By the Caribbean Journal staff

Bermuda has completed its new National Tourism Plan, laying out its goals through the year 2025.

The plan has set an acronym, AGILITY, to cover what Bermuda calls seven pillars: awareness and relevance; “greener”; infrastructure; local involvement; innovation, teams and groups and year-round.

The last has long been a challenge for Bermuda, which shares a climate with U.S. states like South Carolina and has struggled to attract visitors during the winter months.

Bermuda.

That strategy will include developing “relevant packages” for different kinds of getaways, developing an events business, attracting the yachting sector and improving cruise calls, among other ideas.

Bermuda has also targeted two categories of U.S. cities as source markets for growth: traditional hubs like New York, Boston, Washington, Philadelphia and Toronto, along with what the BTA is calling  “nurture” markets including Baltimore, Hartford, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and even San Francisco.

To achieve these ends, the island  has laid out six key “success indicators” through 2025: for tourism to contribute $1.2 billion to the island’s Gross Domestic Product; that 30 percent of visitors to the island will come from airlift; for more than 56 percent of leisure arrivals to come during the September-May period, typically the low season in Bermuda; for more than 8 percent of visitors to be African-American; for more than 83 percent of travelers to want to recommend Bermuda to family and friends and for more than 70 percent of residents supporting the development of tourism.

Bermuda has long struggled to attract visitors during its colder winter months.

“Our government believes Bermuda’s greatest asset is its people. That belief underpinned the inclusive approach of the Bermuda Tourism Authority and the Government – embracing the knowledge, wisdom and experience of the country in the creation of a plan that will shape the next phase of Bermuda’s tourism revitalization,” said Jamahl Simmons, Bermuda’s Minister of Economic Development and Tourism.

“This is purposefully designed to be Bermuda’s plan, not the Bermuda Tourism Authority’s plan,” said Paul Telford, BTA Chairman. “The team gathered input from a variety of voices outside of our organization – supporters and detractors – to ensure the plan represents the views of as many people as possible because we know Bermuda needs everyone’s buy-in to make the plan successful.”

For the executive summary of the plan, visit Go to Bermuda.

— CJ