic impact. We NEED A PLAN!!!! I’ll be satisfied when that’s there. How do you run a department which is responsible for a a chunk of Bermudas economy without a game plan?????
FFS…..Another thread…..If ten speak, ten threads…..um outta hair……
Seriously Terry…Do you ever have anything constructive…no wait..RELEVANT to say? I hope you aren’t as dopey in person as you appear on these blogs!
Anyway- I guess time will tell. If the trend doesn’t continue, it will be fairly obvious where the mistake was made!
JR, why should I. Read your last sentence. Your comments make no sense. You attack me then babble on. Hell um here for the bear…….you figure it out. Just my way of showing profiles in mirrors.
Remember that dood and the end of the world……….he’s dead………….
@ JR- I thought I was the only one who noticed that everything he says never makes any sense. But on to my point… If “Ms Minors said that she knew little about tourism, and would be relying on the board to develop a tourism plan.,” then why is she tourism minister if she does not know much about it. Thats like saying I am going to hire an electrician that doesn’t know anything about wiring or electricity. If these ministers are getting paid over $150, 000 a year I expect them to know EXACTLY what they are doing. Mrs. Minors should be fired, not Mr. Brannon.
Great , you are spot on .fire minister minus
Don’t know what all the fuss is about, aren’t we in our “Platinum Period”
Yes the “Platinum Period” well put
It’s actually called the Plutonium Period.
Today’s award goes to Patrice Minors. She’s such a poor choice for Tourism Minister. I’m so tired of the PLP. Yawn.
Den why arrybuddy dahn horn me hiff yah “so tired of the PLP.Yawn”…….
Whats in your walton………..
Even if TB wasn’t coming up with great ideas, it’s pretty obvious no one else has been coming up with any either, especially the Minister! Why hasn’t some sort of plan been formulated? If Shadow Minister Pamplin-Gordon knows nothing about Tourism and just criticizes (part of her Job as the Opposition Shadow Tourism Minister by the way)The Government should have people involved that do know …right?? So why start off with a Minister that knows Nothing and then spends Months ‘Doing Next to Nothing’ but having more meetings with no plan forthcoming in the near or foreseeable future, that is obviously going to help isn’t it!! It’s Obvious that the PLP wishes to stick with the 1000 year plan that Former Minister David Allen had to turn tourism around as that is how long it will take them to do so. For nearly Twenty Years the UBP where unable to turn it around so I guess the PLP want to prove that they are incapable by doing the same thing because at this point as long as Tourism continues to be treated as a political tool to garner votes and not an important component of this Islands economy nothing will change for the good.
Well said REDMAN
How to revitalize tourism: legalize marijuana, gambling, gay marriage, strip clubs, and prostitution. Turn Dockyard into Las Vegas, St. George into Atlantic City, the whole island into Amsterdam, and watch them tourist dollars flow!
Yup…you’re……right….I absolutely know you’re Crazy.!!!!!!
I might be crazy, but the facts speak for themselves.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/12/26/portugals-drug-policy-pays-eyes-lessons/
These comment remind me of all the people criticizing the president but none of them are qualified or ran for president. If you don’t have Tourism experience and don’t have factual first hand knowledge of her credentials who are you to speak? I’m not attacking anyone. I’m just saying. People sure know how to complain but can’t step up to the plate themselves. If you want to change things get yourself qualified to do it. Bermuda tourism will always be the way it is until we get some all inclusive resorts and maybe some gambling. Being so expensive deters people too. A lot of people can’t afford $250 per night for a hotel room plus enjoy themselves on the island. I can easily spend $100 plus a day on just breakfast, lunch and dinner. Partying brings that up to almost $200. That’s about $400 per day for one average broke pocket tourist before shoppping. You pay more than double for 6 pack from the shops. A case of beer is about $50 compared to about $30 in the states. It’s a good thing I have friends and family that I can stay with when I visit unless my job puts me up in the Princess. A 5 day stay there usually runs about $2000 plus. That’s a cheap room. Who has money like that nowadays to pay out when a tourist is going to spend most of the time out of the room? The guest houses that I know about are away from everything so then you have to pay for a taxi or suffer on the pink buses or risk road rash on a ugly scooter after a night of heavy drinking. Not to mention you can’t get anything to eat after a certain time since shops close early. All your left with is that heart attack Ice Queen where not only is just about everything fried but you risk getting shot or chopped up for a fish nugget late at night. Hahahahahaa!