Bermuda has certainly endured its share of challenges as a tourist destination in recent years. In a local press briefing in late August, Shawn Crockwell, the country's minister of tourism and transport, laid out the bad news: Second quarter visitor arrivals fell by more than 12 percent compared with the same period last year.
Yet positive signs have also emerged, according to Crockwell. Visitor length of stay in Bermuda increased from 5.82 to 7.61 nights in the second quarter 2013 versus the same period in 2013. In addition, visitors staying in commercial accommodations increased, with the number of nights rising to 6.42 in 2013, up from 4.73 in 2012. Moreover air arrivals for Bermuda's peak months -- May, June and July -- were up six percent this year compared with the same period in 2012. Crockwell says Bermuda Hotel Association members report "solid bookings that commenced in May and have continued through August."
Since assuming his post in December of 2012, Crockwell has sought to reverse Bermuda's flagging tourism arrivals by calling for a government hotel development plan to spark development and investment, as well as programs to enhance the country's competitiveness versus other warm-weather tourism destinations. He's also advocated the launch of casino gaming and creation of an independent tourism authority to facilitate long-range planning. We spoke with Crockwell about his first year in office.
Why is now the right time to consider establishing casino gaming in Bermuda? Prior to the last general election in December 2012, the One Bermuda Alliance (OBA) promised to hold a referendum on gaming in Bermuda if they were elected as the government. Having been elected as government, they remain committed to holding a referendum on this issue.
What sort of controls on the gaming industry would you implement in Bermuda? The government will address the gaming issue when the House resumes in September and outline their plan to the public going forward.
One of your stated goals as tourism minister has been to establish a Tourism Authority. Can you provide an update on where the initiative stands and why you believe it is important to establish such an organization? We believe that a Tourism Authority has the ability to revitalize tourism in Bermuda, increase competition with neighboring destinations and aggressively promote the strengths of the island. It is imperative that we create an entity that has adequate independence from the influence of politics and which is managed by industry professionals. We feel that it is a crucial step for Bermuda as a tourist destination because it will combine some of the best minds and experience that we have in the island's tourism sector today. We are currently drafting the statutory framework for the authority and it will be debated in this parliamentary session.
How are the remedial works progressing at the Heritage Wharf dock, which is hosting a series of cruises aboard 4,200-passenger Norwegian Breakaway? Heritage Wharf is now fully operational for the remainder of this cruise season. While work to bring the wharf up to the required long-term strength and the capacity to secure cruise ships in 45 knots of wind will be undertaken after the end of this season, the current operational capacity of the wharf is acceptable to the Norwegian Cruise Line, which was consulted at all stages of the works that have been undertaken.
What do you consider to be Bermuda's inherent strengths as a tourism destination and how will you highlight these strengths in promoting tourism to the country? Bermuda's continued strengths are our proximity to the United States, our natural beauty and our people. But we also want to show that we offer so much more through our distinctive cultural heritage and our tourism hubs. In the next few years, we intend to focus on promoting our tourism hubs -- the South Shore with its beaches and natural attractions; our cosmopolitan capital city of Hamilton, with its arts and world-class shopping; the Historic Town of St. George, a UNESCO World Heritage site; the famed Royal Naval Dockyard; and our offshore water activities, such as fishing and diving. We also will continue to highlight Bermuda as a first-rate golf and spa destination.
Brian Major is executive editor covering the Caribbean and Latin America for TravelPulse.com.