2009 should have been a wonderful year for St. George's as celebrations for the 400th anniversary of Bermuda's settlement drew attention to Bermuda's first settlement and original capital. That has been so, in many ways, especially with the formal anniversary celebrations in July when the town was at its best, and in November when the Queen made the town the first place she visited when she arrived on the Island.

But it has been a difficult year otherwise for the town, which has seen its economy deteriorate and also faces the likelihood of major changes to its method of governance.

It need not be this way, because the town has much to commend it. As a World Heritage site and as one of the oldest towns in the Western Hemisphere it is a natural tourist attraction. The fact that it remains a living town is also critical. Added to that are the island's fortifications, beaches, Railway Trail and proximity to the airport, and it should be hugely successful.

It's not, and in fairness, it is not for lack of trying. The Corporation, the St. George's Foundation and others have all worked hard to promote and develop the town, but have not been entirely successful. Government, too, has done its part, especially with attempts to get a new hotel built, which now looks like it may occur.

And the efforts to bring the Veendam to St. George's have partially paid off, with the decision to moor the vessel in Murray's Anchorage and tender passengers in after the ship proved to be too large to sail into the harbour.

But the last two years, when St. George's had had few cruise visitors, have been difficult and it remains difficult to believe that no cruise line with smaller vessels is willing to use the port when it has been a successful destination for so long.

And the decision by Government in choosing Dockyard as a destination for luxury yachts when St. George's has been the destination of choice for these vessels defies logic. To be sure, Government owns Dockyard and has an obligation to develop it, but in many ways, the decision seemed neglectful at best and spiteful at worst.

The town faces other problems. With several businesses closing, it will be immensely difficult to provide visitors with enough activities for the coming season. The town needs to come together to devise an evocative and compelling plan for its future and to find a way to market it successfully.

The alternative is that St. George's becomes a bedroom community for Hamilton. That is no future for a town that has prided itself on its individuality and independent spirit. But for too long, the town has given the impression that it is waiting for others to save it. It needs to do it for itself.