I don’t suppose we’ll ever know how much the PGA Grand Slam cost Bermudian tax payers, once you add up the $14 million upgrade to Port Royal, the sponsorship money, the consultants, the travel & entertainment … Once you get behind the pop and sizzle, and look at it as investment … it is highly [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Tourism'
Ouch
October 2nd, 2009 · Comments Off · Tourism
Talking about the grim prospects for an American corporate recovery, Reuters reports: “I snuck away last week to Bermuda and the hotel was empty,” said one restructuring expert. “Absolutely empty.”
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Hotel
June 30th, 2009 · Comments Off · Bermuda Politics, Tourism
Great news that a new business hotel will be built in Hamilton; the Corporation of Hamilton has been pursuing this development for many years. As usual, the good news is mixed with some questions. Why wasn’t the Corporation – the champion of the project and the landlord – present at the announcement yesterday? What is [...]
Tags:CofH
Uighur Fiasco Damage to Bermuda Tourism
June 12th, 2009 · 5 Comments · Bermuda Politics, Tourism
The international media is starting to cover how damaging Ewart’s Great Uighur Adventure may be to Bermuda’s tourism sector. And all “for nothing”. They also point out that the little contratemps was probably engineered “by some in Bermuda’s government” to cause a fight between the UK and Bermuda. Gee, ya don’t say? What a devious, [...]
Tags:China·Guantanamo·Uighurs
Yes Men
June 4th, 2009 · Comments Off · Tourism
The Department of Tourism is launching its summertime Moonlight Movies series this weekend. It’s fun … and it’s a great opportunity for the tourist on the island (his name is Bob and he’s staying at the Fairmont) to make a 500 or so local friends. This week’s film is called Yes Man about a guy [...]
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Rescuing Reputations, not the Economy
May 2nd, 2009 · Comments Off · Tourism
This editorial from the Royal Gazette bears repeating. I agree with it wholeheartedly. Questioning the validity of an affordable housing plan is always going to be unpopular, but there is something not quite right about this week’s announcement of plans to build 125 affordable homes on the South Shore in Warwick. The Grand Atlantic/Golden Hind [...]
Tags:Grand Atlantic·SDO
Slumpy
April 28th, 2009 · Comments Off · Reform, Tourism
US President John F. Kennedy once lectured the chairman of his Council of Economic Advisers about making public statements: “Forget those numbers. Numbers can come back to haunt you. Words can always be explained away.” In other words, bury the facts and statistics and talk about the Platinum Period™. You know that Bermuda tourism is [...]
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gam-BLING
April 23rd, 2009 · Comments Off · Reform, Tourism
So, the dialogue is heating up over gambling again. Without making too much of a fuss, I am against gambling being legalised in Bermuda for the following reasons: I don’t think it will do anything for tourism. Gaming venues require a critical mass of hotel rooms to feed them and to create the buzz. Bermuda [...]
Winging It
April 22nd, 2009 · Comments Off · Tourism
The Platinum Period of Bermuda tourism lost its lustre before it even arrived. These days the Premier seems to be jumping the gun in announcing good news – trying to stay ahead of the bad economic reports we all know are coming. He hypes up the 2008 tourism numbers, only later to restate them dramatically [...]
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Grand Atlantic Questions
April 21st, 2009 · Comments Off · Development, Tourism
So far we’ve heard that: Government has provided an SDO for the development of the Grand Atlantic Resort to develop a 220-room hotel with nearly 70 residential units for international buyers as well as a two story retail centre. That Government will amend that to build a scaled down 100-room hotel with 125 low-cost homes [...]
Tags:Grand Atlantic·SDO