Premier, BTA, OBA: Pompano Temporary Closure
Premier David Burt, BTA Interim CEO Glenn Jones and Shadow Tourism Minister Craig Cannonier all commented on the temporary closure of Pompano Beach Club.
As Bernews reported earlier today, the south shore hotel closed its doors on Sunday, November 15, and will not reopen until February 25, with the owners citing the low occupancy rates and losses due to the pandemic.
Premier David Burt
Premier David Burt said, “Few businesses are insulated against the economic impact of this pandemic. The world over we are seeing that these are challenging times for the hospitality industry and Bermuda is no different.
“For those members of staff who are now without employment, there is assistance available from the Ministry of Labour via the supplementary unemployment benefit and also the Department of Workforce Development. We are working hard to supplement the ability of workers to meet the demands of everyday life and mitigate these harsh economic times. Make no mistake, we will provide every support we can.
“Pompano is a valued part of our tourism product and the ownership team’s efforts to stay open as long as possible show a fighting spirit that inspires the Government’s efforts to continue rebuilding tourism matching the dedication of Mr. Lamb and his team.
“Our aim is to secure a better 2021 as we continue to appropriately manage this pandemic. I share Mr. Lamb’s optimism for the future and I am confident that Pompano’s reopening will be met with a demand for the product and that Bermuda will emerge stronger after this pandemic.”
Interim BTA CEO Glenn Jones
Glenn Jones, interim CEO for the Bermuda Tourism Authority, told Bernews, “We have been in constant communication with our partners at Pompano Beach Club, and based on those conversations, the BTA supports the Lamb family, appreciates the difficult economic decisions they have to make, and empathises with them and their team of employees.
“While Bermuda’s tourism recovery is going better than most, the climb back to where we were remains slow and arduous. Our team is consistently working to accelerate the recovery by maximising every possible opportunity through the upcoming winter and into 2021. A strategic focus on recovery gives our destination the greatest chance of getting Bermudians back to work and keeping them on the job.”
Shadow Tourism Minister Craig Cannonier
Craig Cannonier, Shadow Tourism Minister, told Bernews, “It’s disturbing. We’re going to continue to see this kind of thing happening. This goes back to what we’ve [OBA] been calling for since 2017, that is an economic plan.
“We, still to this date, have not seen it even after having an election and a Throne Speech. We still haven’t seen it defined as to how we move through this. The scary part is we continue to move through the effects of COVID, but these effects were happening before COVID came along.”
Mr Cannonier added that GDP was struggling before COVID. “The hotels are having major, major challenges. This is just not a good time for Bermuda economically and we need a plan by our Government as to how we move through this.”
