What is Government doing about President Trump’s tariff announcement say Dwayne Robinson OBA

President Trump’s tariff announcement has caused the world to re-evaluate age-old alliances and trade agreements. While this is causing uncertainty and anxiety, it is crucial that legislators from all sides pull together to help Bermuda weather these difficult times.

One of the best ways to do this is to figure out how to utilise these changes to our advantage. Our tourism industry can potentially find an increase in recovery in the face of these unfortunate global events and provide a buffer for employment in these changing times. We must also recognize that as global tensions rise, travelers will seek out destinations that are seen as neutral, safe, and welcoming.

Bermuda has an opportunity to brand itself as such—offering stability, warmth, and luxury to visitors who are increasingly wary of unpredictable travel climates.

One of the major shifts is travel and leisure, with many travelers opting out of visiting the United States. The anti-American travel sentiment continues to grow as President Trump engages in trade conflicts with his country’s closest allies. This can be an opportunity for Bermuda to re-introduce us to travelers on both sides of these global trade conflicts as a destination of choice.

In the short term, we can focus our efforts on disenfranchised Canadian, European, and African travelers who are not looking to enter the USA at this time. We can also provide a quick trip for Americans who may want to keep their travels close to home for now but are looking for a warmer destination during their colder months. Additionally, we should aggressively market to the Latin American market, which has been expanding its luxury travel footprint.

By tapping into these regions, we can create new visitor pipelines that diversify our tourism base and provide sustained economic growth. If these things are happening or in the works, they have my support. If not, we still have time to pivot.

I am happy to see that the BTA has reported higher visitor numbers and spending in 2024. This is good news, and we have a rare opportunity to build on that with the current traveling landscape. Air arrivals historically spend more and are more beneficial to the local economy. With so many reports of travelers looking for alternative travel locations and BermudAir extending its routes, we can position ourselves to catch these travelers looking for a new destination to experience. Marketing and advertising can get the people here, but we must also ensure they enjoy their stay, as repeat travelers are our best marketing weapon. This means investing in world-class customer service training, improving our hospitality infrastructure, and making sure that every visitor leaves with an unforgettable experience that they want to share.

The Government has made a good step in supporting tourism ventures through the Tourism Investment Act 2017, and its goal to expand it is welcomed. However, we should also invest in our recreational facilities and build up our conference and meeting facilities. Creating a multi-purpose entertainment venue, as was suggested in the OBA platform, is also a needed investment. To attract large concerts, provide more entertainment options, and provide a place to elevate our local creatives. Imagine an annual music, film, or cultural festival that puts Bermuda on the global stage—driving international media attention and solidifying our place as a must-visit destination for entertainment and culture. Better integration of our local artists and creatives into our tourism product and marketing is required, to provide a real Bermuda flavor to our visitors and grow a viable creative industry here on the island. We cannot hedge all our tourism recovery on the re-opening of Fairmont Southampton, though extremely important, it will require additional bed capacity and conference facilities to support it. Expanding our tourism product means more than hotels—it means culinary tourism, adventure tourism, wellness retreats, and sustainable eco-tourism that will attract a new generation of travelers.

This travel sentiment will most likely endure throughout the current President’s term, giving us some time to invest in a long-term facelift of our tourism product.

I have been very vocal about our flagship tourism entity, the Bermuda Tourism Authority. I have been critical but only to achieve the change we need to revitalize tourism in Bermuda. There must be more representation in our leading tourism entity of the tourism stakeholders that are on the frontline servicing our visitors and locals every day, who now feel unheard in the decision-making regarding their industry. Adding space for representation from our hotels, restaurants, taxi drivers, tour guides, vacation rentals, public transportation, performing artists, and other stakeholders who contribute to our tourism product is essential. A tourism advisory council made up of these industry experts could provide real-time feedback and innovative solutions to keep Bermuda competitive and responsive to global trends.

We require a unified approach to tourism and our transportation stakeholders to address our issues, improve our offerings, and ensure that transportation is a smooth experience for Bermudians and visitors. As it stands, tourism and transport lack an overarching vision from the leaders of our island, with no unifying method of operation to minimize service gaps. The industry has put forth suggestions and plans on how to begin fixing these issues. Bermuda Governments have a reputation for being reactive. Let’s be proactive in the face of adversity. More tourists, more income, higher earnings in the industry, and more Bermudians attracted to the industry. If we invest strategically, we can create a tourism ecosystem that supports entrepreneurship, fosters innovation, and provides career pathways for Bermudians beyond seasonal jobs. Tourism is worth so much more than one sentence in a throne speech—it could provide a safety net for what is to come.