September 20, 2011Dear Sir,Assessing blame for the decline in tourism is not going to get us anywhere except backwards. The Bermuda Hotel Association, the Independents, the UBP, the unions, the Bermuda Board of Tourism, the PLP and the Bermudian public should all share the blame for the damage that has been done to this vital industry. However, the past should be looked at to see what has gone wrong so we don’t repeat the same mistakes again. The assumption by almost everyone was that the goose would continue laying gold eggs and it did until we killed it off by losing control of our roads by allowing huge trucks, cars, and heavy fast motorcycles, by building on land that should have remained green etc. A lot of these mistakes started well before the PLP came into power. There was a lack of vision coupled with personal greed.We should recognise the treasures we have on our Island. Blessed with a moderate climate, semi-tropical flowers and greenery, pink sand beaches, and an attractive countryside, we compare well with our neighbours to the South but poorly against many European countries that I find immaculate. There is large room for improvement. We also have an ideal geographic location with our proximity to many cities in the United States and Canada. Bermuda has a cultural heritage: St. George’s and the National Museum at the Dockyard. In addition we have Crystal Cave, one of the finest small aquariums in the world, art galleries, a variety of forts, a botanical garden, excellent golf courses, as well as outdoor activities for a large part of the year.We are failing, however, in providing ideal shopping opportunities and any significant nightlife. The gambling issue is a controversial one so I will not take sides. I would say though that on many ships the gambling casinos are empty most of the time so they are perhaps going out of favour on account of the proliferation of casinos in the USA.There are two distinct types of visitors, those that come by air and visitors by cruise ship. For example, for many the cruise ship is their destination. No sooner are they ashore than they rush back for lunch. Their time ashore is limited to buying postcards and other souvenirs of Bermuda. Then there are those on board that want to see and experience Bermuda but if the ship is only in for one day they only have time for a quick glance at a few of our attractions. We think of the island as small and that is where we make a major mistake. Yes, it is small in terms of square miles but on account of its length the Town of St. George’s and other East end tourist venues are left out in the cold. There is a transportation problem when ships dock at the West End, not only for the East end but also the City of Hamilton. Yes, the Government gets its fees but the many Bermudians in the tourist industry are left out in the cold. The size of ships has increased so much we are talking about thousands of passengers who might be arriving on the same day. Therefore, cruise ships should be allowed to use their own tenders to come directly to Hamilton as we are unable to provide for so many arriving at one time. An additional docking area for tenders might be able to be constructed at Spanish Point in order to facilitate those who wish to go to the East end or spend longer visiting Hamilton. This would save a considerable period of time as this gateway could be used in addition to fast ferries from Somerset.Many arriving by air are looking for less expensive accommodation than major hotels. With the number of empty apartments and condos, Bed and Breakfast accommodations should be encouraged and a Bed and Breakfast Association established where the visitor can find all the necessary information they require for making bookings.We now come to one of the most major problems that this island has ... traffic. The tourist whom Bermuda needs most and those who spend the most money are those who stay at one of our fast disappearing hotels. A great many of these visitors want mobility. If they unable to have it they will not come back. It is far too dangerous to ride any type of bike with the enormous trucks, extra large cars, and cycles travelling at 50 miles an hour and above. Quite frankly, they are far too big for our roads. We can certainly blame ourselves for that. Success has brought larger and larger vehicles. It is not only the younger drivers who go at fast speeds but most taxis and the average car owner too.It is absolutely mandatory to start phasing out almost all larger vehicles and bringing back law and order to our transportation system. It is also necessary to allow tourists the mobility they once had. Almost everywhere else in the world allows visitors to rent cars and bikes so they can control their own movements with freedom of choice. There are now many small three wheeled cars on the road that would be suitable to rent; take San Francisco and other cities providing three wheeled transport. If you don’t give our hotel visitors more freedom of movement, you can forget about building new hotels. This type of visitor has no desire to sit in a bus. Although they may be affluent they are wise enough to not being interested in spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars on taxis to get around the island.We are desperately looking for new suggestions to grow our tourist trade. Most ideas have been copied from one country to another then modified and altered to adapt to a different setting. For example, Bermuda shorts did not originate here but were copied and modified to meet our need for cooler clothing. All members of the tourism board should be cognisant of how tourism is conducted in other countries, its failings and its successes. Ideas take time to come to fruition in new projects and not all will be viable. To work, however, they must have the backing and participation of our Bermudian community for if we are indifferent one had better think about emigrating as we slowly collapse.I am setting forth a few ideas but not in order of importance. I know many of these ideas will work but they need backing, time, and patience. It took Cape Town, South Africa, 25 years to rebuild its infrastructure after losing its trade when the Panama Canal was opened. Now they are the most visited city in the entire continent of Africa.1. Absolutely first class tourist offices should be opened in Hamilton and the dockyard with smaller first class offices at the airport and St. Georges. Pay a visit to many tourists towns, for example Williamsburg. Our presence is perhaps the worst I have ever seen.2. A well managed news bureau and staffed well. A continuous flow of information and pictures should be sent out to all forms of media. Tourist should have their pictures sent, where appropriate, to their local newspapers, especially in small towns.3. Put coloured lines down the middle of the sidewalks in Hamilton and St. Georges guiding you to places of interests. See the example in Boston. In St. Georges the lines could take you to all the homes and museums of interest and walking tours and full description pamphlets could be given to anyone following the route.4. The next suggestion I have is the most important one. Our major stores have gone with the wind. Triminghams, Smiths, and Archie Brown & Son had little to sell after the manufacturing of their products moved from the United Kingdom to the Far East, especially China. Today Front Street is barren. Empty spaces are continuing to appear. Few tourist carry packages and those that do usually have T-shirts or other souvenirs. Everyone who comes to Bermuda has a passport for identification, the same as one going through London airports. Heathrow has over 175,000 passengers a day going through their duty free shopping areas. So my suggestion is that we could open, with a considerable time for planning and execution, although small in comparison, one of the finest duty free shopping areas in the world. We are close to the major hubs on the Eastern seaboard and much closer than the duty free areas of the West Indies. I would be willing to wager that the extra money spent on this island would far outweigh any duties collected now on the few tourist items of any value which are presently purchased.5. The town of Chester, Nova Scotia takes one of their weekends in the Fall during which almost every house and every store has a dummy outside made to represent politicians, actors, in fact, almost every personality one would recognise. People come from all over Nova Scotia and Eastern Canada to see the displays which I think are fun as well as being remarkable. One could do this in Bermuda using the Gombeys as a theme.6. A notable event held every two years is the Newport Bermuda Yacht Race. With proper promotion there is no reason why a motor boat event could not be held every other year. Working with major motor boating magazines, both in Europe and the United States, I think this would have worldwide interest. I do not believe it would be difficult to obtain major sponsorship and there is no problem with amateur status. I call it an “event” as there could be handicap racing, open racing, and predicted log contests, etc. There is nothing quite like this at the moment so it would be an exciting event for the world press. It would, of course, bring many people to Bermuda in addition to the publicity the island would receive.7. For a long period of time colleges on the Eastern seaboard came to play rugby. This was a highlight of popular college weeks attracting large numbers of students. Many returned for their honeymoons or later in life remembering happy times here. College weeks should be revived with tournaments for both sexes involving additional sports such as football and lacrosse for which Bermuda is well suited. Training programmes could also be introduced as many teams go South to practice while the weather in unsuitable in the North.8. If you have the opportunity, try and pay a visit to Aspen, Colorado. Real flowers hang everywhere. There are flower baskets under almost all the balconies as well as flower boxes in front of many windows. Lamp poles support flower arrangements as well. The town is lovely. Hamilton looks really drab.9. We want tourists back? In front of what should be a wonderful waterfront there is a public toilet and a car park. Words fail me.10. White’s Island could certainly be made into an attractive park with a small ferry running continuously. There is still plenty of room for a youth sailing centre. At the moment it is a dump and most of it should be torn down. An attractive restaurant would also be an asset.11. What about trying step-on step-off buses running from Hamilton, one to the East and one to the West, on a continual basis? You buy one ticket in advance and the buses come and go on the half-hour. This is very popular in Boston. The buses should be designed especially for sightseeing and not those that we use today.12. Bermuda should keep its uniqueness. Keep out fast food chains, get rid of the large signs that are creeping up everywhere, and go back to the pound note. I am not suggesting a UK note but a Bermuda note linked to the US dollar. Americans like places that are different, not the same as the US.13. Try and put a Bermuda representative on every ship coming to Bermuda. I know that we are unable to interfere with their tour arrangements which are marked up highly and are a lucrative part of their business. However, to be able to give personal advice and to show a film in their cinema would be most helpful. I was on the maiden voyage of the Queen Victoria to Bermuda a couple of months ago and the passengers had little information on the Island. On board were a conservative group who liked Bermuda and did not like Nassau. However, they were uninformed as to what they could do when they arrived on the island.14. Public beaches should have facilities for those who do not have a beach where they are staying and need a shower and bathroom facilities in order to enhance their experience at one of our beautiful beaches. Say for example, John Smith’s Bay.15. Bicycles are now a popular way to get around, especially with the younger generation. When and if it ever becomes safe for a tourist to ride a bike on our roads, then a hire bike scheme such as that established in many cities around the world should be set up here.These are a few suggestions, which I feel are valid, but if the Bermudian people are not really interested in the welfare of our island, then they will not work. Let us hope there are enough of us who will try, and will also come up with other ideas for our island.WARREN A. BROWNSmith’s