The Bermuda Tourism Authority’s New York office will close its doors on January 16, with all staff switching to remote working.

The authority described the change as part of a “broader strategic initiative to enhance organisational resilience and operational flexibility”.

The office is on the twelfth floor of 675 Third Avenue in Manhattan. The BTA said that the building had been sold recently for residential use.

Erin Wright, the authority’s acting chief executive, said: “The timing aligned nicely with our longer-term objectives.”

She added: “This shift reflects BTA’s commitment to building a modern, flexible operating model that supports both our team and the evolving needs of our stakeholders.

“Our New York employees remain a vital part of our US presence and this transition enables us to continue delivering high-quality service while strengthening our long-term agility.”

The decision was welcomed by Charles Jeffers II, a former chief executive of the authority, who described having a physical New York office as “a waste, in my opinion”.

He said: “I actually agree with this. I wanted to do this when I was there but they had just signed a new long-term lease in 2019.

“Yes, our primary market for leisure visitors is NYC but I don't believe there is enough interaction with prospective visitors to warrant an office.”

He suggested money could be better spent on tourism representation in Washington DC — where the Government has an office — and where “there is a high concentration of meeting planners who we should be wooing to bring group business to Bermuda”.

He added: “At the very least, they should have someone working from a home office there.”

Mr Jeffers, who led the BTA between 2021 and 2022, said there was “ … little to no reason to have staff in the NYC area”.

He added: “There should be a plan to return those non-sales roles/people to Bermuda.”

Bermuda has had a tourism presence in New York for decades.

The former Department of Tourism was based at 310 Madison Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in the 1980s. It moved to 205 East 42nd Street in 1998.

It eventually moved to Third Avenue and became the BTA’s Big Apple base after the authority was launched in 2014.

The office is a workspace, as opposed to a walk-in tourism centre for the public to visit.

It was reported in 2016 that rent for the Third Avenue premises was the largest single contract held by the authority. The six-year contract with Royal Realty Corporation was for $2.4 million.

In 2020, the New York office was said to have a staff of 19.

The statement issued yesterday did not provide the number of employees based there now.

An organisational chart from August 2024 showed that there were at that time 12 posts — one of which was vacant — based at the authority’s US office, which it was understood meant the New York location.

The BTA was asked how many staff were affected by the change but there was no response by the time of publication.

It said that the move to remote working would be phased in this month and next, with the final in-office workday on January 16.

“Employees will begin a phased transition to remote working, starting December 15, in alignment with the company’s structured transition plan,” the BTA said.

The authority insisted the change was “not a departure from its US market activity” and that “all services, programmes, initiatives and market operations” would “continue without interruption”.

In the most recent Budget, the BTA’s grant from the Government was cut from an original estimate last year of $16.54 million — revised to $16.04 million — to $15.5 million for 2025-26.

The authority said it would “continue to maintain an active presence and engagement with [its] local team members, partners and industry stakeholders”.

It added: “Since its formation in 2014, the BTA has operated its New York office in Midtown Manhattan, occupying the space previously held by the Bermuda Department of Tourism.

“As the organisation prepares for its next chapter, this transition represents an important milestone.”

Jamari Douglas, the BTA’s vice-president of marketing, public relations and communications, said: “We are confident this is the right strategic move for the organisation, while recognising the depth of our longstanding connection to our primary market.”

Dwayne Robinson, the Shadow Minister of Tourism, said: “I recognise the reasoning given by the Bermuda Tourism Authority for the transition to remote working in their New York office.

“However, this does raise a few questions because New York is such a pivotal tourism market for Bermuda. Is there a budgetary reason causing more streamlining? Should these changes be made prior to the selection of a new permanent CEO?”

He added: “We are looking forward to seeing this new strategy unfold and hope it yields positive results for tourism in Bermuda.”

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