No… I believe Dr Brown and the haters on the Central Committee have settled on either Mr Derrick “son of a slave” Burgess, or Mr David “loose cannon” Burch.

That’ll be FUN!! IF the PLP/BIU Party get voted back in, which is highly unlikely.

You’ve given me a new perspective on why so many gas stations go into the food business here. We must be the only place in the world where food price is equal to the petroleum price.

http://www.marineandports.bm/Img/downloads/BMOC/Cruiseship Schedule 2012.pdf

Total cruise ship visits 2012: 163.

Last year: 180. 2010: 154.

Sorry to the visitors who came to Bermuda last year or may come in the future, for bringing that back up. No disrespect intended.

I just have to wonder who his predecessor was that he’s learnt by?
If he is as good and has learned from his predecessor don’t be surprised if the UBP Leader becomes the leader of the PLP

How much is it to take a taxi from town to john smiths bay? I’m estimating around $15 to $20 is the price. Now, how much is it to get a Phil Barnett burger? Answer as we know is $15.

Now if I put my self in tourist shoes here I think I’ll take a belly full of the $15 burger before going to john smiths bay on an empty stomach. Now I may have an hour wait at the bus terminal but its enough time to digest the burger before my swim & I only have to pay $4 to get there on bus.

So at the end of the day are you going to blame Phil Barnett for overpricing his burgers or you & your fellow taxi drivers for overpricing a taxi ride? If nobody wants to give on their prices the in Bermuda tourist will have to sacrifice convenience & go with what’s necessity. This is why restauranteurs will still make it in recession while taxis & other non necessities like retail & such will fail.

My grandmother a Bermudian had 6 children Bermuda in born, married and moved to USA and had 5 American born children…When my Aunts, Uncles and cousin come to Bermuda to visit they are tourist…they spend money in Bermuda that otherwise they would not have..so what difference does it make if families of ex-pat visit, they are still visitors…and should be counted as such…

So 2011 was the second best tourism year in history?… as a Taxi Driver you could have fooled me.

At least Furbert is trying unlike Craig Cannonier who just keeps Winning & Winging & does nothing. Anyone in this day & age can start a Bermudian tourist campaign but instead many seem to want to ride on the tourism minister’s backs & then poke holes in him later. Don’t you realize you’ve already started a campaign from every negative post you type about tourism here. So how should anyone trust that its not you or the other negative naysayers here causing the decline in tourism?

Hey Tourist who happen upon this blog please don’t mind the naysayers. Bermuda is still the safest & friendliest island in the western hemisphere. Bermuda is also a clean & beautiful paradise. The island may be a bit pricey but you can find good deals on lodging from some guest houses & coco reef hotel here. We also have great chefs here & if you shop around you can find a restaurant that has decent prices without diminishment of quality.

Now there’s an example of a good & honest tourist campaign so all you naysayers need to take your over exaggerated negative ones & shove em.

Also, way to go PLP for taking credit for increasing our convention tourists. I thought that was the work of the Fairmont Southampton!?!

This government consists of a bunch of dreamers, yet we’re all living a nightmare!

Most telling chart is Page 17 – AVERAGE INTENDED NIGHTS FOR AIR VISITORS DOWN BY 2.5%
BEDNIGHTS – DOWN BY .9%
HOTEL ROOM COUNTS – WORST EVER
MONTHLY HOTEL OCCUPANCY – SECOND WORST EVER
ROOMS SOLD – SECOND WORST EVER
HOTEL OCCUPANCY – SAYS UP BUT REMEMBER THERE ARE LESS ROOMS ON ISLAND AVAILABLE

DO NOT BE FOOLED BY CRUISESHIP FIGURES – WHERE IS THE COST/BENEFIT ANALYSIS????

Wayne is at least fishing where the fish are, on the US east coast. Unfortunately he is not a good salesman. He is a poor speaker. What is needed is a person with a passion for the position. There were none bette than Jim Woolridge & Shorty Trimingham. If only Ewart Brown were in it for Bermuda rather than enriching himself hes also would have been a great tourism minister instead of the worst. Ewart Brown would be a great used car salesman. He has all the attributes. He has the suits, the blab & you can’t trust him.

Self employed but my business provided jobs for taxi drivers, restaurant staff at certain waterside places, fuel docks, marine services not to mention Government taxes through all the services. No more. The business was a victim of the PLP tourism failure.

Inspite of the slow decline in tourism up to 1998 my business saw modest increases every year. 98 was the best year. After 98 it started to slide then went into freefall as air tourism fell year after year with all the hair brained PLP promotion ventures.

I listened to the complaints of visitors starting with the attitude at the immigration counter followed by the moaning taxi driver & high priced accomodation for services delivered.

Meanwhile our competition ran right over us while Bermudians squabbled. The worst is yet to come. Cuba will open up to Americans. They will flock there.

Which restaurateurs should I ask? The owners of BUZZ, Cafe 4, Tiny Bites, Coconut Rock, Delicious, Pickled Onion & many others are doing very well. Besides what tourist off a cruise with all you can eat buffet is going to pay for a $15 burger? Do you think they’ll pay for the burger if they get to crank a slot machine while eating it? I don’t think so.

Then we have the hotels that charge $200 a night in the face of recession & thats enough said about them.

If tourist see your business as a rip off they won’t spend a cent there. Just take Makin Waves for instance cheers to these dudes. They’ve been making loads recession or no recession & simply because they sell products hard to find on the west coast & sell them at a good price. Makin Waves does this great service while employing a FULLL Bermudian staff. So all the other rip off businesses can boo! hoo! all they want. They made their fancy beds so now they must lie in them because no one else will at $200 a night.

The gross failure is the impossibility with the present transport set-up to efficiently move these visitors around Bermuda to the places where they are likely to spend some serious bucks and possibly be impressed enough to come back for a hotel/guest house stay. Instead they are stuck in a cement jungle in the middle of nowhere with limited spending options – of course the cruise lines love this as it keeps the bars onboard busy. Welcome to the first First World country to slip back into the Third because of arrogance and stupidity. IB is not too far behind tourism; nobody puts up with being ripped off for too long.

fixed it

He was in the House of Assembly delivering a report from the top of his empty coconut last week resulting in delivering incorrect information. Goof Ball!

Whilst many have “VALID POINTS” about the way in which Bermuda Tourism has been managed under BOTH the former UBP Government and under the current Government, it is my belief that a lot of work has been done, and is being done, to change course.

As you know I have been a very strong critic of Bermuda Tourism for many years. If Bermuda was compared to an Ocean Liner going at 15 knots…..it takes a good few miles to slow the ship down and turn it around in the opposite direction. Well, it is my belief that Minister Wayne Furbert has turned wheel…..Bermuda is heading for a turn around !

Whilst many have VAILD POINTS about the way in which Bermuda Tourism has been managed under BOTH the former UBP Government and under the current Government, it is my belief that a lot of work has been done, and is being done, to change course.

Whilst all politicians are open fodder for the critics, especially ones who have switched political parties, I will say that the current Minister has indeed changed course for Bermuda’s benefit. I see first hand the evidence of this. He is “rebuilding relationships” and for the first time in many years I can say “Tony Brannon” sees light at the end of the tunnel. So rather than seeing the glass half empty, why not see it as half full and lets all pull together, as BERMUDIANS, to make sure we ALL do our best to rebuild relationships.

It is VALENTINES DAY and what better day to start making Bermuda the “OTHER WORLD” our visitors will love and rave about ?

Though I like his attitude…please stop feeding us crap..the truth will get you a lot further.

Be positive Bermuda, give the visitors that we do get the best experience they can possibly have. Send our guests home with wonderful stories tell their friends and family.

And for those folks who didn’t see that many tourists shopping in Hamilton, there’s a reason for that.. They were at the Beach. That’s where I would be on such a beautiful island…!!!