The four parts of the BTA each have a key role to play

Welcome to the weekly Q&A to keep you up-to-date on developments at the new Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA). 

What will each of the departments be responsible for at the BTA?

There will be four divisions at the BTA, each with a different focus.

Tourism investment will be a major focus at the Bermuda Tourism Authority. The role of the division will be to enhance investment in the tourism industry through improving the investment environment, attracting investment in tourism and managing investor relations.

The division will be responsible for investment opportunity identification and sourcing, e.g. developable sites, renovation opportunities. They will also maintain a public database of tourism investment opportunities, undertake a feasibility analysis and market these investment opportunities. The division will co-ordinate with Government and private entities to reduce/eliminate any investment obstacles for tourism, e.g. tax incentives, entitlements, approvals. 

The Product & Experience Division will be responsible for developing core products (cultural tourism, Sports tourism and business/Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Events) and complementary products (nautical tourism, leisure and entertainment, cruise tourism and eco-tourism) and service offerings to increase the overall attractiveness and competitiveness of Bermuda as a tourism destination. Generally they will need to ensure Bermuda’s product and experiences meet or exceed the aspirations of our core markets.

Product development and commercial efforts will focus on key luxury segments, niche markets and groups and events. Groups and events will play a key role in reducing seasonality.

Sales & Marketing will  focus on Bermuda’s sales and marketing activities, working to raise awareness of, and demand for, Bermuda as a destination. It will be the guardian and messenger of the Bermuda brand. Efforts will be focused on geographical areas with the most return on investment, and where air lift exists.
Sales & Marketing will work to raise hotel occupancies and overall tourism revenues, reduce seasonality and thus improve employment in the industry. It will look for the most cost effective and efficient means to deliver Bermuda’s brand message to the identified markets, encouraging them to travel to Bermuda.

Corporate Support will be responsible for human resources, finance and accounting, information technology, real estate management, as well as legal and contracting.

They will take care of employee matters, recruitment planning and administrative needs. They will handle management reporting, finance statement approval and establish finance policies and procedures. The division will also provide direction for strategic information technology solutions, on-site tech support, training employees on technology needs and maintaining hardware and software inventories.

Source: Bermuda Tourism Authority