Bermuda Tourism Authority’s newly-appointed CEO Bill Hanbury expounded the challenges he faces when he was introduced to the public a little over a week ago.

He believed that within the space of as little as three months a tourism industry turnaround would be evident.

But now those challenges have taken on a different complexion.

As workers at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess hotel downed tools and walked out on Tuesday morning, and were followed by Fairmont Southampton workers yesterday, it would have been clear to Mr Hanbury that he’s stepped straight into an industrial quagmire that will put a dent in his immediate ambitions.

Any marketing strategy about to be employed is of little value if those whom he is dependent on fail to cooperate.

“I do think within the three to six months, you’re going to see some results. I think you’re going to see some clicks on hotel occupancy and on Bermuda’s exposure to the world,” he said.

Bermuda Industrial Union, as it has shown in the past, can erase those clicks as quickly as they appear.

The industrial action taken by the hotel’s union workforce will have raised the ire of those who might have seen a ray of hope as the economy shows signs — albeit minimal — of recovery. The Chamber of Commerce may feel the most aggrieved.

The damage inflicted by a single-day walkout can be worrying. Any longer and it can be catastrophic.

Visiting executives have little choice but to stay at the Fairmont in Hamilton when they arrive on business.

Tourists do have a choice.

When room service is discontinued, when the bars shut, when the maid fails to arrive, chances are those guests won’t be returning any time soon.

Redundancy has become a well-worn word in recent years, yet Fairmont can’t be exonerated in this instance.

Clearly the hotel didn’t follow what BIU president Chris Furbert calls the “normal processes” in announcing redundancies.

The ten who lost their jobs were given just two days notice, plus a month’s pay.

The union claims management has broken the collective bargaining agreement by failing to consult staff. On the evidence provided, that seems to be the case.

Home Affairs Minister Michael Fahy agreed there had been no consultation — a rare, perhaps unprecedented, occasion when a non-PLP government and the union have sat on the same side of the fence.

Sen Fahy said he was “disappointed” at how the redundancies were handled by the hotel with an apparent “lack of collaboration” between the hotel, the BIU and his Ministry.

“I made representations to the manager of the hotel that this was something that we were not happy with,” he told this newspaper. “It does not appear that there was collaboration with either the union and certainly not any real notice to the Ministry as to what was coming.”

He said he shared with the Bermuda Hotel Association, the BIU and Government disappointment at the job losses and the manner they were made.

“We sympathise and empathise. I don’t want to see people unemployed. I don’t like to see people coming in and saying ‘I can’t feed my family’, that’s terrible.”

So many Bermudians will echo those sentiments, particularly those who have suffered the same fate as the workers who lost their jobs at Fairmont.

The senator wants arbitration; Mr Furbert demands instant reinstatement.

But if the impasse drags on, there’s no telling how much damage will be inflicted on the tourism industry.

Social media will ensure that Bermuda won’t be on top of the holidaymakers’ bucket list ... no matter how Mr Hanbury and his team shape their forward planning.