NEW YORK – The Bermunda Department of Tourism has hired an independent firm to sell the Bermuda Tourism product to North American and UK customers.
As a result of the decision, approved by Cabinet, members of the North American Sales Team are being offered the opportunity to pursue alternative employment, including within the Civil Service. The affected personnel were notified on Wednesday, July 9; their union representative was made aware last week that a proposal was to be put before Cabinet.
Bermudian and non-Bermudian sales and sales support staff are eligible to apply for jobs with the new firm. Bermudian staff members possessing the necessary visas to work in the United States are eligible for the new sales posts. Bermudian staff members returning to Bermuda will be offered alternative jobs within Government.
Premier Dr. Ewart F. Brown, Minister of Tourism and Transport, said: “The New York sales team worked hard at selling the Bermuda tourism product and the country should be extremely grateful for their service, but they were victims of a severely outdated sales model created when the level of our competition was not as high as it is today. An outsourced sales solution will free up Tourism resources and provide an opportunity to refocus on results for Bermuda Tourism. That must be the overriding mission of the department.
“We will do everything we can to ensure our hard working staff can find alternative employment. They deserve nothing less.”
These developments are the result of a new sales strategy to strengthen performance and reduce costs. The new strategy is more inline with global trends and is expected to produce improved visitor numbers in time for increased bed capacity in Bermuda.
Downsizing the New York Tourism Office, and eventually relocating it, will provide additional cost savings to the Department of Tourism which had its budget cut by $5 million this fiscal year.
