Shadow Minister Responds To Tourism Statistics
Shadow Tourism Minister Furbert said he is “very disappointed” that it has taken the OBA government so long to implement the Tourism Authority and also said that Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell “dropped the ball when it comes to the gaming referendum.”
The Shadow Minister was speaking after the release of the 2013 second quarter visitor statistics earlier today [Aug 19], which showed that total visitor arrivals were down 12%.
Mr Furbert said, “Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell and the One Bermuda Alliance came into office with so much hype, but by now the Minister realizes that there is no silver bullet to improve Tourism.
“When looking at the arrivals this year in comparison with last year, it is clear the factors that have played a role in the variances, such as the Newport to Bermuda race, and the decrease in service by Air Canada.
“There were some positive signs, such as the increase in bed nights; if the Minister stays on course with the National Tourism Plan put in place by the PLP Government and implements the entire plan, then we should see some significant increases in the future.
“I am very disappointed with the Minister that it has taken the OBA government so long to implement the Tourism Authority, even though its function is largely similar to the Tourism Board put in place last year by the PLP, but any improvements are welcome. The Minister should also disclose the report prepared by Ernst & Young regarding the Tourism Authority as the OBA government’s entire election campaign was one of transparency.
“Additionally, Minister Crockwell has dropped the ball when it comes to the gaming referendum, seemingly due to the in house fighting over whether a referendum should be held, or not. The PLP had a bill in place and by now would have held the referendum.
“I am also disappointed with the Tourism Board headed by Mr. David Dodwell. The Board has full responsibility for marketing and promoting tourism, not the Minister. Mr. Dodwell has yet to come before the people laying out the Board’s vision and the new steps they will take to improve our tourism product,” concluded Mr Furbert.
You have room to talk!
14 years of disaster for the island.
You are irrelevant!
Just ignore them. We all know the disaster they caused.
I liked him better when he was playing for the other team. LMAO
For real!If I were you Mr. Wayne Furbert I’ll just observe and shut my mouth since you / P.L.P. can speak on any great accomplishments you or the P.L.P had made during them 14 years when u’lot were Bermudas Govt.
Furby are you for real…this is an a or b conversation c your way out of it or better yet moonwalk out like the last time we saw you at the rally.
Seriously though, why is it taking so long to get a referendum on gaming done (although I personally feel there is 0 need to ask the public what they think as they did their talking at the election)…
It is maddening how long it takes to get stuff done on the island and I would bet money that it affects even big business on the island how slow any Bermudian government is to do something…
next thing they will hold a referendum to see if the public wants a referendum on gaming….
I could barely read the article without being tempted to ram a hot spoon into my eye socket, but in fairness, I believe the oba has always promised this referendum to be at the end of summer. Why it takes this long I dont know. I’m hoping its so the government can take the time to consider all the variables involved and that its not about securing premature investment assuming a positive (in their opinion) outcome. To be honest I dont care what happens because I dont see leaving my money to chance as an intelligent option, so I’ll never gamble. I do however see pros and cons to gaming gamibg but I don’t see it as a cure all for our economic problems, more of a gauze to suppress the bleeding. Marijuana I would see as a better revenue stream but I may also have a bias opinion on that.
Who?
Mr. Furbert, please try to be productive!
The only time a politician isn’t lying, is when their mouth is shut.
So there should be silence in the House of Assembly. LMAO
flip flop,go away!
Furby moaning when his party put us in the dump.Surely it can’t get better than this!
the oba is all talk but flip flop is all walk… you’re time is over. you had a chance and blew it.
under the pee l pee flights have decreased, hotels have closed and ships have sailed away. speak on that if you wana speak on something.
and one last thing, dont be speaking to me in town. remember you’re in politricks and i don’t like lairs.
lol
The Government have failed in getting that mysterious Tourism Authority up and running… although I do understand that they are pulling some strings in the background. I can’t for the life of me understand what the delay is about. Very odd that’s for sure.
Spoken from the most inept Tourism Minister we have ever had! What an embarrassment!
Not sure if he was the most inept. Don’t forget, he replaced Patrice Minors, who wasted two years in that position.
Lets be fair. He was the best that the PLP had to offer but still he was worse than any from the UBP days.
flip flop and crockwell are both jokers. i vote that we put their faces on a deck of cards.
time the tourism authority comes alive i am sure none of us will be around to see the team in work. and to believe I voted for crockwell and gang.
All this is –Just Talk
It is what it is. – were lucky to have Tourist still come here.
LEST WE FORGET ” FLIP FLOP ” You and your cronies did this. NOT THE OBA.
It’s funny how people are complaining that the PLP are doing their job as opposition, had the OBA done their job when given the task we wouldn’t be in such a mess now….
That’s a pretty nonsensical statement. People are complaining at the PLP whining about every little thing, because when they were in power the only things they were interested in were self-aggrandisement and lining their own pockets. As a result they left tourism, employment, the economy, and government finances is a holy mess. Even these tourism numbers are a result of cruise ship cancellations, which in turn came after Chris Furbert’s concerted attempts to destroy the tourism industry. And now you want to blame the mess somehow on the OBA not being an effective opposition when the PLP were in power? How can that be true? They got elected. Cox lost her seat. Sounds like a pretty effective opposition to me…
What is interesting to me is that there was a very similar situation when the PLP were in power – Tourism statistics showing drop in vistors. At that time PLP ineptness was blamed and some pretty nasty comments thrown around. Now that the OBA finds itself in the same boat these comments are full of defensive justifications and the usual slanderous remarks…
Lol! The entire tourism infrastructure right down to the marketing is all the PLP’s brain child at the moment. If it is currently failing then it is down the the PLP’s ineptness not the OBA. It takes more than 8 of months for authorities to be formed and implemented, referenda and legislation to be drafted and for tourism plans to take place. The PLP brought us broken cruise piers, broken ferries and declined hotel tourism. Furby always promised us a hotel development under his watch and it never happened instead we got a load of spin. Pink Beach is a done deal under the OBA’s watch. All we need now is Bermudians to actually have some interest in gaining jobs within the hospitality sector now that the Government is no longer handing out overpaid employment as welfare.
Sorry you must be joking!?? The PLP overspent 100′s of Millions on projects and most of the money is not accounted for. The opposition at the time harped on about it every day to the public and we let ourselves be taken blind. Now we don’t have enough money to pay Civil service wages and there needs to be pay cuts! Well that couple 100m that the PLP pilfered might come in handy right now don’t you think. Had the previous Government done their job, managed the budget, civil service, IB and tourism correctly we would not be in the hole we are in today. But they lacked the ability to do so and we are reaping what they sowed the last 14 years. There will be no overnight quick fix to this mess, but the ship is already starting to turn in the right direction.
These comments are obviously by the OBA supporters who have personal gripes with Mr Furbert. If the posters were being objective they would realize that in his capacity as Shadow Minister, it is Mr. Furbert’s responsibility to hold the government to account. It is largely irrelevant what the PLP did or didn’t do as government. The OBA are in government now and promised a myriad of things to Bermuda and the Opposition PLP will now hold them to account. Would you prefer the OBA just be allowed to make false promises with no intention of following through? Would you prefer the PLP to allow them to do this? I would think not. So let’s have a bit of maturity please.
LOL. Funniest statement yet, especially the last sentence.
Another one who would like to erase the PLP failed experiment years as if they never existed.
The PLP will go down in history as the worst Government ever.
Somehow, I doubt that.
Who wants Bermuda with its high prices and high crime rate? There are other islands to go to. Add gambling and you have a tacky, overbuilt island that nobody wants to go to.
Get back in your box flip flop your opinion was always ignored and now it’s ……oh wait it’s still ignored!