Are we missing out on millions?

Bermuda tourism is missing out on the lucrative gay marriage market due to old-fashioned attitudes, industry insiders said yesterday.

And they warned that the island risked losing out on millions of tourist dollars as same-sex unions become the norm across the western world.

Philip Barnett, head of the Island Restaurant Group, which owns popular nightspots like the Pickled Onion, Hog Penny and Rumbar in Hamilton and the Frog and Onion in Dockyard, said: “Bermuda not being a gay-friendly destination can only hurt our chances of improving our tourist base.

“Gay people as a demographic are known to spend very well on vacation and take frequent vacations. Bermuda is just a perfect destination 

— it’s genteel, romantic and it has beautiful places to get away from it all, get married here or whatever they want to do.”

He was speaking after Premier Craig Cannonier ruled out any move to introduce civil partnerships or same-sex marriage for gay people in Bermuda following an amendment to extend basic anti-discrimination law to gay people.

Last week, the US Supreme Court ruled that the 1996 Defence of Marriage Act prohibition on federal recognition of same-sex marriages was unconstitutional.

The ruling gave same-sex couples who are legally married the same benefits in terms of tax and inheritance as straight couples and also opened the way for California to resume gay marriages after voters backed outlawing them.

England and Wales recently passed legislation allowing full marriage rights for gay people. Scotland is expected to pass similar legislation before the end of the year, while many European countries also give gay people full marriage rights.

The gay market in the US is estimated to be worth $790 billion a year, while the UK alone has a gay community with $80 billion to spend.

Mr Barnett organised a party at Rumbar in 2011 for for a group of gay people on a cruise amid controversy over the bid to include sexual orientation in human rights legislation.

He said: “I think, unfortunately, we get very insular in Bermuda and tend not to be aware of what the rest of the world is doing — we need to get with the times. We need to let people be who they are.”

He added that it surprised him that Bermuda, with its history of racism and segregation, appeared content to allow some of the same barriers to be put up for gay people.

Mr Barnett said: “Let’s think about loss of employment opportunities and our inability to earn foreign currency to purchase the food from overseas to put on the table for our families to eat.”

‘We don’t discriminate’

A spokesman for the Deparment of Tourism declined to comment on whether it did, or would, target the gay market.

He said: “The Bermuda Department of Tourism actively promotes the island to anyone who sees Bermuda as their destination of choice and we certainly do not discriminate against any group.

“Visitors should be drawn to come to Bermuda based on what we already have to offer which is so much more than other destinations.”

Former Tourism Minister, chairman of the Tourism Board and soon-to-be chairman of the new independent Tourism Authority David Dodwell, said: “I believe we should be looking at any market where the potential customer finds Bermuda attractive. Like any other market, like the romance market or incentive market, we should be looking at it.”

Mr Dodwell added that the new authority, due to be set up soon, would take a “long hard look” at all sales and marketing and target markets.

And he said: “It would be responsible for us to take a look at large marketplaces and how they might benefit Bermuda.”

Mr Dodwell added that Government had ruled out gay marriage, which was a matter for politicians, and said Bermuda clearly could not sell itself in that segment.

But he said: “I’m sure we have gay people vacationing here now, whether they are overt or not. We are a welcoming country, we are receptive, we honour people, we respect them.

“I’m quite sure we have people from that marketplace right now who come here and come back.”

A spokeswoman for the Rainbow Alliance, set up to fight anti-gay discrimination, said: “While there is a potential for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer) tourism, the LGBTQ tourists need not look further than the emotional, confused, and sometimes offensive tenor of the debates that took place over the last few weeks to see that Bermuda is not yet a sanctuary for the LGBTQ community.

“Although there may be a Human Rights Act Amendment to protect from overt discrimination, it is evident that there is still work for us to do in the Bermudian community to combat heteroism, improve understanding, and address misconceptions. The Rainbow Alliance of Bermuda will continue this important work, while continuing to provide safe spaces for the LGBTQ community members and allies.”

But she added: “We do not want to turn a discussion on fundamental rights into one about potential money-making schemes. The LGBTQ community will not be shamed, silenced, or condemned and we hope to work together to create equity for all of Bermuda.”

Entertainer Mark Anderson, the man behind Sybil Barrington, the Queen of Bermuda, who starred in the floorshow at the 2011 Rumbar event, said: “I believe Bermuda should be open to all walks of life and it’s a vital market to open up to.”