The Bermuda Tourism Authority has rolled out a new “Advocacy” section on its website designed to empower the public with more information about the Island’s tourism economy.

Web visitors will find historical performance data, economic impact figures, information on hospitality jobs and a retrospective on the hotel industry. There is also forward-looking information on the Tourism Ambassador Programme and a snapshot of the Tourism Appreciation Programme.

“This rollout is consistent with the kind of information destination marketing organisations around the world provide to the public,” Karla Lacey, the BTA’s chief operations officer, said. “The objective of an advocacy section is to provide reliable data to a variety of constituencies, including tourism industry stakeholders, those considering a move to the tourism industry and the general public who we hope to meaningfully engage in public discourse about tourism.”

The data is not intended for the Bermuda travel consumer, but instead industry stakeholders, so the information will sit on the BTA corporate website at gotobermuda.com/bermudatourism under the “Advocacy” tab.

There are eight section pages under the tab: economic impact, hotels, industry jobs, visitor arrivals, tourism budgets, tourism appreciation, tourism ambassadors and frequently asked questions (FAQ).

The FAQ section is not new to the website, but has been updated given the new programmes and strategies devised by the BTA over the past ten months.

“Much of the information in our ‘Advocacy’ section existed in the public domain in one way or another,” Ms Lacy said. “Gathering it in one place allows all interested parties easier access to what they may need to make decisions or to be fully engaged.

“Our plan is to consistently grow and update this section with the most relevant information we have so that the public is empowered to help us grow the industry.”