Tourism drive targets ‘Guns and Roses’ fans

A new tourism initiative to attract both artillery enthusiasts and rose lovers to Bermuda has been launched.

The ‘Big Guns and Bermuda Roses’ tour is designed to appeal to couples with a passion for history and gardening.

The innovative project is the brainchild of Colin Campbell, who chairs the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Division,

Mr Campbell said: “We have 400 years of cultural diversity to share and this is a great way to share it with like minded people from abroad.

Real experience

“It’s more than just going to the beach, it’s about a real experience for the visitor that they can take home with them.

“Authenticity is a very misunderstood concept, but it is a great strength of the island we live on.

“There are very few places in the world you can see 400 years of artillery and see some of the most beautiful roses too.

“It may seem like an unusual combination but the response has been very good so far and we believe the tour will cater for a specific market.”

The ‘Big Guns and Bermuda Roses’ tour has been arranged to take place at the end of April to coincide with the Annual
Exhibition at the Botanical Gardens.

The four-day programme of events will include trips to Fort St Catherine and Fort Scaur for the big gun enthusiasts.

While the rose lovers will be taken to the Annual Exhibition and meet members of the Bermuda Rose Society.

Mr Campbell hopes that the event can become an annual fixture in the tourism calendar and grow in the coming years.

He added: “The key feature of this initiative is that it makes the most of what Bermuda already has to offer.

“It does not require big investment.

“And that is where the future lies in my opinion for Bermuda tourism — we have to highlight what we already have and market it better to suit our visitors.

“We have already reached out to gardening and gun clubs in the US who are helping us to promote the event.

“I hope this event acts as a case file for others to follow in its wake.”