Embrace technology trends to improve tourists experience Minister tells House

Make text smaller Make text larger

Minister of Tourism Wayne Furbert has highlighted the need to provide “the most value-added vacation experience” for Bermuda’s visitors.

The Minister said that was the message which resonated clearly when he attended the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s summit last week in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

In a statement to the House of Assembly, he said “industry gurus” discussed “the necessity to look beyond the ‘sun-and-sand angle’ to enhance guests’ experiences by appealing to interests from cultural and culinary tourism to adventure and eco-tourism”.

He added that it is important to ensure amenities such as Wi-Fi and guest rooms equipped with docking stations to accommodate iPods, iPads and other similar devices “are standard and not the exception, since today’s discerning travellers expect the same level of technology that they have at home. It was very clear that destinations that do not embrace the latest trends in technology, which are here to stay, will get left behind”.

During the parliamentary question period, Shadow Tourism Minister Shawn Crockwell asked Mr Furbert how many large to medium-sized guest venues in Bermuda provided Wi-Fi.

The Minister replied: “I’m not aware of all the hotels that do that.”

Mr Crockwell asked if the amenity was offered at all by hotels on the Island, and Mr Furbert said it was.

One Bermuda Alliance MP Mr Crockwell asked the Minister whether other Caribbean destinations offered Wi-Fi free or provided it at a cost to visitors.

Mr Furbert said: “Most hotels in the Caribbean charge for it.”

He said it was an additional revenue source but that might change with time.

According to the Minister, other topics of debate at the summit included how government visa policies have hampered the flow of visitors to some destinations which make it hard to enter or leave the country.

“One of the aims of the summit was to examine initiatives from other parts of the world that have implemented new travel policies which have resulted in greater arrivals. One of those key initiatives was to open to the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries,” he said.

“I was pleased to report that Bermuda already made this bold move in April of this year.”

Mr Furbert said he came away from the conference “thoroughly convinced” that Bermuda’s National Tourism Plan addresses all of the topics highlighted. “Bermuda is in a prime position to leap ahead of our competitors,” he said.

Make text smaller Make text larger

Take Our Poll