Photos: Bermuda Tourism Ads From The 1960s
As the island prepares to change the way we promote tourism, making the transition from the Department of Tourism to a Tourism Authority, take a trip back in time with these 1960′s advertisements promoting the island’s qualities.
Swimming, sightseeing, and golf; Bermuda’s big draws haven’t changed much over the years, with those same activities continuing to serve as a major draw for tourists today.
Focusing on the island’s romantic nature, this advertisement shows a young couple in love as they pose against a beautiful backdrop of ocean and vegetation.
Relaxation is the key to this ad, as it promises that Bermuda will “squander her happy hours on you.” Calling the island’s atmosphere “unhurried,” this advertisement makes a point to highlight the British customs that had been adopted here in order to offer potential visitors the allure of a sub-tropical vacation with a taste of home throughout.
A draw since they were first discovered, Bermuda’s pink sand beaches get an honourable mention in this advertisement.
Promising that “Bermuda extends a relaxing British welcome to every member of your family,” this ad is another example of expounding on the Overseas Territory angle in order to draw Brits in with a promise of both the exotic and the familiar.
Offering a beautiful photograph of the cannons at St. Catherine’s Fort, this advertisement looks to historic sightseeing as its main draw.
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Category: All, History, Photos
talk about whitewashing a country
thank god this is the year 2013 and not the 1960s
You’re absolutely right. It was a far more racist time back then and the casting in these ads reflects that. Thank goodness we’ve evolved as a society since then.
However, the MESSAGE in the ads is not too far off the mark, is it?
Those were the days.
We are getting a different class of people these days.
Just seeing how people travel on the airlines,we will never get back the classy tourists Bermuda would like.
In the sixties we would dress up for weekend night out go to a Hotel have a drink dance a while and listen to the band playing. We would socialise with the tourists getting feedback on how they were enjoying Bermuda and telling them where to go. Friendships were made and they would come back again another year bringing their families.
It was a snowball effect.
I keep saying it. We need to “re-dictify” ourselves.
People keep saying we need to become more affordable, lowering our prices to match what we’re worth.
I say we raise our worth to match our prices.
We need to start creating customers of quality, as you described.
Bazinga!
you just did a big bang theory didn’t you..
I totally agree.
@Mike Hind… It’s “past-too-late” to raise our worth to match our prices!! The “Standards” have dropped too much!!
BDA over the years has created what you would call a *FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE* with prospective tourists to the Island!!
Cruise ship passengers don’t count… Because they are not “heads-in-beds” type people who spend the $$$!!! They live on a ship… Eat, sleep etc!!
I agree with you on all but one point.
I don’t think it’s too late.
We just need to come together to do this.
We also need gaming. It’s not a matter of “If”, it’s a matter of “When”.
It’s very much possible, but it’s a long-term fix, not a band-aid. We need to stop thinking about “How will we make things better RIGHT NOW” and start thinking about “How can we get people coming back to Bermuda next year, the year after, in 5 years?”
We need to start rebuilding our product.
They look better than the current ads we use….we are just backwards!
Nassau know’s the tricks to the TRADE !!!!
Bermuda has the Beauty !
#justsaying!
@ggurl… Nassau is only 40 minutes from Florida by air and they are NOT all that great any more as a “tourist destination”!! Bad *attitudes* are also setting-in!! I would never go back there unless everything was paid for by another party!!
Talk to the Barbadians about how to operate a decent “Tourism Business”!!!
My experience at a Resort was amazing !
Yup…
There are enough millionnaires in the US that we needn’t cater to Walmart shoppers… they drive the rich folk away.
The question then becomes: are we as a society ready and willing to take rich people’s ///money///? Or are we too good for that? Do we no longer want to offer service, because we “don’t take orders from rich people”?
I sure do miss that MONEY! Show us the MONEY!
Those with “Attitude” need to learn the difference between “Service” and “Servitude.” Free your mind… service can be a lot of fun if you are a people-person.
Very true!
NOT ONE BLACK TOURIST IN THE ADVERT….. YOU OBA PEOPLE ARE SICK PEOPLE!!!!!
Because they’re from the 1960′s you ham bone. What does that have to do with the oba?
Did you miss the part where society was an a**hole in the 60s? This has been pretty roundly denounced…
I can’t wait for Betty to come on say how “brilliant” that comment was.
In all fairness, it did give me a good laugh.
@Maddog… Hardly any *BLACK TOURISTS* came to BDA back then!!!
Don’t blame our present government. Bermuda has come a long way from segregation to integration, yet there are some who want to harken back to the days of yesterday. Live in the present and make of your life what you want to. You only have one chance with this journey of life. It is yours alone.
As much as some things change some remain the same…it’s just that the proverbial shoe is now on the other foot
Now at Come Correct, you are so right, 50 years have passed yet some(not all) can’t see that Bermudians are no-longer of that mentality and many have merged by over looking the ignorance of them of yesterday…
Now… That’s the BDA I grew-up in and “The System” worked perfectly!!!
That’s also when we had *Real* customs officials – who knew what they were doing and had a pleasant manner as well!!
Now what visitors the Island may get – have to deal with a bunch of “…. sour-pusses” who think they are “tin gods” along with the Immigration people!!!
So ya’ll can see what *Bermudianisation* has done to the tourism industry!!!
What goes around – comes around!!
It would be great to see every Advertising campaign Bermuda has done , lined up end to end…I wonder if anyone at Dept of Tourism could compile such a grouping? I think what we would see ( as you do from these) how amazingly similar the approach has always been. Each new Agency we hired thought they are doing something new and exciting , when in fact its just more of the same.
For those who are so hung up on race & the racial make up of visitors the hard cold facts are that blacks only make up something like 18% of the US population. Of that 18% how many live in the Northeast where the bulk of the Bermuda visitors come from. Of that very small potential pool how many have the financial means to even begin to think of a Bermuda.
These are the facts. They cannot be changed to make the locals feel better. The vast majority of whites in the Northeast, or anywhere else for that matter, can’t afford a Bermuda vacation either.
Fish where the fish are. Target the right fish. Provide the right bait. High prices & lousy service with a bad attitude towards tourism in general is not the right bait. They are too smart to even nibble.
spot on
Island looked better, More stuff to do, HM CUSTOMS were once friendly, and the love for racism wasnt prevalent people did their best to get along. dispite their differences.
For all the people who argued this comment. You can take your hip hop, gun totting, materialistic, jealousy and kindly JOG ON!!!
Customs didn’t smile to much back then either