You cannot be serious. There’s far too much traffic now.

Really!

Please give us a few names.

This should be good.

1) Vacation air arrivals were up 13.7 percent in the first quarter of 2016, the highest amount recorded in the first quarter since 2008.

2) During the first three months of 2016, major travel and tourism industry indicators charted positive results when compared to the same period a year ago:

Direct spending by air visitors in Bermuda reached an estimated $20.4 million during the first quarter, a 4 percent increase

The number of airline seats flying to Bermuda increased 21.9 percent in the first quarter

Total leisure arrivals to Bermuda were up 31.9 percent when cruise arrivals are combined with vacation air arrivals

Vacation air arrivals from the United States were up 28.4 percent overall

83 percent of the growth is attributed to travellers younger than 45 years-old, marking the first time air arrival demographics have skewed this young in at least a decade

Hotel occupancy grew 7.4 percent

3) Hotel pace for the next 12 months is up more than 13 percent as of April 2016

4) Bermuda has garnered more publicity in the last three years than it has seen in a decade

5) Investors have more confidence in the future of Bermuda due to the work of the BTA. Check with any number of developers and ask them.

6) Hanbury nurtured and invested personally in developing the BTA and the industry, under great personal threats and prosecution, which is certainly evidenced by many of these nasty posts

The facts in the record books will show the influence of Hanbury’s leadership. It’s the future foundation for Bermuda to build on or tear down.

I’m also sure that he will then tell anyone who’ll listen what he learned about ‘real’ Bermudians and why our tourism was destroyed and seems nearly impossible to right again .

But, I’m now curious. What is your plan for tourism? How are you going to “make it happen”? What are your specific goals and methods to achieve?

Not expecting an answer.

None of which would have happened under the utter sh*tshow that was the 14 years of PLP nightmare.

Disgusting personal attacks.

I’m pretty sure most people would rather you go! I doubt that as negative as you always are, that you have many TRUE friends. I doubt that even your family would want you around . You must drain them. Please, do us a favor, get on the next flight and go as far as you can.

Let me explain: In comparison, lets see what the PLP helped Tourism, the Economy, and Bermuda.

1) More Hotels closed down during the PLP years than ever before.
2) St Georges had no Cruise Ships, No Hotel & the only golf course in the Eastern Parishes was closed.
3)Faith Based Tourism was a failure and led to prosecution.
4) Beyoncé Concert cost 4M to get tourists from the US , Canada and UK to fly here to see the same concert they could see in their own cities. How many tourists came to see this concert?
5) PGA Golf – Millions spent with the hopes that Tiger would come.
6) Millions Paid to Global Hue (a school friend of Dr Brown)after Dr. Brown took a ride of his PRIVATE JET. On top of that , it was renewed a second time without the contract going out to tender.
7)Port Royal contract awarded to PLP member and went tens of millions of dollars over budget and all they did was move soil around. No significant building done.
8) PLP Minister Forgot to sign a contract with Cruise ship contract which led to the cancellation of 12+ visits per year by that same company.
9)Dockyard Cruise ship Pier was offered to a PLP minister. We all know that work had to be redone.

I could go on and on.

What has the BTA done? For the first time in decades we have new hotels being built, refurbished, and renovated. We finally have Casinos coming to Bermuda, a hotel being built in St. Georges and Cruise ships back in St. Georges.

So…if you guys want to be haters, that is fine. However, if you just don’t get it…I’m sorry because you never will. You see, you can’t fix stupid!

I COULD GO ON

You have not doubt seen head on the road blocks that are really Bermuda’s achilles heel.
Bermuda has a long way to go. But you started the ball rolling after years of ineffective, rotating leadership.

You will get to go home and see your family!

Someone posted a suggestion above about Glen Jones as your successor. I must say, I have huge respect for Glen. I hope he gets a shot to succeed you.

I think it is time for you to come out with the other amenities Bermuda needs to offer. But I leave that to you!

From where I sit I would like to see the following:
1: TOURIST CAR RENTALS
2: Cut back in port entertainment offerings on the cruise ships so cruisers get off at night
3: Marriage Equality – there is huge LGBT tourism business for the taking
$: Casinos opened – How much longer ??

BEST
Tony Brannon

The above commentators are smarting because you have done something positive regardless of the political obstacles you had to negotiate. They want to see Bermuda fail so they can regain the feeding trough and you have been a positive thorn in their crops. Thank you!