Vexed Bermoothes

No, I can’t leave the Ministry of Tourism’s inept handling of statistics alone.

And the statistics show October was bleak despite the fact the Island hosted the glitzy star-studded Bermuda Music Festival. While taxpayers shelled out $3 million to fly Beyonce, Alicia Keyes, UB40 and others to the Island in an attempt to woe visitors Bermuda actually saw a 17.9 percent drop in air arrivals. Originally the Department reported a 2.2 percent dip in arrivals for October 2008.

November, which was originally reported as maintaining the same level of arrivals as in 2007, really saw a 23.8 percent drop in arrivals.

December was another example of reported growth which turned out to be a double digit decline. At first it was reported that there had been a 6.8 percent jump in arrivals whereas the real numbers showed an 18.3 percent reduction in visitors flying to the Island.

Platinum Period?  Or DOA?  Overall, visitor expenditure was down in 2008 by 21.7 percent the equivalent of $111.4 million.

Driving down Front Street yesterday, the death of Bermuda retailing really struck home.  Empty storefronts.  This is a direct consequence of the Bermuda Government’s haphazard management of the tourism industry.

These numbers are really bleak – because they describe Bermuda’s position before the fallout of the economic crisis started.  We wish it was a trailing indicator but it’s a leading indicator that this year will be worse.  It is a stark reminder that Bermuda’s marketing is misdirected and that, far from being revitalised, our tourism product has been allowed to disintegrate.