Tourists year-round, a bustling Hamilton waterfront filled with designer boutiques, highly marketed eco tours and water sports adventures, a major new conference centre, a nautical tourism niche with full-service marinas —- and all of this anchored by a grand casino.Add to that an ambitious projection that jobs in the Tourism Industry will double from 3,600 to more than 6,000, or 15 percent of the job pool, in just ten years.It’s the vision of Government’s new National Tourism Plan, which aims to promote Bermuda as “the treasure of the Atlantic” and an “innovative, modern and sophisticated year-round destination”.Sounds great, but will it be acted upon in full, or will this latest plan to fix tourism end up being filed away like other plans?That was a concern of tourism industry leaders we spoke to, whether or not the plan impressed them.“The plan for the most part makes sense but that means nothing without action,” said Cheryl Hayward-Chew, CEO of travel and shipping firm Meyer Group.“It is dependent on the Government’s support, on the Government departments working together as a team (Transport, Tourism, Immigration etc) and on private business and investors’ support. Private investors are not going to let go of their capital until they are confident that government can, as a team, consistently move forward with the plan’s implementation.”Len Czarnecki, the general manager of the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, said overall he felt the plan was “on the right track”.He commented: “The way Bermuda has been broken down into various destination hubs allows us to see the breadth of the Island’s offerings to tourists.“I, personally, look forward to initiatives that capitalise on our beautiful water and reef system. Travellers today want something new and exciting and there are elements in the plan that strive to deliver that, as well as an authentic Bermudian experience.“While we already have some fantastic high-end retail shopping on the island, I think that through the new plan we will be able to attract even more luxury retailers and also broaden the range and quality of products and services available to tourists.”Mr Czarnecki said he was pleased the plan also touched on the need for taking more pride in tourism.“I also think the plan addresses a perceived lack of pride in the sector,” he said. “I am encouraged by a number of initiatives, particularly a programme by the Bermuda Hospitality Institute that is targeting elementary schools to teach young people how they can play an important role in Bermuda’s success story by being involved in the hospitality and tourism industries.“We need to get back to the mindset that hospitality is a respectable and rewarding career option, and I’m pleased that there’s a portion in the National Tourism Plan to help cultivate this way of thinking for the next generation of island ambassadors.”He added: “Now that we have a National Tourism Plan, it’s time to actually put these ideas into motion and take action.”President and CEO of Cambridge Beaches resort Michael Winfield, like others we sought reaction from, said he could not comment too much because he was a Tourism Board member.But he did say “the plan is both bold and detailed and there is a great deal of work to be done”.However, Meyer Group chairman and former St George’s Mayor Henry Hayward said he was disappointed in the plan and that it did not contain more on boosting St George’s.“I have gone over the plan several times and I am afraid that I am not impressed,” Mr Hayward said. ”Again we have a very attractive presentation costing thousands of dollars repeating the same things that we have been talking about for years going back to David Allen’s days.”The new Tourism Plan cited these as the “top challenges” to fix:1. Lack of clear positioning and brand identity2. High competition3. Limited demand drivers4. Highly seasonality; low occupancy rates5. Air vs cruise imbalance and lack of focused market strategy6. Limited quality of products and services7. Limited local human resources capacity and lack of pride in sector8. Transportation challenges: air lift, land and water circulations9. Need for further inter-ministerial cooperation, continuity and PPP10. Low investment appeal: high investment costs and high operational costsAnd the Tourism Plan cited the following as Bermuda’s “top strengths” to build on:1. Historical legacy as high-end destination2. Unique cultural and natural resources with international appeal3. Distinctive tourism hubs4. High end market appeal5. Strong cruise market arrivals; yachters and boat market with high potential6. Business reputation, developing products for business tourists7. High repetition rate8. Successful collaborations and PPP (Public Private Partnership)9. Proximity to major key source markets10. Passionate peopleThe $182,365 Tourism Plan was produced by Europraxis Tourism & Leisure Advisory Services. They worked on Antigua’s new Sustainable Tourism Development Plan to guide hotel investment and a master plan for the Belize tourism industry.This is Part 1 of a series of articles looking at the new National Tourism Plan.