January 9, 2002

Dear Sir,

I have with my family and various friends been going to Bermuda for the last 25 years. In that time I have visited the Island over 30 times and have been the leader of groups of family and friends that numbered around ten people per trip per year on average (high 24 people, low five).

Based on the above you may correctly ascertain that I am a fan(atic) of the Island ( I routinely describe Bermuda as "The centre of the universe").

In all ways it is a place that I have and will continue to patronise and to love.

Now the "however" ....

The costs of Bermuda have got to change ... I know Bermuda has always been expensive but it's getting beyond the pale. The value for the dollar is getting to the point where I will have to consider other options. I realise that many things are beyond your control but you may have to work harder to lower the items that you do control .... airport taxes and duties and accept that an increase in tourists will make up the slack.

Tourism has slipped to the third business in Bermuda ... it may well slip further.

The fewer that do come means fewer will come. You must continue to attract the upper middle income group that has always been the mainstay of your market but if you loose these I believe that there are not enough others to help you.

I have never been a fan of the marketing "sic" of your product. It shows up here as the odd display of old posters in a travel agents window once a year ... same posters... same old maps and brochures and a couple of shells from Florida.

I feel that any monies spent on marketing could be better spent in efforts to reduce costs for people already coming as in my experience those are the people who will best sell Bermuda to newcomers:

A "Bring a friend" subsidy

A "I'm with Him" Programme

An "I'm back in Bermuda" event

Anyway ... I felt that as I was finalising my 2002 trip to the Island with the fewest ever ... only five ... too costly for the others ... that I should a least let you know why only five, not the ten or 15 as it was in the past years.

JIM HARDIE

Toronto, Canada