PLP: ‘Lack Of Progress By Tourism Authority’
Shadow Minister of Tourism Wayne Furbert responded to the recently released tourism statistics, and also commented on the “apparent lack of progress made by the Tourism Authority.”
“With the professionals in place and an often repeated desire by the OBA to run tourism like a business, it was expected that by now the Minister would be playing a less prominent role and that the TA would be driving the Tourism Plan,” said Mr Furbert.
In January 2013, local hotelier David Dodwell was appointed Chairman Designate of the Tourism Authority, with Minister Crockwell saying they set timeline of six months to have the new Authority up and running.
At that time Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell said, “Mr. Dodwell has been tasked with leading the formation of and creating the structure for the new Authority that will fulfill one of our election promises – to move Tourism out of the political realm.”
Yesterday [June 10] Minister Crockwell released the visitor statistics, which showed that total visitor arrivals for the first three months of 2013 were down almost 4%, with Bermuda hosting 33,256 tourists compared to 34,571 during the same period in 2012.
Speaking this morning, Mr Furbert said, “2013′s Q1 Tourism Arrival Statistics while disappointing, should come as no surprise to those who understand the structural, competitive and economic challenges facing our tourism product.
“With this understanding, the Bermuda Progressive Labour Party refuses to embrace the malicious and destructive tactics that have historically shaped the Tourism debate.
“Instead, we will work with the government to restore Bermuda’s tourism industry as a job creator, money maker and a legitimate source of advancement opportunities for Bermudians.
“Despite these numbers, there are signs that the National Tourism Plan started under the PLP is having some positive results. We encourage the OBA to follow through with the plan as we believe that its successful execution is key to turning things around.
“We are curious however about the apparent lack of progress made by the Tourism Authority. With the professionals in place and an often repeated desire by the OBA to run tourism like a business, it was expected that by now the Minister would be playing a less prominent role and that the TA would be driving the Tourism Plan.
“The Tourism Board has complete control of Marketing and promoting Bermuda yet we have heard virtually nothing from them on how they intend to take Bermuda forward,” concluded Mr Furbert.
Stop crying man!
Wayne, snap snap, wake up, you are not the Tourism Minister anymore.
Yes Wayne they have a former drug dealer who’s now a Minister for the new OBA. He will show them the way to make money, so please sit down.
And a PLP MP will show them how to try and steal money by force
Isn’t this the guy who took 2 years to come up with a tourism plan?
Wayne, these are your numbers my friend and the results of your tourism plan. Most people know that families and groups plan vacations, conventions, retreats 9-12 months in advance. Most people know that the advertising, marketing etc that we see on US and Canadian TV today are from ideas, concepts and contracts dating back a year.
These disappointing figures my friend are the rotten fruits of YOUR labour. After a year, if the figures still go down, then you can crow. And you have my word, if there isn’t improvement by this time next year. I too will be screaming!
Wayne…please go sit down in the corner and be quiet…
Wayne, this is pathetic. You and your cronies destroyed Bermuda and you want it fixed in a heartbeat. Sad.
I agree with what you state about minister Crockwell’s statements about the tourism authority but make noise in a year or two when you don’t see change, not now.
Key info:
“The average visitor stayed in Bermuda for 6.36 nights, up from 5.92 nights.”
A total of 31,300 visitors arrived by air to the Island, compared to the 31,619 that visited in 2012.
Therefore there was a Net gain in number of nights for visitors on the island.
Air arrivals are what drives the most hospitality $’s not the floating hotels that visit especially in the first part of the year.
How about commenting on something positive like congratulating Catlin on their $1m donation to the Hospital. You remember, those people that we didn’t really want here anyway, instead of trying to put negative spin on everything. You had your chance and messed it up now take a seat.
I believe that with his present issues, David Dodwell will prove to be a stone around the neck of the Government, and the Tourism Board.
The biggest stone around their neck this year is the fact that so many cruise ships cancelled last year, after Furbert’s efforts to ruin relationships with cruise companies.
* Off Furbert. Turncoats like you are mere opportunists.
Mark Bean ,FIRE this old fool….he is such an idiot.
The old fool won his seat. The old fool use to be just like Craig a Puppet for the white boys. Craig will get his turn soon when he doesn’t obey his MASTERS. Then Craig will be welcome into the PLP, just as we did every other black man & woman who finally woke up!
We see what you do to puppets that don’t follow command of the OBA/UBP.
Wishful Thinking but more interesting is your mindset – stuck in a PLP conspiracy theory that promises a better past only.
THEN RUN A WHITE LEADER! SHOW BERMUDA THAT THIS IS JUST IN FACT A CONSPIRACY THEORY>>>>>>>>>>>>>>OR SHUT THE FK Up
Why do they need to run a white leader?
Premier Cannonier was voted in by the OBA membership in an open vote process in which all members were able to vote and not selected delegates.
Thus he wasn’t placed by any overarching power.
The vote alone shows your racist insinuations are simply a conspiracy theory needed to justify your racist thinking and leanings.
The problem with many that think like is that you honestly believe that white and black people can’t work together. You view dominance of one race over the other as the natural order of things. But times have changed and so have the outlooks and views of many, maybe not all (as demonstrated by yourself), but the majority.
So in the end, to someone who thinks like you, no matter what actions are undertaken you will always view and label a political party with more one than one white guy (i.e. Zane Desilva) as some massive white conspiracy looking to oppress and suppress their black counterparts.
But unfortunately for you the OBA, unlike the UBP, is a much stronger mix of Bermuda’s populations and much much better reprsentation of the overall demographics. And that scares teh hate mongerers and downright hate filled people such as yourself.
Now rant on if you must, and don’t forget to use your caplocks as well;)
Why waste all that typing? When you know very well the oba will not run a white leader next election? How stupid do you think people are? What social group or rock are you living under. The whole island is talking about this. Say what you must on this topic, but don’t talk the talk if the ubp/oba is not willing to walk the walk.
The premier is just there as the Mouse is to Disney World. Same way you people front all the black faces for the election. Just to turn around and place UBP boys in the safe seats. The BDA would have beat the UBP and PLP hands down December. When they merge to make the OBA, I like many didn’t vote, so I can’t complain. I gave up my vote because I didn’t trust the racist UBP dirt and the PLP started to act just like them.
“Say what you must on this topic, but don’t talk the talk if the ubp/oba is not willing to walk the walk.”
What walk are you talking about my little racist and ignorant friend? And that label can be attached ” to the whole island” that is speaking about this as well;)
Wayne, the six months aren’t up yet – be patient and wait like a good little boy
The oba is like a 2 headed sperm. This will be proven in the next election. Mr. Furbert stop wasting your time talking to the former idiots of the UBp. They continue to believe they won the last election because they received the most votes, when in reality many people didn’t come out to vote.
When you refer to the “former idiots of the UBP” I guess you must be referring to Wayne, the former UBP leader?
The problem is it is entirely possible that PLP win the next election because of misinformed ideologues like you – and should that happen the amount of accumulated capital flight both financial and intellectual will for the indefinite future preclude anything close to maintaining a first world life style for Bermudians and their heirs. No responsible corporate officer would countenance these self-serving, Ewart Brown acolytes. Mike, one thing I have learnt in life is that you cannot eat pride.
Mike, are you for real? When have all the people come out to vote…ever? There have always been many people that didn’t come out to vote, and how arrogant for you to assume that they would have all voted PLP?!
I believe in the first PLP victory (and I may be wrong) the UBP actually had the majority number of votes but the PLP got the most seats! So do you then discount the PLPs victory? Just wondering.
Not all…… Most. Next time buddy. Next time.
why didn’t they come out and vote?
@ R@s cl@d
Can’t speak for all but after the election & hearing so many complain that the PLP lost I asked if they voted. Most of them said no, I ask why not? The response was pretty much the same in saying they all thought they PLP would win if they voted or not.
Foolish move, I then told most of them they forfeited their right to vote so they have no one to blame but themselves.
Many blacks didn’t vote because they felt let down by the PLP. Also these same people didn’t trust a UBP white government, opps I mean OBA the name has changed. The truth hurts, but it’s the truth.
Wayne and company would have a hard time getting us drunk if we were in a brewery.
First class trips,GP cars,5 star hotels for themselves,that is what the PLP were about.
Now Wayne and company do not have the perks,and moan at every little thing.We will never forget the destruction that reigned over Bermuda on their watch.
Sit back Wayne,and see how it should be done.Remember it will take at least 5-10 yrs to begin seeing progress from the damage done!
So please tell me why the Minister of A$$ Education is riding around Bermuda in a Blue GP and the OBA stated that this wouldn’t happen under their time! What a bunch off circus clowns with white make up.
The OBA did not “state this wouldn’t happen”. Where do you guys dream this stuff up?
One thing I don’t see any more is GP cars being used to go shopping, or drop the kids off at (private) schools, or parked on double yellow lines on Bermudiana Road while half the cabinet has a four-hour lunch at taxpayer expense. Those days are gone.
OBA never said they would not use GP cards entirely! I believe they said they would not ABUSE the privilege. They are intended to be used during official functions or translucent glass house.
You must admit, you see GP cars on the road FAR LESS OFTEN than in previous years.
SHUT UP FLIP FLOP. No one wants to hear or see you, go away and take your useless mates with you.
hey flip flop.
We dont care what you think!
As much as I dislike Flop, I have to agree on this one. Dodwell and Winfield, all ot of ideas! They do not have the answers or where to start. I have said this before, Tourism has been on a slippery slope for years and now all of a sudden these two are gurus!
Also by is the BDOT Director still employed? Any other job, he would have fired! Complete waste of money!
IT’S Wayne again! -more unnecessary noise!
TOURISM today is just not what it used to be in the 60′s 70′s 80 ‘s.- people of our largest costomer have found
more cost effective ways to have vacations also many Americans are no longer taking vacations.
The hardest job of the Tourism authority is finding cost effective ways to promote the product [ Bermuda ].
especialy after the PLP DRAINED the money supply.
Lets face it – if it wasn’t for the Cruise Ships we would be in a lot of trouble.– because only a small percentage of Visitors from the USA want to put up with our nasty customs personal at the Airport – I have personaly seen the treatment by
Customs Officers at the Airport – Oh’ the word is out all over the eastern seaboard of the U,S, that Bermuda customs
is a nightmare. — dos’nt help out Tourist industry.
Why does he bother?