November 25, 2012Dear Sir,I am against the recently announced news by the Minister of Tourism that foreign owners of hotel residences would be given the right to live in Bermuda full-time. The United States is a massive continent, yet they only allow foreign owners of US property the right to stay for six months of the year. Mr John Jefferis, the owner of Coco Reef responded that “the changes in regulations for residency, opens the door to future growth in Bermuda’s tourism market”. My response is that the island is only 21 miles and using virgin soil to sell to foreigners is ludicrous. Probably more than half the Bermudian population does not own their own home and the future is bleak for our young people. Tuckers Point, Belmont, Newstead, and the Reefs are hurting. If they can’t sell their current units then it doesn’t exactly mean it is because of residency issues. It would be wiser to increase the current policy from 90 days to six months. The hotel gurus don’t seem to consider that Bermuda may not be the right fit for hotel residencies, they are just desperately trying to devise ways to stop the financial haemorrhaging of their properties.The only way Tourism can be revitalised is to have Bermudians work in the industry. This buy in can only happen if Bermudians know they can make an affordable wage and have opportunity to reach management level. Most important, hotels have to be able to offer staff accommodations to Bermudians. Most crucial of all, we have to offer two months unemployment benefits for bona fide Bermudian hotel works during the January and February hotel closures. Golf, fishing and pink beaches are not enough to attract Tourists and our nightlife is dead. The island needs at least two casinos with St George’s and Morgan’s Point being ideal properties. Islands to our South do not let locals gamble and we too could have a similar policy.Department of Tourism has already subsidised musical events throughout this summer and they have been enjoyed by tourist and residents alike. More of the Tourism budget needs to be set aside to subsidise local music on a larger scale. Open up the waterfront from Pier Six continuing through Front St parking lot through to Albouy’s Point and up to Bars Bay. That’s right, four local bands playing different genres every Saturday night with food and bar stands in between stops. Offer local bars and restaurants with payroll tax relief for two years if they guarantee they will hire local entertainers and groom Bermudian workers; but also allow them to bring in small foreign bands to balance the music scene and stimulate artistic growth during January and February. Another important initiative is the Destination Package. Today’s tourists want to pay one price that includes airline, hotel, food and entertainment. Department of Tourism appears to have a defibrillator on the heart of Tourism and the Minister is a people person, all hands appear on deck. But wisdom must prevail and decisions should be made with a long term vision for the country and not a short-term capitalistic fix that will bail out hoteliers. I was already disgusted with the ridiculously long lease given to Mr Jeffries for the old Stonington Property, and would not like to see a repetition of this type of bad decision making that few benefited from.CHERYL POOLEYDevonshire