The government sector – i.e. everyone working to take care of everyone – doesn’t work. Someone needs to generate the income that supports the infrastructure. .

You are also correct in that it is spending that matters. However, I would note that the targeting of the high rollers must consider whether Bermuda has a product of such high quality that the high rollers would spend their hard earned money. The rich got that way because they readily can spot value for money. I don’t see the value proposition … yet.

The world is more open and the concept of a vacation has changed so much since our parents days.I read recently in the papers of three sisters who spread their vacation through several spots on the globe and traveled light.They got more bang for the buck of an adventure without two young ones and a husband in tow.With places like Cuba and who knows where else on the brink of busting open the pie is getting that much smaller.

I guess it doesn’t hurt to try but I believe it is a waste to pay these people in the BTA all this money/bonuses for what we already know.We will never again come close to having tourism sustain the economy in a way as to take some of the pressure so to speak off of IB.I speak because I was in the hospitality industry in the 80s WHEN tourism was the big brother and IB was the little sister.Bermuda isn’t another world anymore and hasn’t been for a while ,it is a little disheartening to wake up from the matrix but a lot of us need too.

If I was marketing the island I would use a strapline like”Psst it’s still great. but keep it a secret”. ie. promote the exclusivity of the island and almost capitalise on it’s posh ‘classic’ past and the fact it’s quiet. Market the island virally as an exclusive ‘tip-off’ like the name of an up and coming stock, restaurant or race horse. “I would tell you where we vacation but I’m afraid I would have to kill you”.

In the 1990′s Majorca successfully changed it’s down/mid market brand to a much more exclusive destination by attracting yachts and promoting it’s many luxury homes available for rental. Where the upmarket and monied go others followed into the many Majorcan boutique hotels many with interesting hisorical pasts (much like the whole town of St Georges)! The fact is the island isn’t cheap so stop talking to the cheap!

As you’ve noted, we’ve focused too long on visitor numbers and not spending. Spending is what matters, especially spending which stays on island. Yet when you look at what is promoted rarely do we make it easy and accessible for visitors to spend their money. Instead we focus too much on throwing money at new things rather than making the most of what is available now.