Dear Sir,

The Royal Gazette’s editorial of Monday, August 20, 2018, I felt, was blatantly shameful and divisive.

The headline “Your money’s not good here — locals only” is a deliberate, divisive tactic, pitting locals, namely black Bermudians, against our tourists and the tourism industry.

These are the facts:

• Tourists have always been welcomed at Shelly Bay Beach

• There was not a successful consultative period

• A second consultative meeting, promised by the Bermuda Tourism Authority at the June 12 meeting at Francis Patton Primary School, did not materialise

• Eight days later, on June 20, the BTA advertised, in The Royal Gazette, for an activity/programme manager for Shelly Bay Beach and made a planning application to place repurposed containers on the beach — all without consultation as promised

• On August 9, instead of the promised consultation meeting, the BTA held an open-air, free, tasting party

As per our proposal for Shelly Bay Beach:

• Shelly Bay Beach will be made fully accessible for the physically challenged and the visually impaired

• We request, on behalf of residents and tourists, improved toilet facilities, including a toilet for the disabled

• We focus on preserving the natural environment for residents and tourists and improving maintenance of the beach and park

• Selected vendors will operate in an area where they can better service both the busy field area and beach patrons

Based on the above facts, I would hope that The Royal Gazette would offer an apology to its readers for publishing an opinion based solely on bias and not on facts.

ESME WILLIAMS

Hamilton Parish