The destination is well and truly back on the radar after its first WTM appearance in more than 10 years, and Tracy Berkeley, CEO of Bermuda Tourism Authority, highlighted the importance of Bermuda shining in the spotlight.
“2023 was a year where we were just raising awareness of the destination. We got very quiet in some of our key and nurture markets, but travel and trade and media are very happy to reengage with Bermuda again in a much more significant and tangible way.”
“We spent a lot of last year just letting everybody know that we are still here, we’re back, and just trying to put everybody front of mind in terms of visitor consideration. In 2024 and beyond, it is going to be about explaining our value proposition a little bit more, like now that you know we’re here, why come? What’s our story? Just starting to tell that in a lot more of an intentional and meaningful way.”
Bermuda launched its successful ‘Lost Yet Found’ campaign to re-establish the island’s identity, and Berkeley discussed how that identity and that image is centrefold to the Bermudian experience: “One of the things that we heard when we were doing our research for this campaign was a lot of visitors when they got to the island, they were shocked at what they saw because we were not being very descriptive about who we are.”
“What this campaign did was show us in a very authentic way. So you see the people on the island interwoven into our campaign, there are people of all backgrounds, sizes, genders in the campaign, everything that you see in Bermuda is woven into the campaign.”
“For too long we’ve spent a lot of time listening to other agencies tell us who we are as opposed to standing strong about who we really are, and being comfortable with that. It’s now all about telling our stories in a more meaningful, intentional and authentic way.”
As Bermuda continues to strive into the global spotlight, the importance of the UK market can’t be diminished: “There is a lot of loyalty built into the UK market; a lot of visitors to Bermuda have been before, and when they come they stay for longer, they’re here from anywhere from five to seven days.”
“There’s connections, there’s familiar connections, cultural connections and even legislative connections, all of which are what is at the front of mind in the UK visitor, and it was the fastest travel segment to rebound after Covid-19.”
“We are going to continue to build on the work that we have done with the UK market, as well as globally, as that is the only way we are going to make it. That is how Bermuda becomes front of mind again, with that key relationship with the trade.”
