Wayne Furbert: ‘Time To Dream Again’
Tourism & Business Development Minister Wayne Furbert last night [Feb.8] said the island’s hospitality industry is on the cusp of a major renaissance, imploring locals to dream bold dreams about its potential.
Speaking to the Sandys Rotary Club, the Minister invoked the examples of Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., George Washington during the American Revolutionary War and British wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill when he called on Bermudians to begin dreaming about a resuscitated tourism sector.
“The great Dr. Martin Luther King said ‘I have a dream that one day …’,” said the Minister. “It was not about his current surroundings or about the conditions that he experienced.”
“I am challenging each one of you to start to dream again.”
Mr. Furbert said leaders must be possessed of both vision and the conviction their dream can be fulfilled.
“What are we doing as leaders?” he said “What vision are we portraying to those who are looking up to us? Are we always saying woe is me? Are we sending out negativity that is filtering down to those who are looking for real leaders?
“Or are you inspiring the power and energy within you to get it done? Can you imagine what President George Washington was thinking when he crossed the Delaware River on that cold and snowy night? It was a very gutsy move, but it turned out to be the single event that shifted the momentum of the Revolutionary War.
“When the great challenge came Sir Winston Churchill he said, ‘We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and the oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender’ …”
Mr. Furbert asked if there were any Bermudians still left possessed of the gritty determination of Washington or Churchills who would — despite the odds — join in his pursuit of his a tourism industry resurgence.
“I see hope, I see a people coming together, I see an increase in tourism, I see an increase in International Business, I see a bright future for Bermuda,” he said. ”Catch the vision with me.”
The full text of the Minister’s speech appears below:
Good evening Rotarians,
Thank you for inviting me here to share information on one of the key pillars of our economy –TOURISM.
If there is one message that I would like for you to take home this evening, it would be, “IT’S TIME TO DREAM AGAIN”
Too many of us have given up on our Dream. We have put ourselves in a box, refusing to think outside because of what we see. We have lost our focus and our sight has become blurred.
We have to start to see things as they could be, not what they are.
The great Dr. Martin Luther King said “I have a Dream that one day …”. It was not about his current surroundings or about the conditions that he experienced.
I am challenging each one of you to start to Dream again.
“A Leader must have the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He must inspire the power and energy within to get it done”.
What are we doing as Leaders? What vision are we portraying to those who are looking up to us? Are we always saying woe is me? Are we sending out negativity that is filtering down to those who are looking for real leaders?
Or are you inspiring the power and energy within you to get it done?
Can you imagine what President George Washington was thinking when he crossed the Delaware River on that cold and snowy night? It was a very gutsy move, but it turned out to be the single event that shifted the momentum of the Revolutionary War.
When the great challenge came Sir Winston Churchill he said “We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and the oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
Do we have any George Washingtons or Winston Churchills left, who would say, despite the odds, I am ready to fight?
If you have lost the vision than I am asking you, I am begging you, join me in my Vision.
I see hope, I see a people coming together, I see an increase in tourism, I see an increase in International Business, I see a bright future for Bermuda.
Catch the vision with me. “IT’S TIME TO DREAM AGAIN”.
Rotary friends, there is no doubt that the country as a whole understands, and is very aware of the importance of tourism, not only to protect the livelihoods of the employees working directly in the industry but the thousands of people indirectly affected by our visitors on a daily basis.
The Ministry of Business Development and Tourism refuses to be a bystander.
The recovery campaign to revive the industry has started. We will put tourism back on track and at the same time substantially increase foreign exchange through increased visitor numbers.
We can no longer live with hotels trimming staff, reducing inventory and hospitality employees working just 6 months a year. We need to get back to business, renew our commitment, so that those who want to work are able to work year round in a career that they enjoy.
Tourism is a key economic driver globally, and one of the main sources of income for many developing countries. What we did in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s and even at the turn of the century is different from what we need to do today to grow the tourism business. Also, the economic drivers during those times were different from what we are facing today.
In 1980 there were 491,640 air visitors and 117,916 cruise visitors to Bermuda. This compares to 232,262 air visitors and 347,931 cruise visitors in 2010. There were also 107 hotels with 9299 beds, compared to today where there are 50 hotels with a bed count of 5685. The hotel industry employed 5,261 people in 1980 compared to 2,431 today. International business employed 1,834 people in 1980, but today employs 4,279 and Bermuda’s population was 54,050 in 1980, compared to 64,237 in 2010; an increase of over 10,000.
Rotary friends, back in the day, Bermudians were most hospitable. Residents stopped to assist visitors with directions without hesitation; the entire community looked out for the red licence plate of a rental cycle and proceeded with caution when passing them on the road. Our children gave up their seats on the bus to a more senior person without being asked. Bermudians were genuinely friendly and welcoming to visitors.
Today, we have to go into primary schools to teach our youth how to be hospitable. Even though many of us go out of our way to accommodate our visitors, we have to face the fact that there is a segment of our community that is less tolerant of our guests and treat them as if they are nuisances to the island. We have to change this mindset in order to survive and sustain tourism.
For the most part, since 1980 Bermuda has seen a steady decline in the tourism industry. Bermuda was fortunate to benefit from the growth of the international Business sector to hold the economy during poor tourism periods. We became over reliant on International Business in the 1980’s and became complacent and failed to give the tourism sector the attention that was required for growth.
The seed that was planted way back in the 80s and the watering of the same, with such statements as:
- Telling our young people to go into international Business instead of Tourism.
- Leaders implying that we should move away from tourism into International Business, has caused us to lose sight of the vision.
There are other factors that have caused a declined in tourism, global recession, a few major hurricanes that either hit the island or came close enough to force cancellations, and 9/11 which was the most impactful. In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, there was a massive drop in air travel on a global scale. Air travel changed immensely with the implementation of security measures and procedures that have not only increased the cost of travel but extended the lag time for reaching final destinations.
Bermuda was hard hit by the effects of 9/11; passports have now become a requirement. According to the most recent statistics issued by the State Department in January of 2011, most Americans do not have passports. Given the country’s population of 307,006,550, only 37% of the population had one. In other words we are limited by the number of those we can attract now more than before.
Immediately after 9/11 our key feeder markets took on a whole new approach to vacationing. There was a keen sense of family and ‘to-gethering’. The immediate trend saw American families and their extended family members vacationing together at ‘drive-to’ destinations.
The sharp decrease in air arrivals has had a severe impact on the island hotel operators who struggled to keep their doors open which meant that Bermudians were facing a high level of unemployment. With the decrease in revenues, hotels were not reinvesting in their infrastructure which resulted in Bermuda’s product becoming outdated.
The Government recognized the need to stimulate upgrades and redevelopment and introduced the Hotel’s Refurbishment Act and later the Hotels Concession Act which provides tax reliefs to licensed hotel accommodations.
Over the years we have also seen emerging tourist markets like Prague and Dubai. Who ever thought that Americans would be flocking to Dubai? More cost effective travel options have opened the door to travel destinations that would never have been considered in the ’80s, ’90s or even a decade ago.
We have to face the fact that the impact of technology and the changing demographics and trends in tourism are here to stay.
Additionally, where vacations were booked 6 months to a year out decades ago, booking are now made within weeks to days of arrival.
Back in the day, the industry pushed their properties through agents offering various promotions. When that failed they lowered their prices. Today, the hotel industry focuses on protecting, rejuvenating and creating a product that our savvy travelers would find unique and worth paying for.
Rotary friends, the media spares no one! Consider the impact of a potential visitor surfing the web and coming across the headline ‘gun shots fired’, ‘visitor attacked’. Are these the messages we want out there?
Today in “The Royal Gazette’s” editorial the editor states “looks like another body blow for island tourism industry”, this particular Statement targeted towards the Grand Slam.
I have concluded that the editor does not know what he is talking about or is simply being malicious, you decide.
The editor goes on to say that we should spend our funds on other events such as The Rugby Classic, Newport Marion Yacht race and the Billfish, etc, and not the Grand Slam because the others give us better return on our investment.
The Ministry provides sponsorships to the Bermuda Squash Challenge, Argo Group Gold Cup, Bermuda Open Volleyball, Ross Blackie Talbot, the list goes on.
I would say to the editor of the “Royal Gazette” that we in the Ministry can walk and chew at the same time. I would also say to the editor that if he would use his pen in a more positive light, we also would get a better return on our investment.
The Grand Slam contract finishes this year and the PGA will be looking to get a title sponsor for 2013. If they do not get a Title Sponsor, Bermuda is still on the card to hold the event in 2013. However, we in Tourism are not sitting still. We are holding discussions so that a major event can be held which will bring in even more tourists which will increase GDP.
The electronic media can do much more to promote Bermuda in a positive light but the downside is that it is far reaching and could also be severely damaging to our tourism industry.
We are in the tourism business and we absolutely must start acting like we are in the business! Our entire community MUST take responsibility and get involved.
- I have told the Staff of The Ministry that we must think ‘outside of the box’ in order to ride the wave and be ahead of our competitors. We can no longer rest on the laurels that the standard ‘three-‘S’s of the tourism industry (Sun, Sea, and Sand) will get us by. Instead, we will have to adapt to the new demands of our visitors and embrace the new ‘three ‘S’s (Security, Sanitation and Satisfaction). Whilst at the same time promoting but yet preserving elements of our natural beauty.
- We have started discussions to address visa issues and other policies that restrict travel to our island. The Ministry of National Security and I are in discussions to remove visa requirements for visitors who come from Brazil, Russia, India and China.
- We are exploring avenues of working with our industry partners to upgrade and maintain the visitor attractions.
- We are exploring opportunities to promote our cultural heritage and local entertainment. In that light, we are working with entertainers to put on a signature event from May to October for locals and our guest alike. To make this work we need your support by encouraging your guests and friends to attend. If this fails, we all fail.
- We are exploring new markets and demographics.
- We are rethinking how we market Bermuda and the message that we want our prospective guests to receive.
- We will give the Tourism Board more authority to promote sales and marketing of our product.
- We are working with Developers to bring down the cost of constructing a hotel room. The present cost structure does not work for investors. A million dollars a room is not feasible. I would like to thank the BIU for meeting with me and agreeing with a formula to bring the cost down for a particular development. I along with the developer will share more about the agreement in the near future.
- We will shortly announce a new advertising agency that has been chosen.
- The Government has agreed to look at having a referendum on gaming.
- As you are aware we have chosen Travel & Leisure – Europraxis out of Spain working with a Bermuda Company OBMI to produce a 5 – 10 year Tourism plan which will be produced by the end of May. However, we are not waiting until May. The Strategic Imperative Report produced by the Tourism Board recommended some immediate goals. We are spending millions over the next few months and aggressively promoting Bermuda.
- We currently have 5 radio stations from the UK on Island broadcasting live and promoting Bermuda.
- We attended the PGA in Orlando to attract golf pros.
- We are offering free nights in the US and Canada and a $500 credit in the UK market.
- We are having a high profile event at Grand Central Station next week. In attendance will be CBS our radio partner. In the evening we will host a Trade event inviting our key travel agency and meeting partners.
I can go on and on about what we are doing to promote tourism.
I am optimistic about the future, and I believe “IT’S TIME TO DREAM AGAIN”.I just need one of you to dream with me and catch the vision.
Robert Kennedy said “Some believe there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world’s ills — against misery, against ignorance, or injustice and violence. Yet many of the world’s great movements, of thought and action, have flowed from the work of a single man. A young monk began the Protestant reformation, a young general extended an empire from Macedonia to the borders of the earth, and a young woman reclaimed the territory of France. It was a young Italian explorer who discovered the New World, and 32 year old Thomas Jefferson who proclaimed that all men are created equal. ‘Give me a place to stand,’ said Archimedes, ‘and I will move the world.’ These men moved the world, and so can we all.”The good book states that if we have the faith the size of a mustard seed we could move mountains.
I believe your faith like mine is greater than the size of a mustard seed. If that is the case, we could move Bermuda forward.
I will be counting on your support as we work towards bring tourism back to the strongest pillar of or economy.
Thank you.
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That bye is such a dreamer !
What a complete joke this guy is.
Hey Wayne, when is work starting on the Hyatt? Ewart said, in late 2010, that “funding is in place and ground will be broken on the Hyatt Hotel development by November 2011″. Another lying joker blowing smoke up the electorate so he can look good for a press conference.
Obviously, an election is coming. So we’re in a “Dream” period. Because “dreaming” about what could have been is about the only thing the PLP have to offer us.
How is he a joke? He’s one of the only ministers emulating progressiveness in the plp. How can you parallel Minister Furbert’s plans with ewarts? That’s like asking why Obama hasn’t fulfilled Clinton’s promises.
I’d rather see Minister Furbert continue working with Coco Reef on hooking up decent prices on rooms for tourist to generate the economy then spend it on Hyatt renovations. IMO this guy would make a better premier than Paula Cox anyday.
If you understood what the tourism minister was talking about in reference to “Dream” period its bringing what we had in the past tourism boom to the future. In the past our tourism boom was due to the affordability & close proximity of a beautiful & friendly island culture for our visitors. It was UBP’s egotistical idea to take the affordability away from Bermuda & target the elite which worked for a while but was short lived hence more than a decade of tourism decline. At least Minister Furbert has recognize the importance of broadening the tourist market.
What insightful suggestion has been made by Shadow Minister for Tourism? Does the Tourism Shadow Minister even have a voice over Craig Cannonier’s since he may be taking Furbert’s place if OBA wins the next elections. I would like to know if the rest of the OBA have any say or are they all Craig’s puppets.
Mad Dawg I think you should change your name to Mad Crab since your all about pulling down those trying to DREAM of getting out of the pot alive. The name suites you better than the ill suited name you try to peg me with.
“It was UBP’s egotistical idea to take the affordability away from Bermuda & target the elite which worked for a while but was short lived hence more than a decade of tourism decline.”
Please give examples. You cannot. Because what you’ve written is absolute nonsense!
The ‘movers & shakers’ in the PLP/BIU ARE the Nouveau Riche… the Elite! They’re the new 40 Thieves. Imagine that!
UBP were the ones who decided to drop all promotions of spring break in the late 70′s. Other tourist destinations picked up our discarded students & have been making billions ever since. It was UBP’s plan in the 80′s to make up our loss by target marketing towards the international elite by offering high priced accommodations with all the amenities to match. This plan looked great paired with IB businesses being introduced because IB bosses now would bring their executive teams to Bermuda for conferences & corporate retreats. I cannot argue that this didn’t work because it did but there’s an old saying about putting all your eggs in one basket. As the elite flocked to Bermuda during the 80′s the prices of everything here kept rising not because it was necessary but because UBP & there business partners knew the wealthy were willing to pay. By the 90′s Bermuda became synonymous with unaffordable for the middle class so now we have not only lost the majority of spring break students but the middle class also. I realize the plp did not do anything to better this as they were riding on UBPs elite wave when elected & did for years after & allowed Bermuda to become too expensive even for the wealthy & IB. I also realize that some members who were UBP like Cole Simons noted this & tried to stop it by protesting the building of overpriced tuckers point but sadly the pebble UBP rolled down the hill in the 1980′s has turned into an avalanche in 2000+.
My alliance does not lie with any of the parties in Bermuda because all have squabbled like children in the face of the island’s demise. That being said even though I despise what the past & present plp leaders & members have done I see something more hopeful in Wayne Furbert who has ideas that will work. Maybe Mr. Furbert doesn’t have a full set out plan but he’s has good ideas which is a start & more than any other tourism minister has given us for years & if the students come to stay at coco reef because its affordable it will be the new start to something that will show the competing hotels why they’ve failed.
You seem to enjoy rewriting history. Do you not think that the Bermuda Industrial Union did not contribute to rising prices?! And who made tourists carry their own bags across the Causway to the Airport in the early 80s?! THAT was the beginning of the end for tourism.
Im not rewriting history my post above yours is fact. This is why you can’t contest the facts so instead bring up BIU strike. I’ll agree the BIU strike at the airport was idiotic but to blame it for the decline in tourism in Bermuda is absurd. The strike only lasted a matter of days not months so how would that deter tourist? BIU didn’t invite the high priced hotel chains here UBP & PLP did. Both parties could have opted to invite some cheap hotel chains here but have had their noses up too high to even think of it. As mentioned before I’m not pro plp, ubp, oba or biu I’m just pro intelligent ideas. Since smart ideas in polotics are far & few I’ll take them from whoever has them. The only good thoughts lately seem to come from Wayne Furbert & Patrice Minors who happen to be in plp. Furbert seems to realize that tourist like & want deals so he’s promoting cheap rooms, drinks & parties at Coco Reefs & any other business wanting to help. OBA has some heavy hitters so they don’t need to wait to show the island what they can do. If OBA really have something to give & really care about Bermuda’s future they need to step up to the plate & bat away to show us they will if elected. Until one of the parties actually have the majority come up with good ideas I’ll sit in the bleachers & only cheer individually for the good players & boo all the teams in the same breath.
Also I must say I was amused by your comparison of plp to the 40 thieves. The 40 owners of Bermuda when it was a corporate colony still have family that exist today on island. The 40 owners progenies still own big portions of Bermuda today & the Nouveau Riche will never stack up to their wealth or gain what they have. These descendants own most of the buildings in Hamilton so they still are the as you so put ‘movers & shakers’ as for the other buildings in Bermuda they are owned by the likes of John Swan. The plp ministers may wish they could have what the 40 owners great great great grandchildren have but never will. Ewart wished on the 40s star also but only got the publics little portion not the 40s.
Well said Tommy, good insightful points !!!! I agree Minister. Furbert has some ideas that may work……keep pushing Minister Furbert.
I don’t know what “ill suited name” you think I try to peg you with. You make your own reputation by the things you say.
Well, I can see you’re impressed by Waynes speech. He quotes Kennedy, Churchill, Martin Luther King, George Washington, Archimedes, and Thomas Jefferson. He dreams wistfully about the ‘good old days’, but at the same time they’re the ‘bad old days’ because the PLP wasn’t in charge then.
The PLP has been in charge for 13+ years. You blame the UBP’s ‘ego’. Well, talking of ego, the PLP Premier / Tourism Minister / Transport Minister/ PLP Leader for years had something of an ego, when he over-promised, under-delivered, spent money like a madman, and announced we were in the Platinum period. I brought up Ewart’s Hyatt announcement because Ewart was the Premier, Tourism Minister, Transport Minister, and PLP leader. He was the big guy in town. He was in charge. He had full-time security and Police outriders. What he said goes. And he didn’t just announce a new hotel would be built: he told us the date, the developer’s name, the name of the hotel, everything. He said financing was in place. This wasn’t some vague hope: this was an Official Announcement by The Man. And, today, the same PLP government is still in charge. There has been no election since then. Promises are supposed to mean something, to most of us. Furbert would have more credibility if he came out and said “that was complete nonsense, it was wrong, it was not true, it should never have been announced, it won’t happen”. But no, he won’t do that, due to lack of integrity, and perhaps fear of repercussions from people still holding power behind the scenes.
Dreams are nice Tommy, but they won’t bring a single tourist here. Currently, after 13 years, the PLP doesnt even have a tourism plan. They’re waiting until May for the foreign consultants to give them a clue what to say next. In the meantime, all he has is dreams, generalities, vague hopes. Nothing they say has any credibility…even their supporters can’t see what the problem is if a promise of a new hotel was a complete lie. Even their supporters have no expectation that they will tell the truth about anything.
How do you expect a new minister to comment on what an old minister did especially when he wasn’t even part of the party at the time. I can’t stand ewart especially knowing about his involvement in the Washington. Even with my deposition of ewart being in charge I can’t dwell on it & put blame to another for it. To put down Mr. Furbert’s ideas & ideology for other plp members wrong doing is to wag the dog & a ploy to hinder any progress this minister is aiming for.
Even if we get 10 students during spring break that will be worth more than any plan drafted. Now hopefully we get more than 10 but no matter how many we get the focus should be on making there visit fun & safe not poking at each party members faults because bermuda needs tourist not a political jerry springer show.
Now be forewarned if spring break is a huge success I will be putting up a post dedicated to you titled “Mad Dawg I TOLD YOU SO!”
They say that Wayne Furbert is a dreamer well he’s not the only oooooone!
Get real here. When all 10 of the college students compare notes with their fiends who went to Fla., Bahamas, Jamiaca, Mexico etc they’ll regret coming here & you will never see them again. Water temp. Bermuda 65F. Mexico 75F, Jamaica 80F, Bahamas 80F etc.. WOULD you come here if YOU had a CHOICE.. get real PLEASE
Why didn’t you mention Florida’s water temperature? Is it because you know its about the same as Bermuda’s during spring break? So why do students still flock to Florida if the water is so chilly like Bermuda’s.
Sure they’ll compare notes…
About how Bermuda is a lot cleaner Bahamas, Jamiaca & Mexico.
About how in Bermuda they can go out of the confinements of their hotels during the day & not be harassed by locals.
How the majority of Bermudians can speak understandable english.
About how in Bermuda they DONT kill you if your gay.
About how in Bermuda they say good morning, afternoon & evening & don’t say wa ya want.
Also how Bermudians despite some opinions have real genuine smiles even if we know we won’t be getting anything from sharing them.
do Jinx and Keith count as far as not being harrassed by locals.?
Jinx and Keith are harmless & if you ignore them they’ll leave you alone. I used to give a few cents here & there to Jinx. One day I was about to go into the Market Place & jinx asked me for change so I told him I would get him a sandwich inside & what type would he like. He told me, “I don’t want no sandwich from you! I get my own sandwich! Give me da money & I’ll go down da road & get a sandwich!” I blinked & F’d him off fierce & told him not to ever ask me for anything again. Since that day he hasn’t even looked in my direction when I go past & jinx is close to a foot taller then me.
What I mean by harassing locals is what I experienced on my trips to Bahamas & Jamaica. When I’ve been there I’ve had a guy with a trash bag of weed follow me for a block. Not that I have any problem with weed but what am I going to do with a trash bag full. I’ve had a scantily clad female walk up to me & tell me, “Eh bwoy me ave a tunda box me wan ya jumpon!” Before I could translate what she was saying she had grabbed my crouch. My voice immediately turned soprano as I said, “No thanks, please let go of my balls now.” These are two of many harassing experiences I’ve had in the west indies. The only ones I don’t mind approaching me in the islands are the kids but when they ask for money or cigarettes I get them ice cream or food because I realize why their in the streets.
BTW I have a choice to go elsewhere but stay here because Bermuda is still the most beautiful & friendly island in the western hemisphere. I’ve traveled to & lived in many places & have my favorites but Bermuda will always be my first love. I can’t think of any other english speaking country safer & better to raise my children.
Tommy, If one new hotel gets built in the next 5 years you can say “Mad Dawg I told you so”. If a couple of dozen spring breakers come that doesn’t cut it.
OH COME ON DAWG! What is a new hotel going to accomplish? We already have hotels that are close to empty year round. 24 students during spring break may at least start a market trend that we could profit from in the years to come. I know Ewart broke his promise & that seems to have hurt you but its time to move on.
The only one I can see profiting from building a new hotel at this point is island construction. Do you really want that?
Well said dear Chong…..where is Mr. Cannioner’s ideas????
You want OBA ideas, then call the election. YOU gave us the “holding the cards close to one’s chest” scenario… so what are you complaining about?
Stop smoking Star Man…and using that old line…………waiting for the election to use your ideas……stalemate……….if you have solid ideas there is nothing wrong with stating them and stamping them with your print.
“Minister Furbert” ….”Ewart”???
And when tourism finally takes off again we can all become our own travel agents.
I know just the man to see about booking a trip to the pyramids.
Right you are… well played.
Out with Platinum, in with Dreams.
A ridiculous statement, what was he thinking? He clearly wasn’t.
Ey dun, where u get dem mustard seeds to?
if the plp don’t win the next election, the oba will welcome wayne furbert with open arms
Wayne’s more interested in alms than arms.
With a product so old and outdated how can you dream, so were is the value for money.
The only thing old and outdated about the product is expensive accommodations. I’m sure tourist find our beautiful public beaches as a breath of fresh air compared to Jamaica & Bahamas prostitute & machete wielding pimp filled ones.
Makes you wonder why they are so much more successful than us doesn’t it.
No need to wonder because I know some go to the places for the prosies but the islands could never make as much on sex trade as Europe or Thailand so that can’t be the reason for success.
I’m sure the majority go because the stay is cheaper, there’s more entertainment & they don’t get $10,000 dollar fines for cannabis possession. Those are three things that need to be fixed in Bermuda for tourism success.
No the OBA don’t want Wayne Furbert – he’s a good man but he flip flops to much. Wayne may be a dreamer but whats more sad is the UBP leader is the hardest working man in the PLP! How sad that party is…
@ Cancer, why did Wayne leave the UBP/OBA? The answer does not bode well for the UBP/OBA. There was racism, and white elitism that existed within the party. He was not valued for his true abilities. Instead, he was disrespected and treated in a bad manner, so he made the decision to cross the floor. Wayne is not the kind of person to make a difficult decision lightly, he thinks about things carefully, and so it had to be a serious reason for him to leave the UBP/OBA. Many others cross the floor for the same reasons. It is only a matter of time before others eyes begin to open up to the same thing. As the blind-follower you are………you can not see……..
OMG…there is blatant, I say blatant racism and black elitism existing in the PLP/BIU Party RIGHT NOW! What ARE you talking about? The UBP is essentially gone. Get over it!
@ StarMan./…../…..YOU must be dreaming or sleeping in “never-ever-land”….racism is a strong part of the OBA/UBP. Whites vote for the OBA?UBP “en-block”. Seldom do they vote for any other party, and this has been the case for years. A review of the election voting patterns in Bermuda support this position of “en-block white voting pattern”. Blacks are the swing voters, and determine the direction of elections in Bermuda. Blacks attend and support all activities in Bermuda, this is not so from the white population. So what world are you living in? Blacks attend your schools, churches…etc,….where are the whites???? The movement always is from blacks…..look they even join the OBA/UBP. SO please stop, stop, wake up, wake up from your dreams…..Racism is a common theme within the OBA/UBP, the race-card is played by them more so than the PLP. OBA/UBP have blacks in the party not for the purpose of bringing Bermuda together as one, but more so for political expediency.
Specialgirl,
Even if the vast majority of the white population voted for the UBP, how did that make the UBP racist?
Wow where does one start here? I voted UBP all my life and happened to vote for a black man or black woman (Grace Bell, Kim Swan, Lancelot Swan). I voted for them as they offered a better outlook on Bermuda’s stability.
How do you know how or who ‘whites’ vote for? It is a secret ballot.At this point you
only know who I voted for but not whether I am Black or White.
When you say ‘Blacks attend your schools’ what is this “your” thing? Who are you imagining you are addressing with this nonsense? I don’t see this racism coming from whites at all and I stand firmly behind that. The bigger problem I see is that whites have been so beaten down by all these finger pointing racial accusations that they stay silent in the face of a national catastrophe of black youth violence, as if it’s not their problem, but can you blame them? You really need to stop perpetuating this division by color and reread MLK if your’e so special.
Nitty,
Pointless asking them to stop – perpetuating racial division is exactly what the PLP has to do in order to win elections.
Do the math. About 65 percent of the population is black and 35 percent white. Therefore, if either party can secure the majority of that black vote (say around 77 percent of that 65 percent) it will obtain an overall majority.
That is why, at the last election, the Government’s strategy was very simple. ‘We’re the black party, they [the UBP] are the evil white party who want to drag you back to the plantation and put you in shackles. Don’t betray your race. Don’t betray your slave ancestors. Do it for the Dame.’
There was no manifesto put out by the PLP – no attempt to highlight its acheivements over the previous decade in office and no outline of what policies it would implement if it retained power. Instead it gambled on winning that huge chunk of the black vote – and set out to do so by perpetuating racial division. What was that line Brown came out with shortly after becoming Prem about ‘whites having to suffer’? The only way to shore up the black vote is to paint whites as the bogeyman and the UBP/OBA as the party of that white bogeyman. ‘And who cares if we don’t get any white votes – we don’t need ‘em so long as enough blacks buy it.’
Racial division – it’s just about the only weapon the PLP has come election time.
In contrast the UBP – and now OBA – in trying to be all-inclusive and appeal to all sections of the community, has a more scattergun approach and therefore doesn’t always hit the target.
Which brings me back to my earlier question to you SpecialGirl. It’s hardly surprising if whites are completely turned off by the PLP (‘whites have to suffer’ remember) and turn to the opposition in droves. But how does the PLP’s complete and utter indifference to the white vote make either the UBP or OBA (both all-embracing parties with black leaders, and a racial mix of candidates who see the electorate simply as Berudians rather than black Bermudian/white Bermudian) racist parties?
You talk nonsense. You say the OBA is racist, yet blacks are joining the OBA in record numbers. How many whites have joined the PLP/BIU Party recently?! None! Know why? THEY DON’T FEEL WELCOMED!!! Nothing to do with racism at all.
The couple of whites who have joined the PLP/BIU Party are opportunists who want at the feed trough. I have no respect for them.
I’ll have whatever Wayne is on
Bernews – that shud be life is good huh Wayne!
You OBA trolls are the dreamers! There is still faith tourism will turn around, however not under an OBA government! Before you spew about Wayne look at your weak leader who indeed is the newest form of a joke.
Faith Tourism was shown to be a scam – why do you want the PLP to encourage it?
And what evidence draws you to the conclusion that tourism will be reinvigorated under the current Government? Which is not an endorsement for the OBA, for the record.
Sounds like Platinum Period part 2… LMAO! Wayne has jokes!
If you think thats a joke I’ve got a knee slapper for you.
Knock! Knock!
Who’s there?
Shawn Crockwell!
Shawn Crockwell WHO?!?!
Shawn Crockwell the Shadow Minister of Tourism who has no clue about this subject so I’ll let Craig Cannonier talk now.
And you think Wayne has a clue…?? Or Patrice?! BWAA-HA-HA-Ha-Ha!!
I understand that the PLP/BIU Party are planning a meeting to plan the writing of a tourism plan… or sumpin like that. But we still haven’t seen a tourism plan. For 14 years now! Good work PLP/BIU Party!
Clinton, are you of great value to the OBA/UBP? Will you be getting rolled out shortly, or are you hanging on a thin string to eventually fall…??….. What ideas do you have that will get Tourism rolling again? Since you have all the great solutions to Bermuda’s problems, lets hear them, rather than be critical of Minister Furbert who is at least working in the best interest of Bermuda. Will your ideas be successful, or are they only talk, talk, talk…as it is easy to be a criticizer, but extremely to develop ideas and solutions.
To be quite honest “specialgirl4you” your BIU/PLP cheer leading is becoming quite tiresome… I guess LF needed a break so you stepped to the fore. I owe you no explanations or anything else for that matter. You integrity has shown to be lacking simply by the fact that you pen name post. You want to know my views? Google me baby! Why not take off the cloak and reveal yourself? Chicken? I thought so…
Hey Wayne all your energy and actual work will make your fellow PLoP MPs look lazy. Couple that with you quoting rich old white guys is a sure way to get your ass fired from your ministry. Keep up the good work.
Tourism is a pillar of our economy? I thought that tourism was a slither, a fraction of our economy compared to international business. Why do tourists come here again? There’s very little to see, and even less to do.. particularly in the evenings.
Most of our visitors just want some peace and quiet so they can RELAX on the beach. Most are not interested in night life. Gaming would give them something else to do. They come here because Bermuda is close, clean, friendly, relatively safe, and fairly sophisticated. Or they come here because they’ve been coming here for years; our repeat visitors and business visitors are keeping us alive – barely. Then we have the “hair-rollers & bedroom slippers set” off the cruise ships who can’t even afford taxi fare to the beach! A waste of time; we really need more up-scale ships. Quality, not quantity.
We need to take tourism marketing and advertising AWAY from the Gov’t! They don’t seem to know what they are doing.
So The World Cruise Ship is not upscale? The people off this ship don’t shop here either because the wealthy get that way from being cheap. Upscaling has killed our tourist industry & left us with stuffy empty resorts like Tuckers Point. Wealthy people buy Hondas the working class buy Mercedes to pretend their wealthy. The ones you call, “hair-rollers & bedroom slippers set” would spend the money they did on the cruise in Bermuda if they had a cheap accommodation because the cheap airfares are already their. Just take a trip to Orlando & you’ll see how much the, “hair-rollers & bedroom slippers set” walk around in their baggy t-shirts & jeans & spend, spend, spend & spend some more on food, souvenirs, games, rides, alcohol, sodas & everything else they see.
We cannot compete with Orlando. We need to work on VALUE FOR MONEY. And better advertising and promotion to our target market in the Atlantic Northeast Gateway cities where 85% of our visitors come from. Wasting money in Toronto and London will not show a good return on investment, because those two markets contribute no more than 15%of our total visitors. Trist me, the DoT doesn’t have a clue.
Or in the words of that noted intellectual and social scientist Steve Tyler of Arrowsmith, “Dream on. Dream until your dreams come true”.
Hope this is like that episode of Dallas…and after thirteen year I wake up and it was all a bad dream…lol
so Minister Furbert wants to improve tourism? i have a “low-hanging fruit” for you…
College Weeks is starting in less than a month. have you noticed all the seaweeds polluting the beaches all across the island? students will love it, no doubt!
Minister Furbert, please send W&E clean this mess.
I am dreaming too.
I am dreaming of Political Party that is more interested in Bermuda than padding their own pockets with $$$$.
I am dreaminf of a Government that DOESN’T spend $2 Billion more than the revenues they take in – putting Bermuda in a huge debt for decades to come.
I am dreaming of a government that actually likes people of all colors and races – NOT Black Bermudians (oh and the Re-insurance Industry).
I am dreaming of a Government that wants to end Gang violence. This way all of the online tourism blogs will stop talking about the Gang culture and the shootings that are going on.
I am dreaming of a Goverment that can look into a mirror and say ” We have done a good job”. Instead we just have a “follower” named Paula Cox.
These are my dreams.
“Bermuda, Feel the love”……I dream of saying that again one day – because I sure don’t right now!
and who could ever forget David Allen ” I will turn tourism around in 100 days”
More Platinum Period and Champaign Dreams perhaps? In reality it’s more like an eyes wide shut nightmare..Kinda reminds me of that movie the Sixth Sense…”I see dead people”
A “nightmare” of a government asking their citizens to “dream” – that’s not even funny! If only we could all wake up tomorrow and discover that the past 13+ years was only a “bad dream, now that would really be a “dream”!
Wayne,
Your enthusiasm is commendable,but you sound like an old fashioned snake oil salesman.
Keep pushing on Minister Furbert, you are working hard in the best interest of Bermuda. This is not an easy task, but you have stood up like a strong man and faced it head on, seldom do real man do that. I know you will be okay in terms of trying to get some form of Tourism in Bermuda on fire again. It will never be like back in the day, as Tourism is a global market. But, I am confident you will do well. Good luck Mr. Furbert. YOu Can DO it……unlike those on the sidelines making no valuable contribution. Well done Minister Furbert!!
I repeat. Furby and the DoT don’t have a clue.
Crazy man, this is so obviously full of sht, I mean MLK and tourism, WTF?? Surely you only back this if you are blind and voting PLP on color, not issues. Laverne ?
Yes, it’s so racially bipolar, many of these issues are.The truth is that the white folk have this one right, but are the black folk brave enough to do what’s right, not so far. They vote like its 1965. Not racist, just factual, this govt would not be elected if we were all yellow.
Specialgirl4you I don’t know why you keep telling people their blind. The PLP are the ones in power – not the OBA – the PLP have bankrupted the country – not the OBA – the PLP have been corrup… I mean unethical – not the OBA – the PLP have flipPLoPed everytime they try something – not the OBA – the PLP have embarrassed this country – not the OBA! You among your other PLP posters are the ONLY blind followers around here! Just to prove my point on how PLP have embarrassed this island, read the final letter in today’s daily “letters to the editor”
I have a dream..that The Minister used to be the head of the UBP..oh wait that was no dream!
I dreamed the old Club Med actually did get rebuilt as Dr Brown promised. I dreamed of a hotel
at Morgans Point, one at Par La Ville and another at the vacant south shore Warwick low cost cliff-edge debacle. I woke up to find that Bermuda has the most wonderful beaches, water, reefs, trees and flowers all of which surely could not be to blame for tourists not coming. So it was only the people left to blame, the same people who have rotted this society with greed, corruption and lies
from the top to the bottom. All of you can now go back to dreaming since nobody is willing to get out and march on that orange edifice to hypocricy and demand this government be removed asap.
Support your regiment..we may need them to overthrow the ……..
The nitty gritty,
Hold on–Wayne is about to make all your dreams come true, just keep the faith!
Politicians have become irrelevant but their egos have prevented them from seeing this.
The people of Bermuda including international business and foreign pot washers, landscapers,
laborers and even carpet cleaners run this Island. Pick any business still operating and you will
find they aren’t 1.3 BIllion in the hole.
The results of our Governments ongoing dreaming is proof of their ineffectiveness. You can’t
send a plumber to do a knee surgery or vice versa.Why are we giving $40 million a year to anyone
put in place by a failed bureaucracy in order to create a working tourism business that has been
damaged for decades by this same thinking.Private enterprise should be running it with the normal incentives and controls for poor performance. This Government actually rewards poor performance with salaries that deserve 100% pay cuts immediately.
This minister’s plan exhorts us to “DREAM” and he doesn’t see the irony, the mass reaction to such pathetic nonsense or the insult to our intelligence. Wayne, they pay you to dream, us? we have to actually produce results for a living, which is getting harder to do by the Newspaper headline. Nothing was accomplished by unrealistic wishful thinking, eternal optimism and just dreaming, 12 years later and look at us, the laughing stock of The Atlantic.
If I have to listen to anymore talk of ‘new frontiers of good governance’, ‘Paradigm shifts’ and
‘next levels’ from a leaderless Government, I will pass them on to the CIA as a more effective torture than waterboarding! No seriously.
Wayne wake up from the dream and stop blowing hot air……..We need real people with real solutions not talkers.
Dreaming is as good a place to start as any.
Good Luck Minister Wayne Furbert.