Premier Ewart Brown has warned Bermudians to train to be in the hospitality industry or expect jobs to disappear.

The Premier was responding to tourism recommendations made in the Bermuda First Report — a year-long, 60-page research project released last year that analysed the weaknesses in Bermuda's economy.

It was co-chaired by the Premier, Opposition leader Kim Swan and ArielRe boss Don Kramer, and made 32 recommendations that ranged from how to improve Bermuda's business sector, to diversifying the economy and improving socioeconomic factors. Also included were seven suggestions for Bermuda's tourism product.

In the House of Assembly on Friday night Premier Dr. Brown, said: "I was very proud to be sitting in a room with a cross-section of leaders in Bermuda and telling them I don't want them to pull any punches in my presence or not.

"And I am proud for the most part the recommendations were already under consideration by this Department of Tourism.

"As we encourage the development of new hotels in Bermuda we must prepare for this on two situations: either Bermudians will enter the industry or the hotels will be totally manned by foreigners.

"Make up your minds what you want to do but don't complain in 2013 that all the jobs are going to foreigners. You are getting the word now before the ground is broken.

"You need to start thinking in the Bahamian mindset: It's in our country; we will work it. If you don't want to work in the kitchen and Mr. Ali Bu comes and works in the kitchen that's just the way it goes."

The Premier also promised that the Bermuda Hospitality Institute would announce the selection of a Chief Executive Officer in the next 20 days or so.

And referencing the Bermuda business sector reforms in the report, the Premier argued that his recent trip to India fell under reform number one: to better anticipate and influence policy changes of foreign governments and regulators.

He added: "In layman's terms that means travel. At some time we have to go down to L.F. Wade, board an aircraft, and leave Bermuda to enforce policies of Government.

"It is important. We cannot grow new relationships outside of the country, inside the country. If you are talking about solid international relationships you have to sit eye to eye. It's important for honourable members to understand that."

Opening the debate, Leader of the Opposition Kim Swan said the bipartisanship spirit used to create the report was an inspiration and hoped Government would listen to many of the recommendations.

He said: "The spirit of bipartisanship that we have embraced is one that we worked at and I honestly feel things were from both sides.

"I would like to touch upon some of the recommendations that are outlined in the Bermuda First Report. The spirit of bipartisanship that got us here needs to be the same spirit of bipartisanship that gets us through these discussions."

Mr. Swan also touched on affordable housing, Government efficiency and transparency and non-peak subsidies, which he hoped would be expanded as a means of increasing the off-peak season.

About encouraging more Bermudians to move into the hospitality industry Mr. Swan said: "We need to invest in our people and encourage more people in the industry and to do whatever we can to make sure they are trained.

"Certainly in the future it's going to require us all holding hands and working together on certain issues."

Shadow Finance Minister Bob Richards raised concern over the worry about Bermuda's economy expressed by the "captain's of industry".

Especially, Mr. Richards said because just looking at the business news pages over the last few days, record profits — with one of a billion dollars — reported by companies should lead to optimism.

Instead he said: "You would have thought it would give them cause to be optimistic and I would expect when their survey was done some of those profits were in the can but you don't get that sense and that's something of concern."

Adding to the debate in the House of Assembly on Friday night, Shadow Minister of Education Grant Gibbons warned of declining numbers of companies registered in Bermuda over the last three years and visitors over the years.

What he thought the Government needed to do was to increase business certainty through, at the very least, decreasing the amount of time it required to get a permit.

And if it were easier to access permits for entry level jobs there would be more created and therefore more options for Bermudians hoping to return home after college.

Getting to his feet next, Education Minister El James explained the report was like visiting the doctor for an annual physical — nothing is wrong but with a little of this and that and you could be in even better health.

Mr. James also commented on the recommendation to introduce an international curriculum into the schools saying that his department would introduce the Cambridge Curriculum into all public schools by September.

And he revealed that of $2.4 million in scholarships available for teacher training and mature student education only $1.7 million had been applied for.

He added: "I felt really good because as I was reading down, (I thought) we are doing this now. We in education are doing our job. We are going to take certainly whatever we do we put Bermuda first and our children first."

Trevor Moniz, Shadow Attorney General, said the report showed that the business community was not happy with their relationship with the Government.

And this, he said, was proved by their lack of communication with the Immigration Minister David Burch.

He said: "The Government is clearly at sixes and sevens with the business community. When you can have the Premier as the co-chair on the report and we have the minister of Home Affairs making these statements."

PLP backbencher Randy Horton then took to his feet to "take his hat off" to those involved in the survey and argued that economic opportunities needed to be available to all.

He said: "We need to improve economic opportunities and benefits for all Bermudians, $86,000 is the per capita income in Bermuda, but for whom?

"Those of us on the back bench are $36,000 behind."

Opposition MP Patricia Gordon Pamplin urged the Government to consider a Tourism Authority as one way for a smooth transition when the Premier leaves in October.

"I believe the next step that should be taken is the succession planning. I think it's critical that we look at the creation of a tourism authority," she said.

Continuing the debate over the Bermuda First report, Finance Minister Paula Cox noted the importance of making Bermuda more attractive as an international business jurisdiction, and improving its recognition and reputation.

She assured fellow MPs that a number of advisers and regulatory bodies are working to this end.

Mark Pettingill, of the Bermuda Democratic Alliance, said the report was "wonderful" and he was glad to be able to speak about it as a member of the Alliance.

"Perhaps what we need in this country are some middlemen to add a little bit of balance to what we have had for so long — where a Government will try to set out how rosy it is and the Opposition will set out how many thorns there are and the garden gets neglected," he said.

He said it is important for Bermuda to stop thinking about the past and start looking towards the future and the challenges it faced.

"What we have to avoid is being Bermuda ostriches. Ostriches are famous for when they find a problem, and they're scared of it, they find a hole and they stick their head in the sand and avoid the problem. We have a history of doing that," he warned.

He urged politicians to embrace the report and work together to find solutions "instead of being antagonistic".

Minister of Telecommications, E-Commerce and Energy Michael Scott said it was important not to deal with issues ad hoc but to plan and strategise. He added that he is confident that Bermuda has "the fundamentals in place" and they are sound "despite the changed circumstances we find ourselves in".

Charlie Swan, of the United Bermuda Party, said: "I'm proud to be a citizen of a country that has the third highest standard of living in the world and I would like to keep it that way for my children and my children's children."

Deputy Speaker Dame Jennifer Smith said it was important not only to get Bermudians qualified for certain positions, but to make sure such positions are available to them once they are qualified, and do not remain filled by guest workers.

Wayne Perinchief, of the Progressive Labour Party, said studies show that when gaming is introduced to a jurisdiction, around two percent of the population suffers as a result. He said it was worth introducing it "if we are going to lose two out of 100 and that can be remediated". However, after noting that he had "tipped my hand on where I stand on gaming," he said he would save further remarks for the pending debate on that topic.

He also signalled his support for a recommendation in the report that Bermuda should offer more attractive deals to retirees coming to stay long term out of peak tourist season. He encouraged Minister of Tourism Ewart Brown to consider subsidising rates to achieve this.

He praised the "brilliant recommendations" in the report and spoke of his hope it would become a "living document" used to shape legislation and policy rather than letting it "languish on some dusty shelf."

Terry Lister, of the PLP, favoured "thinking about" diversifying the economy away from the twin pillars of tourism and international business. He also noted that eduction is "the key to making this report come alive for us".

Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, of the United Bermuda Party, liked the unifying slogan of "one country one task" given to the report.

Walter Roban, of the PLP, said the notion of offering permanent residency for wealthy individuals who contribute to the Island had already been explored in Cayman where it had not proved popular with Caymanians.

He also complained the report writers did not engage in full consultation with the immigration department before making recommendations.

Cole Simons, of the United Bermuda Party, wanted to know why small business owners were not interviewed as part of the process, such as small guesthouses and apartments.

He expressed hope that the report would not just be left to "gather dust" after the debate.