The Shadow Tourism Minister slammed the 2005 tourism plan yesterday, telling Tourism Minister Ewart Brown and Government to “stop kidding themselves and Bermuda”.

Opposition Senate Leader and Shadow Tourism Minister Kim Swan yesterday said that three Tourism Ministers and four tourism directors later, Government still had not learned their approach to tourism “is not working”.

“We do feel the PLP Government and the country should by now have learned the lesson that this Government's approach, after three Ministers and four Tourism Directors in the last five years, is not working,” Sen. Swan said.

The three Progressive Labour Party Tourism Ministers were David Allen, Renee Webb and Dr. Brown.

Sen. Swan continued to say he could not “fault the new Minster for enthusiasm and a polished presentation,” however “the dismal facts speak for themselves”.

“Tourism has declined dramatically under PLP governments, in spite of extensive promises, lots of marketing hype, heavy spending and excessive ministerial travel,” he said.

“Key indicators such as visitor expenditure and arrivals indicate that 2004 was effectively no better than 2003 and indeed, would have been considerably worse than 2003 had Hurricane Fabian not intervened. In fact, 2004 was a lot worse than 2002.

“In addition, the weak US dollar, almost 40 percent lower against the Euro than in 2002, suggests that as a jurisdiction we should have been more competitive and certainly much more successful than the results indicate,” he said.

Sen. Swan said Dr. Brown's announcements “create an immediate buzz and give the obvious appearance that things are getting done” but said former Tourism Minister Renee Webb made “a similar announcement after the Ettenberg & Company completed its audit of the Bermuda Department of Tourism”.

He said Bermuda Tourism did not need another set of “consultants” or “initiatives”, because “the initiatives create hope and certainly buy the new minister and his government time, Bermuda tourism does not have the luxury of time”.

Bermuda would benefit from a Tourism Authority he said.

“Instead of developing a consistent commercial approach and a clearly defined plan under the control of a Tourism Authority, the country has been forced to cater to individual whims and different directions as each new minister endeavoured to put their own personal stamp on Bermuda's tourism product,” he said.

The future of Tourism should be what worked in the past he said, “just doing it the right way and catering directly to the needs of the customer”.

Regarding the Department of Tourism's budget, he said it was “extremely healthy in proportion to the number of visitors we need to attract”.

And Sen. Swan said a sizeable percentage of this budget “should be allocated to the formation of a Tourism Authority” adding that further funds could be added by the private sector.

He raised the Ettenberg Report which revealed Tourism budgets for advertising and promotions have been reduced by 5.4 percent while salaries and wages have increased 36 percent. “We are fortifying a bureaucracy at the expense of spending against tourists,” he said. “The Minister and his Government need to stop kidding themselves and Bermuda, the call for a Tourism Authority would not only allow industry stakeholders to get on with the job but it would address the problem of a growing bureaucracy.”

“The move to a Tourism Authority now would ensure future continuity in spite of any volatility, shift in the political landscape or move by the Deputy Premier & Tourism Minister to a different portfolio.”

Another report - the IMG Report on golf - was completed two years ago he said, but this plan “outlined by IMG in 2003 and paid for out of taxpayer money has not been given proper consideration or support”.

And still on the subject of golf, he accused Government of a “lack of follow through” as “significant findings outlined in the report have been already been overlooked”.

Sen. Swan quoted the IMG Report which said there were five requirements which the “new affluent golf traveller” looked for.

Were these five requirements not fulfilled: “Then the golf market will continue to diminish as the years go by,” he said.

The five requirements were:

Advance tee time reservations

A minimum of three ‘open' Championship golf courses in excellent condition

Direct and convenient flights

Good weather

Good accommodation and food

But he said Bermuda did not meet the first two demands which: “will hinder any significant growth opportunity”.

A golfer by profession, Sen. Swan said Bermuda could either upgrade its existing golf courses or build “another ‘Signature' trophy public championship golf course that will provide the opportunity for growth” in order to meet the first two requirements.

He said the new phrase: “Golf and Spa season creates a buzz and sounds great, but will not be a successful initiative unless it is supported by the infrastructure,” he said. “Two years ago this Government commissioned a report on golf tourism, and has done nothing to implement it.

“Our competitors world-wide are meeting the demand with new and improved golf facilities, whilst we ignore the advice of our paid consultants and waste precious time by not getting on with the job.

And he said Government “wasted the opportunity to develop Morgan's Point and meet the demand to address the needs of a signature golf course and a modern resort facility. Instead, we are told of plans for a convention centre in the absence of any market research.

Sen. Swan warned: “Unless we move to a Tourism Authority and put some resources behind the IMG recommendations and Ettenberg report the Ministers smooth public relations efforts will result in a ‘merry go round'.”