The plane truthThis was sent to Tourism Minister Ewart Brown and copied to .

December 6, 2005

Dear Dr. Brown,

My wife and I made our first visit to Bermuda in 1978, and have made numerous return trips, our most recent being a week in March 2005 over Easter. Bermuda is our favourite vacation destination, and I am dismayed at what I have seen happen to tourism since 1978. As you well know from ?air arrival? figures, tourism is dying in Bermuda. I read online, and every spring I note predictions for a ?good season?. Then, every autumn I read that ?air arrivals are down again?.

Over the years we have seen many hotels, both large and small, close and not be replaced. In addition to the loss of hundreds of hotel rooms, I?m now seeing major retail stores closing, and Front Street changing in the direction of becoming a ?business district?.

Cruise ships are getting larger, and probably spending more days docked in Bermuda. Cruise passengers may support local shops, and certainly contribute to Government via departure taxes. However, cruise passengers don?t need hotel rooms, restaurants and the related services which generate employment for Bermudians.

It?s the air travellers who really bring the revenue to Bermuda. They keep tourism alive, and employment high by making use of Bermuda ?land services?, which cruise ships have onboard.

The reason why fewer tourists are flying to Bermuda is plainly and simply AIRFARES. When I start planning a trip, and find fares to Bermuda at $700+, I immediately look elsewhere. I can ALWAYS find round-trip fares from Boston to Florida, California, many Caribbean islands, and almost every destination in Europe at a fraction of the price for a ticket to Bermuda, even though the travel distance to all of them is much more than the approximately 650 miles to Bermuda.

I laugh when I see new air routes to Bermuda from places like Chicago, St. Louis, and European origins instituted, only to have them fail within a single season. It?s about time for Bermuda to realise that the largest potential tourism market to the Island is the Northeast US. If and when air fares from Boston, New York, Newark, and Philadelphia become competitive, then planes will depart full. Only with lower fares, will air arrivals increase, hotels need to expand, and Bermuda?s tourism industry will flourish.

Florida, and various other Caribbean islands are Bermuda?s main competition. As long as fares for the less than two-hour flight to Bermuda remain at the current ridiculous levels, tourism in Bermuda is a dead issue. Bermuda needs, no MUST, get airfares to the Island reduced.

Don?t even bother saying ?we have no control over the airlines? fares?. That is just not true! Tourism on many other islands is doing very well ? primarily because of the reasonable cost to get there. Bermuda needs to do whatever it takes to get fares lowered.

I find it hard to believe that a ?low-cost? airline such as Jet Blue or USA3000 wouldn?t be happy to service Bermuda from various northeast US cities. I also find it hard to believe that charter companies such as the two from the Boston area, TNT or GWV, wouldn?t love to run weekly in-season trips to Bermuda. It?s time to stop allowing the airlines to have such a detrimental effect on Bermuda?s tourism industry, and prey on the Island?s overall economy.

I expect there are people in Bermuda who remember the early 1980s, and may not want to see a string of 10+ mopeds along the South Road, as it was then. However, if those same people think back to the 80s, I?ll bet they?d also remember the burgeoning economy, lack of crime, and overall happiness on the Island.

My wife and I would love to make Bermuda an annual destination, and we have absolutely no problem with hotel, restaurant and taxi charges. However, we refuse to do the equivalent of lighting $100 bills on fire by paying current airfares. I?m not suggesting bargain basement airfares, but competitive and logical fares ? neither are the case now. I?m looking forward to the day when I can book a plane ticket to Bermuda, and know I am getting VALUE for my dollar.