Kim Swan Responds To Minister Furbert’s Claims
In response to Minister Wayne Furbert’s recent claim that the media, online commenters and the Opposition “spit on Bermuda”, UBP MP Kim Swan said that the Minister – who he noted is a former Opposition Leader – should understand that the PLP’s record on tourism “will and should come in for heavy criticism.”
Last night Minister Furbert said that the OBA, the media and the anonymous commenters on websites “spit upon Bermuda at every opportunity” which is hurting our competitiveness.
Mr Swan said “Whilst there is no information to confirm or deny the Minister Hon. Wayne Furbert’s assertion – ‘that online comments are hurting Bermuda’s competitiveness’ – we do know that an inordinate amount of energy is wasted locally on the politics of tourism.
“Criticism of the PLP’s tenure on the eve of an election is to be expected; one need only reflect on the barrage of criticism that was heaped on the UBP prior to 1998 election – well orchestrated by Hon. Alex Scott and others – that ushered in their 3 term reign now rightfully called into question.
“On the Tourism front the Minister Hon. Wayne Furbert was handed a mandate by his Tourism Board but failed to embrace a Tourism Authority that would have empowered private industry; that failure simply guaranteed that Bermuda continues to operate the same way as before expecting a different result.”
“There is great irony in the Ministers concern expressed, for had he followed on an industry driven Tourism Authority as recommended by his own Tourism Board, he would have taken a giant step towards removing the politics out of tourism. ”
“For the record, the United Bermuda Party continues to support a Tourism Authority which would address the Minister’s concern by truly empowering the private sector to find the solutions for this all important industry and take it out of the political firing line.”
“The reality is that Bermuda is in election mode and Tourism is an area where the PLP Government has failed Bermuda miserably for 14 years.”
“Just because we have another hard working, energetic Tourism Minister who now chooses to embrace many of the UBP recommendations the PLP ignored, still doesn’t exempt the PLP Government from being put under the political microscope on Tourism. ”
“Minister Hon. Wayne Furbert of all people – as a former Opposition Leader – should understand and expect that the PLP’s record on tourism will and should come in for heavy criticism.”
“You only need to look at how the Town of St. George has suffered – Now Needing So Much More – to see that the government still needs to taken to task on Tourism.”
” Personally, I will continue to take the government to task publicly but pledge to do so by making a concerted effort to be respectful and to offer solutions as well,” concluded Mr Swan.
a gunman ran into woodys this sat , but gun jammed he ran out and across the street behind the gas station and made his escape boat or ski,,, plenty of witness, why is it not posted anywere ????
Probably as no one notified the media…if we don’t know about things, they can’t be reported. Now that we have heard, we will look into it so thanks for your comment. Please never hesitate to contact us directly with any type of news tips, we do respond 24/7, as it’s much easier to get comprehensive information at the time, after the fact it becomes considerably harder…
are you serious bie? Defontes still gives away a free dinner for 2 in exchange for juicy stories like that
Bernews ..
12 noon…I just heard it also. Man in dark clothing stuck gun at someone’s head . Gun jammed. Plenty of people around.
This is Bermuda So much more!
Thanks, we are hoping to get a little something from the police later today on it….
Woody’s! Who would have ever thought Woody’s? Such refined clientele frequent Woody’s.
Waste of time taking them to task, Mr. Swan.
They are simply marking time, clocking up as many frequent-flyer miles before they have to go to the polls.
How do you know that “….we are on the eve of an election”?
They are going to stay put until the last bell tolls, which is not until March 2013!
They will call it for Christmas vacation, so the college kids are here and the rich OBA/UBP voters aren’t…
don’t think the College kids are going to vote PLP after they have destroyed any hope of coming back home and finding a job….
Stay home everyone
Well said, Mr Swan. Keep doing what you’re doing.
Well, let’s look at this again.
Bermuda has closed down a bunch of hotels. Now, those hotels were shut down mainly because of poor occupancy rates.
Meanwhile, we have these huge ships now that carry 2000 people plus, which includes meals with all you can eat amenities. This surely puts a huge damper on the hotel and restaurant businesses on the island. The island itself is very small comparing to other tourist attractions and this shipping industry has taken a sledge hammer to the restaurant and even the entertainment because some of the facilities on board are actually way larger than some of the same on land.
Bermuda could probably take a second look at the cruise ship industry and maybe scale it back somewhat with the sizes of said vessels and maybe the increase in demand for Bermuda accommodations and local Bermudian restaurants may be resurrected.
Hotels can’t compete with the cruise ships on price. Even Sonny the bum on front street knows this. Why do we have a tourism department that costs millions to run, and they can’t figure this out. The hotels need incentives to lower their prices on their ‘unattractive’ rooms….$150/night should see hotel occupancy remain stable year round if the hotels will commit to selling their ‘ugly’ view rooms at a reasonable rate. We really need a few new hotels that cater to high end visitors, as well as middle class. Sell the high end suites to the rich, and the no view rooms to middle class families at a middle class rate…..
Tourism also includes Business visitors (either repeat or first time) – GOvernment sliced the throats of many companies with their increase in everything for them – thus the numbers have dropped and conferences (today’s paper) cancelled (airfares I would think is the reason for this as well as other tourists unable to afford them), the employees of the exempt companies would have their families here for weeks and tell their friends who told their friends. Why doesn’t Mr. Furbert look into combiningg airfare/hotel like Barbados,Jamaica,Cayman’s, Aruba and so forth does with the UK Airlines and the US. Something has to give and we know it is going to be “X” on the voter’s ballots. Happy Riddance deceivers!! Perhaps Mr. Furbert will join Laverne on her porch for a ciggy and a cuppa singing the ‘blues’
Seems to me that the former Premier and Minister of Tourism Dr. Brown spat on any brave soul who so much as questioned him let alone tried to present an alternative view; both Brown and his erstwhile protege Wayne Furbert could learn a lot from a genuinely honourable gentleman like Kim Swan if they were not so arrogant and bothered to listen.
Victor, I agree with you Kim Swan is a hounorable gentleman,and Wayne could learn a lot from this much loved guy……the O.B.A. need to get him on board as well as Charlie Swan…..I am so fed up with the current minister of tourism !!!!he has no credibility !!!!!!
11th Commandment: Thou shalt not critisise the PLP.
Our bread & butter return tourist is basically a little boring and likely to be white!
40’s with kids – out for a break from work and will keep coming back for 20 years or more.
Concerts, casinos, platinum and so much more is not what bread & butter return tourist wants.
A little boring and likely to be white is not what Wayne Furbert wants
who the dickens cares the color of the tourists – does America, Canada, West Indies, anywhere Bermudians travel concerned about the color of SKIN?? Next time you travel – stop looking behind and look around and see how the local accepts and treats you. Open your mind and see through the eyes of a child – they do not see race unless they are taught – hmmmmmm!!
I rest my case about the racist ignorant whites and expats and blacks based off of the comments above and what is to follow. Read Waynes artical and look at the comments and now look at these comments SMH
PLP has has 14 years to implement the 100 day tourism recovery plan touted by Dave Allen. And you blame anonymous bloggers for the failure? This is one of the lamest PLP claims ever.
Incidentally, one of the reasons there are so many anonymous posters is that PLP has systematically attacked several named individuals over the years and labelled them as – you guessed it – racists. Unfair practice for sure – but it is PLP standard procedure: Shoot the messenger and call the race card. Forget taking responsibility.
PLP directly caused this situation – LIVE WITH IT! I, and many others are going NOWHERE until you losers are voted out on your A***S.
1 percent wayne 1 percent kim 1 percent political parties 1 percent gangs 1 percent rich get everything. who will represent bermuda? TOURISTS DONT LIKE POLICE STATES. we do anything but address the real issues. we should market our tourism as so much less, come and see the failed state
Mr Furbert, name one business you have run successfully please. How on earth anyone that can’t run their own business successfully, run a country successfully? This is one of the problems, we have unsuccessful people trying to run our country, and we are seeing the results. A simple thing as the grass on the side of the roads can not be organized properly. First clean up your house before you can invite someone in. Start with simple things that make a great difference moving foreward. Wake up people, lets not put them in for another term, they have had their chance with our lives and have failed us tremendously.
I am not OBA UBP or PLP ,
How about buying some concession on The liners and serve some few simple fares like meat pies , cassava pie , Cat/chicken on a stick and some dark n stormy and Dunkleys dairy ice cream and promote some of Bermuda to the tourists ? maybe that would be better advertizement in the long haul…