Minister: NY & Bahamas Trip Very ‘Productive’
Minister of Tourism Development and Business Shawn Crockwell recently travelled to New York and the Bahamas to meet staff in the New York Office and attend the Caribbean Tourism Organization [CTO] Council of Ministers meeting.
On Thursday [Jan 17], Minister Crockwell met with some of the North American media at a luncheon in New York City to highlight Bermuda’s key selling points including the island’s close proximity to New York City and new air services from the east coast. He also took the opportunity to promote Bermuda’s upcoming calendar of tourism events.
The luncheon was attended by leading travel publications with a combined circulation of more than 4.3 million readers. Representatives from Brides Magazine, Departures, Food & Wine, Travel and Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, specialty travel agent publications and the Associated Press were in attendance.
According to Minister Crockwell, the event was a very positive introduction to the North American media and provided an important opportunity to highlight the new initiatives on the island.
Minister Crockwell with U.S. television and radio host Peter Greenberg in New York
“I was extremely pleased with the positive feedback from the media during the luncheon,” said Minister Crockwell.
“The media in attendance represented influential North American outlets and we need to continue to let them know that we are an island that offers so much more.”
The Minister also met with the Bermuda Department of Tourism New York Office staff as well as agencies Lou Hammond & Associates and Fuseideas.
On Saturday [Jan 19], the Minister travelled from New York to the Bahamas for the Caribbean Tourism Organization Council of Ministers Meeting and to also attend the Caribbean Hotel & Travel Association Marketplace.
Minister Crockwell said: “The annual CHTA Marketplace meeting is the largest and most important tourism trade show in the Caribbean and in attendance this year were 30 Ministers and heads of Tourism Departments and Authorities.
“We had the opportunity to arrange meetings with Ministers and CEOs of various Tourism Authorities from the Caribbean and our team learned a great deal during the conference.”
Accompanying Minister Crockwell was Policy Analyst and Special Advisor, Corey Butterfield, who has been hired on a $120,000 one-year contract. The Ministry said his “principal roles include carrying out a comparative analysis of the various Tourism Authorities and their enabling legislation in addition to fulfilling the Tourism Plan.”
Minister Crockwell said: “Our meetings were incredibly productive and our intention to create a Tourism Authority for Bermuda was widely embraced. We also met with airline service providers, travel booking websites and all indications are that we can expect a much improved season in 2013.”
Minister Crockwell said he noted the Shadow Tourism Minister’s criticism for attending the CTO meeting but said attendance had been arranged several months in advance and well before the 2012 General Election.
I am still wondering how Mr. Crockwell is able to travel to the U.S.A. with a drug conviction ( and did time) as I know people who have never done time but got caught with a joint but are on the stop list.
I suppose the people you know have never been an elected MP or Minister of Government.
With his credentials he has been afforded a waiver by the US Consulate. He has proved rather convincingly that he is of no threat to the US.
Yeah but that doesn’t make it right, graduating from Westgate with a law degree shouldn’t help either
Well he bettered himself learned his lesson and didn’t go back down the wrong path.
Good for him!
bs, we need more right thinking like you in Bermuda .
Wow…. Hey, not defending but unless I am reading your comment wrong; are you saying a person sentenced to prison and actually takes advantage of the programs available to better themselves BUT it should not mean anything?
Curious if your comments (if I’m reading them right) would apply to any family member or friend you know messed up and got sent to jail?
If they apply for the stop-list exemption so they can continue to better themselves via travel, what’s the problem?
Oh wait, because all the low life career criminals aren’t afforded the same privilege?
The same way Commissiong is able to travel. The restriction was waived…..IDIOT questions nothing to do with the article
According to U.S.law you cannot have your convictions waived or the fact that you have spent convictions waived either,once you have a criminal record that deems you to have been put on the stop list,everyone that is on this list of enelligibility has to apply for a waiver and they are on this list for 99 years.
There is no exemptions or ways of being removed and if some legal eagle out there says there is I would like to know because I have studied and researched this for years.Just because the general public dont know and have not been told how it is that Mr Crockwell and Mr Commision can travel freely does not mean they dont travel with a waiver.
Travelling with a waiver does not restrict you like most think and if anything it is a privelage for those that have waivers to have the as it does mean that they have been given the oppurtunity to travel,where there was once a time that their criminal record did no allow them to have that privelage but the U.S.government saw fit to grant it to them under the waiver program.
Needless to say I still believe that the U.S. government should be reviewing its present policies and laws in referrence to the waiver program and I do realize that in oreder to do this Bermuda cannot expect to be the only jurisdistion that will be considered.there are far to many that are on the so called stop list for crimes that are considered mister meaners in the U.S and I think this is totally wrong as we do not stop them from coming here for some of the very things we are being stopped for going there.
One example is of a 73 year old Bermudian who was put on the stop list when he was in his late teens for stealing a bike and here some 50 plus years later he still travels with a waiver,how unfair is this with no other convictions since.so my thoughts are that anyone who has not been in trouble for a serious crime and have no other record for more then 25 years should be removed from the list altogether.
Mr Crockwell and Mr Commission both had serious convictions and they are allowed to travel so there is hope for anyone who wants to turn their life around and do the right thing in life as both of these gentleman have done,so people need to lay off their past and praise their present and hope their lives would inspire others to do right even after having messed up.
@Always watching: The Minister has explained this on numerous occasions – you are obviously not interested in the answer. From what I recall he applied and recieved permission just like everyoe else!
Always watching, give it a break !!!!ten years has passed since his conviction, and be proud of how he has turned his life around,and become a very fine lawyer.
Bermuda has had enough of your type of negativity.
The same way others who are convicted travel to the US. It’s a case by case situation but there are things that even the little man can do once you have paid your debt like prison AND you exhibit for a significant period of time that you are an responsible member of the community.
Well I guess that should answer any questions people had about whether or not he was able to travel to the states.
Critisizing the OBA on a trip you planned….nice one PLP
The critism was in part based on what the OBA said was the intention of the planned trip! Funny how we get this explanation after the trip and again no justification for taking the consultant!
Says,you are so on the money …. Furby your opinion no longer matters !!!
Hahaha…. Ex-Tourism Minister criticizes new tourism minister for taking a trip he planed to take? It’s been less than two months….. give it time Furbert; I’m sure there will be plenty for you to challenge. Criticizing to just criticize sounds petty and soon NO-ONE will listen to you when there is some thing that should be noted.
Minister Crockwell said he noted the Shadow Tourism Minister’s criticism for attending the CTO meeting but said attendance had been arranged several months in advance and well before the 2012 General Election
yet again,the plp have been exposed as LIARS!
PLP never said he shouldn’t go to this event. The OBA were the ones who said they were going to visit Tourism Authorities. We only got the truth after they are forced to reveal it.
Just like when he had to respond to questions about Corey Butterfield’s hiring.
Notice a trend?
So Wayne set the trip up and then forgot what it was about? I see.
What tourism-related experience does Corey Butterfield have? His LinkedIn profile has none listed…
Butterfield doesn’t need Tourism credentials. He’s just gotta move the business in the right direction, get more people on the planes, get the cruise ships to play fair, and get a few of the hotel projects off the ground, get gaming approved, which is a hell of a lot more that the ‘professionals’ have delivered
Hey Chumlee, what experience did Commisiong have in ‘The BIG CONVERSATION ” ? and why did Renee Webb deserve her big consultancy fee ?
I think you need to ask these questions mate .
Being a racist, assisted Commissiong greatly in the Big CONversation….
Its sad that people will still complain and shoot Minister Crockwell down for what he done in the past even tho he changed his life, no win situation dam if you do dam if you don’t .
And yes he applied and was granted a waiver just like everybody else .
Peoples, when will Bermudians grow up ? we have all done something in our life that we have regreted !!!!we need to move on and be proud of those that have made a mistake and have bettered their life.
@peoples – so true. People will accept countless years of lies, corruption, lack of ethics, lack of morals and blatent encouragement of hate and racisim – but people can’t give credit to a man who made some very big mistakes, learned from them, and put in all his heart to change his life around! Please – maybe if people of this country had half the motivation and heart of Mr. Crockwell we would be ok. Crockwell is the product of raised standards within himself – can’t any of you appreciate a raise in standars from the likes of the Col and EB and all the others.
Keep up the good work Mr.Crockwell.
You and your entire OBA team have a lot of mess to clean up.Introduce initiatives that will better Bermuda,we sorely need it.All the best!
get over this Crockwell thing, he is productive, are you?
Upcoming tourism events. Here is one that has never been promoted by the PLP & it does not cost the taxpayer a penny to put it on.
This year there should be another Christmas Boat Parade which has always been a spectacular affair.
Sure US cities have boat parades but, depending where they are, most are in November, few have harbours which lend themselves to public viewing as ours & our temps of the 60s makes being outside very pleasant.
So, DOT, here is an easy one to promote at a time of year when we need heads in beds.
No where in the world can a drug dealing theif represent a country on this level ! How do we measure productive . With heads on beds . Without that we should say ‘no comment’ .
Commissiong?
He is the best person to introduce Marijuana Tourism
The last resort. And maybe the magic bullet….
This sounds like an extremely productive trip for Minister Crockwell. He has covered a lot of ground in a short time. If only you lot would “let go” of his old transgressions… can you not forgive the guy? Same with Commissiong. If not, you are acting in decidedly unChristian manner!
No one is questioning his past they are questioning his present, like expecting him to state why Corey was hired. When a consultant is hired it is usually because they have some expertise that is not already available. This is not the case with Mr. Butterfield so this trip was a learning trip for him. how is it good value to hire someone who has no expertise in a particular area and then pay for them to learn on the job?
One question I’m dying to have answered. Did they fly first class or economy?
He has turned his life around a lot of men from his generation have, a lot of guys that stole bikes and did a lot of foolishness who are now over 35 many have their own homes good jobs,have their own busines have work connections overseas when things dry up in Bds you would be surprised.
The younger generation could learn a lot from him and ppl that are now 35 and older they didnt continue with their childishness they grew up.
Good for him.
You are all desperately crying for change, but you don’t really want to OBA to succeed with Bermuda do you – because every single inch they move you are critiszing it. How do you expect for the OBA to make changes by siter playing with themselves in their office – NO! They are doing what they need to do thaey are going out there and getting it – getting what they need to learn, create, better Bermuda – move us in a different direction to heal this country. GEESH – Please support and give this government and chance to start cleaning up the mess of this island.
Minister Crockwell said that “attendance had been arranged several months previously, even before the December 17 General Election. So, the OBA was going even if they were not the government, or the PLP made the arrangements, or the civil services made the arrangements for whomever was to be the government?
Many,like me have serious reservataions about former convicts in government and other positions of high profile, trust and importance where not only integrity is important but, also role modelling(examples not warnings) for our youth. However, Mr Commissiong is no example in any way. I do not know Mr Crockwell but, his image, behaviour, and positive attitude in the community now, is far more admirable and acceptable than that of Mr Commissiong. Mr Commissiong has only put on a new, trendy suit. My personal dealings with Rolf, recently, would not show him in the best light. He is just a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He has not changed. Will be watching both closely.