Chairman’s Corner

Welcome to Chairman’s Corner, my regular update to both inform and involve the people of Bermuda in the progress of the Bermuda Tourism Authority. This week we will look at the Sales & Marketing Division of the Authority.

The Sales & Marketing Division is the core division of the BTA, and it is all about convincing more people to come and visit Bermuda. It is about raising awareness of, and demand for, our Island as a tourism destination.

We all know that we have seen dramatic reductions in visitor arrivals over the past decades. We are addressing some of the reasons for this in the creation of the new divisions which I have already commented on in these columns. In essence, we need to improve the vacation experience in Bermuda, and both the, Experience & Product Division, and Investment Division, will be all about enhancing that experience. But it is the Sales and Marketing Division that needs to reach out and inform and attract potential visitors. The new Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Victoria Isley, will thus be working to deliver on this core objective — getting more people to Bermuda by focusing on the following:

* Maximising the value of every marketing dollar spent — getting the best bang for each and every dollar

* Focusing our efforts on markets that can afford to come to Bermuda

* Developing a key brand message that defines Bermuda and which raises our profile above the competition

* Working with all those involved in our on Island hospitality product to ensure we move forward as a team

* Motivating our sales teams in all our markets — the US, Canada, the UK and Europe -and rewarding them for results

* Getting more people to visit in the shoulder and winter months by defining appropriate niche markets and then delivering targeted messages to them

We are under immense pressure as an organisation and as a country. We all know there is huge demand for the limited resources available to Government. Our tourism budget is down over previous years and we have to do much more with that budget than has been done before.

So, we have to be very, very focused on our efforts. The Sales & Marketing Division needs to be a modern, dynamic, and productive entity within the BTA, and I am very confident we are well on the road to making that a reality.

Finally, we need to realise that the Bermuda sales force is not just those individuals whose job it is to go out and sell Bermuda.

The Bermuda sales force must consist of each and every one of us. Every time we travel, every time we interact with a visitor, or with someone that might be inclined to come to Bermuda, we need to put our best foot forward.

All of us are part of the Bermuda Sales Team.