where there is no Starbucks

Stressed?  Need a vacation to get away from it all?  The busy life, the hectic streets, the so called rat race?  Come to the place where there is no Starbucks.  Take your next vacation in peaceful Bermuda.

Not too long ago I had an interesting thought.  Are we one of the only places in the world not penetrated by the Starbucks empire?  Starbucks, like McDonalds and other huge franchises seem everywhere, just not here in Bermuda.  In some ways Bermuda seems untouched from the rest of the world.  In others, we've bought into the flashy lifestyle, the expensive cars, the big screen TVs and the Louis Vuitton everywhere.  Bermuda still does hold some exclusivity and it is that which we should be doing our best to exploit to rebuild tourism.

A reader from the Caymans passed along an editorial in the Cayman net news asking the same questions of whether cruise is really worth it and if we should be taking a less is more approach to tourism.

From the editorial:

the [Cayman] government’s latest master plan to solve the imbalance in the tourism sector between relative numbers of stay-over and cruise visitors, as well as the high cost of getting and staying here, is to target high net worth individuals – to be the destination of choice for the rich and famous.

That concept may have worked when we were “the islands that time forgot”, and we had a distinctive quality that set us apart from our competitors.

However, time remembered us with a vengeance and within the space of a few short years brought us the fast-food franchises, hotel chains, and unbridled development that have gone a long way towards submerging our once unique identity in the concrete and traffic that anyone can experience in a zillion other places in the world.

Sounds a bit like Bermuda.  We're lucky to have put a stop to fast food franchises years ago, but we do suffer from unbridled development in the form of Special Development Order after Special Development Order, with more to come.  Do you even need to be reminded about our traffic woes?  Solutions to which I've written on numerous occasions such as dedicated school buses, taxi-buses, rush-hour sensitive congestion taxes and car sharing.  

For years, the Cayman Islands seemed to have a unique formula for tourism success, targeting a very specific niche market that made up for its lack of volume with its disposable vacation income and generous spending habits.

They must have stolen this formula from old Bermuda for isn't it what made Bermuda tourism a success? 

Cayman’s tourism formula was to attract a certain type of guest — and our visitors were made to feel more like guests back then — who did not mind paying a premium price for a Caribbean destination that offered safety, convenience and friendly hosts in a laid-back, uncrowded environment.

The visitors who were attracted to this kind of tourism product were usually high-earning professionals who primarily wanted to get away from their hectic lifestyles. These people didn’t really mind that there were not dozens of attractions to see, and in fact liked the fact that the Cayman Islands did not have the typical “tourist traps” of many other Caribbean destinations.

Does this sound remarkably like what I've been advocating for Bermuda to resurrect tourism?

To return to our headline question, is it too late – have we killed the goose that laid the golden stay-over tourism egg? Clearly, it’s impossible to turn back the clock and undo all the ill-considered development, so we are stuck now in the unenviable position of being a mini-Miami Beach, that’s much more expensive to stay in and to get to than the real thing.

For Bermuda it isn't too late just yet.  Put an end to the SDO's.  Improve what we have now.  Slow down.  Get rid of cruise ships.  Take a less is more approach.  Bring back EXCLUSIVITY!

Do we therefore continue the logical progression and try to turn ourselves into the next Paradise Island, with casinos and mass tourism? And what of the divers from all lifestyles that came back to the Cayman Islands year after year after year?

We already are an island paradise.  We've got some of the best diving in the world.  Some of most beautiful golf courses and one of the best beaches in the world.  We've got the location.  We've got the infrastructure.  We've got the resources. 

It may be too late for the Caymans, but it isn't too late for Bermuda.

Comments

[Bob]

Denis,

I have not heard so much common sense in a long time! Unfortunately, those in the tourism department are on another track entirely to what you are suggesting. We are being driven down a road towards mass tourism that is neither profitable or successful in the long run. It will ruin the Island for the next generation of Bermudians. I have no solutions on how to get this Government to see the folly in building new piers for Panamax cruise ships bringing many 1000's of tourists to the Island who spend little money. I agree with you wholeheartedly that we should slow down, get rid of the mega cruise ships and improve on what we have now. Unfortunately, there is too much money to be made here by the greedy construction firm owners, that any brake on these projects, via SDO's, is unlikely.

[Sal]

they are even more clueless than Dept of Edu, but in tourism ,its about MONEY MONEY MONEY!!

if tourism is doing so great how come so many business have gone under from BIC,Hawkins island,Chameleon shops, all of front st has been stripped of tourism shops

its all Brown's PAY-TO-PLAY,same as he's done with KEMH, getting his yank aceboy ,amateur firm, to line their pockets with a massive millions contract

[Lauren]

I understand you are using the situation in Cayman as an analogy for what could potentially happen in Bermuda.

But Cayman still remains a country that has held on to much of its intrinsic beauty. No, we may not be exactly what we once were, but we still hold our culture and heritage dear to our hearts.

You are correct in saying there are things to be done to bring our countries back to their roots. But that does not mean it is not too late for Cayman. We still have something beautiful and unique to offer. Just as I'm sure Bermuda does.

I realize the intent of this article was not malice, but perhaps you could find a way to promote the qualities of your country without decrying another?

[Denis Pitcher]

Lauren,

This piece largely quoted a Cayman Net News editorial, highlighting points they were making. (everything indented was from it)

I can't and didn't speak about Cayman as I haven't every been there and am certainly not an expert. Hence I quoted the views of someone in Cayman from a Cayman media source to illustrate my point.

How do you perceive this as me decrying Cayman when the only direct suggestion I make is "It may be too late for the Caymans, but it isn't too late for Bermuda."?

[J Starling]

Hi Lauren,

I have been to Cayman at least twice, once as a child and more recently in 2004 as a soldier in the Regiment helping with the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ivan.

Perhaps my views are clouded by the destruction wrought by Ivan (it sure wasn't a pretty site), but Cayman in my opinion ranks right up with Nassau as my least favorite island in the Caribbean. I found that Cayman was almost indistinguishable to Florida. Not that there is anything necessarily wrong with Florida, but it just seemed so impersonal. A total rejection of their heritage and a wholesale adoption of US cultural norms.

I should say though that we were restricted to Georgetown, although we got a glimpse of Boddentown, which looked like it had significantly more charm than the capital. Kind of like our St. Georges relative to Hamilton. And I didn't get to Cayman Brac or Little Cayman, which I also understand retains more of traditional Cayman charm. All the same I strongly dislike the Americanisation of our region. While Bermuda has resisted this to a large degree, we are still Americanised significantly.