The Premier said, “This is good news for the people of Bermuda and for our economy. The impact of the global recession on tourism destinations has been staggering and many countries have seen their arrivals plummet and their air capacity decline along with it. Thanks to an aggressive marketing campaign, diligent maintenance of the relationship with our partners in the air and cruise industry we have managed to keep Bermuda competitive as a tourist destination. When we combine this news with the positive talks held recently with Carnival Corporation regarding bringing more ships to St. George’s and the announcement that the Grand Atlantic Hotel will soon break ground we can see that there are many positive signs pointing to a tourism turnaround.”

The breakfast briefing was held at Camden House and was attended by senior Bermuda and UK Government officials and executives from reinsurance and financial services in Bermuda.

The atmosphere was cordial and informal. By agreement, the discussions were off-the-record. Guests agreed that the meeting was very useful as a necessary interchange between partners.

Topics ranged from Bermuda’s unique role as a successful and credible leader as a financial services centre, despite its size; the necessity for Bermuda to ensure that independent observers comment favourably on Bermuda’s reputation; the importance of Bermuda having its own voice, despite the oversight role of the UK; and shared assessments of the continuing impact of the global recession on Bermuda and its partners.

Other guests at the breakfast briefing were: His Excellency, Sir Richard Gozney (Governor); Hon. Paula Cox (Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance); Philip Butterfield (HSBC Bermuda); Julian Cusack (Aspen Re); Peter Durhager (RenRe); Evan Greenberg (ACE); Peter Hinchey (Secretary to Secretary Miliband); Darren Johnston (KPMG); Brad Kading (ABIR); Don Kramer (ArielRe); Mike McGavick (XL); Arnold Minors (Press Secretary); Cheryl Packwood (BIBA); Donald Scott (Financial Secretary); and Alan Thompson (Butterfield Bank).

Here’s the text in full:

Good Evening, Bermuda.

I am taking the opportunity to speak with you this evening about a number of thoughts and ideas that, hopefully, will be meaningful to all who care about Bermuda. Thank you for taking the time to listen.

As we have all observed at some point or other during the year, this is Bermuda’s 400th year of existence, our 400th birthday – a singular hallmark – a call to do what we do when we celebrate our personal birthdays – Stop. Reflect on our past. Contemplate our future. Ask the same questions: Where are we? Where do we want to go? How can we get there?

I am going to share with you where I think we are as a people, where we are as a country, and the direction in which your government is headed. Importantly and ultimately, I am going to try to impress upon you that unity as a people is our best recourse for whatever we do in the present, and for whatever we face in our future.

Let’s talk about our economy. I know that some of you have been closely watching how the global recession has affected the two pillars of our livelihood – tourism and international business. I will speak candidly and put a few things in context in areas where I have heard you express your concerns.

In Tourism, we are holding our own. As many of you may recall, in 2008 – almost a year ago exactly – I came before you using this same medium because the world, particularly the United States, began facing the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Since then, we have all been witness to the massive bailouts that governments have had to provide to avert a global economic collapse. We have all heard of the startling unemployment figures and the tremendous loss of homes and hope.

The world has been enduring tough economic times.

The US, home to 85% of our visitors, has been enduring tough economic times.

Bermuda has been enduring tough economic times.

So, when we hear that a statistical measure of our tourism activity is the worst it has been in 30-35 years, we should not be surprised.

At this time last year, we talked about the likelihood that Bermuda would suffer during this global economic turndown –

• That we might experience lower or stagnant visitor arrivals, hotel occupancy rates and retail sales;
• That matching the statistical performance of prior years might not be possible, and
• That the credit crisis might make it tremendously difficult for developers to secure funds for new hotel construction.

Through this period, we should not be led to believe that the Government’s actions or inactions are the reason for any and all economic woes we experience. We are a capable government that can do many things, but we could not possibly cause this global economic downturn, nor could we possibly control many of its negative effects on tourism. Bermuda is another world, but we are also a part of the world. We have joined regional partners in suffering downturns in tourism arrivals and expenditures.

And, while Government can not cause or control the effects, we can and will do everything in our power to minimize the negative impact on Bermuda. We believe that we will rebound, because, technically, the U.S. recession is over and expansion has begun, although recovery is expected to be slow; and because Government continues to implement strategies that attract visitors to Bermuda as we have done throughout this challenging economic period.

Next week, we are looking forward to our 3rd PGA Grand Slam of Golf, where Bermuda and our newly redeveloped Port Royal will be showcased on TNT to 89 million U.S. homes and an audience of more than 100 countries all over the world.

The quality of talent performing at our Music Festival at the end of October is absolutely awesome, and keeps getting better and better. In spite of the tough economic times, we expect that visitors and Bermudians will not be able to resist our line-up.

Our new relationship with the Boston Red Sox is giving us great exposure in one of our longest-standing and most important gateways. We expect to begin to see more visitors as a result of this partnership over the next few years.

In London last week, I pushed the cause of a low cost carrier from the UK to Bermuda to try to replicate the reduction in prices and the increase in visitors that Zoom Airlines brought to that route. And, there are many more initiatives that our hard-working Tourism employees and partners – both local and abroad – are working on to make sure that our Tourism industry has a bright and healthy future.

As we imagined, one of the effects of the global economic downturn is the scarcity of capital for hotel projects around the world.

I have been very proud to stand before you in the past and announce several different plans for hotel development and redevelopment in Bermuda. I continue to believe that all of these projects will come to fruition and that we will still fully realize a Platinum Period in Tourism.

But I am realistic, and you should be, too. We will experience delays because our hotel developers have run into capital-raising problems caused by the downturn that neither they, nor we, could possibly have anticipated. Even with these obstacles, I am hoping that we will have financing in place and be prepared to break ground on our long-awaited Park Hyatt project in St. George’s in the next few months.

Meanwhile, it would be irresponsible of me to announce publicly which of our other projects have encountered what problems, as it is unreasonable and fiscally naive of any who would demand such an announcement. That would not help our developers who are steadfastly committed to Bermuda in spite of the global economic downturn, and therefore would certainly not help our Tourism efforts. Government will continue to work with these committed developers, as we are confident that the credit markets will loosen, and that we will be back on track toward reaching our Platinum Period.

Now, I would like to turn to the other pillar of our economy – international business.

Our government continues to value and nurture Bermuda’s unique position in the international business arena. You may be aware of the remarkable achievement of our Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Paula Cox and her Finance Ministry in signing our 16th Tax Information and Exchange Agreement, further securing Bermuda’s position as an OECD “white list” jurisdiction that is in compliance with internationally agreed upon tax standards.

You should also know that Bermuda was recently elected as Vice-Chair of the OECD Global Forum’s Steering Group, sharing that esteemed responsibility with Germany and China. This is a powerful illustration of Bermuda’s position and reputation as a premier and pristine global financial centre.

On the home front, we are in continuous contact with our international business partners, making sure that they know this Government values them and will always work hard at making Bermuda the best possible place for international business to reside.

What you may not hear about is that we are constantly attracting new businesses to our shores. In 2009 alone, we have seen over 600 new businesses make Bermuda their home. Ideal conditions continue to exist here for international business to succeed because of our effective, tried and tested regulatory model and our sterling and enviable international reputation.

In furtherance of my promise to speak candidly, it is probably appropriate at this time for me to correct a falsehood concerning the departure of some of our businesses to other countries like Switzerland and Ireland. The falsehood is that they have been motivated by the need for a more stable political environment, or that this Government is running them away. The fact is that many of them have simply sought what they believe is a more predictable tax environment. What do we mean by that?

A good case in point is Tyco. Tyco moved to Switzerland, an independent country with transparent tax treaties already in place that allow Tyco to project its tax responsibilities for years to come. These tax provisions will not be changed irrespective of what a US Congress might do. They did not move away from Bermuda to one of our competing overseas territories who are in the same boat as we are, and can potentially be negatively impacted by the whims of a US Congress.

We all know that Bermuda and other overseas territories have been threatened by anticipated changes in the US tax laws. While all the stakeholders are working around the clock to make sure that we are not harmed by any changes in the US tax laws, a few companies have chosen not to take the chance. Even though it is more costly in the short run, they have determined that the predictable tax exposure of a Switzerland or an Ireland is better for them than the perceived threat of unfavourable US taxation.

Your government understands the significance of this. And we will continue our unrelenting efforts against enactment of legislation that would be harmful to our economy. A few weeks ago, we were in Washington, DC to open the new Bermuda office. We have a great working relationship with the White House and Capitol Hill. With our new office, we will step up our efforts even more to convince the United States of our value and of the negative consequences that the US itself will incur with unfavourable tax treatment of insurance and other companies located in places like Bermuda.

We met with several Congressional lawmakers, and we also met with Attorney General Eric Holder. Maintaining our level of international business was not our only goal.
Government has been working on at least two initiatives with the new Obama administration that would have a tremendous positive impact on Bermuda.

We want Bermuda to be a beneficiary of one of the US Coast Guard programs, where as a partner country, we would be provided with high-speed interceptor boats, special communication equipment and, importantly, training of Bermudian public safety officers in drug interdiction and maritime law enforcement.

We are also redoubling our efforts to try to persuade the US government to reopen and re-negotiate the clean-up of Morgan’s Point. We will keep you apprised of our progress.
On another front, we are committed to working with the US State Department to get relief from what Bermudians call the “stop list”. We believe that it is unfair and unjust for someone who committed a minor criminal offense 20 years ago to be prevented from traveling to the U.S., or to have to undergo the humiliating experience of being stopped and detained. We understand clearly that these laws affect people all over the world – they were not just written for Bermuda. But your government will be aggressive in seeking innovative solutions to prevent young people from ever getting on the so-called “stop-list”. We shall also work on behalf of older people who have long-since paid their debt to society, and deserve to be able to freely travel.

Meanwhile, everyone in this community should be aware of Government’s commitment to fight crime. The high levels of anti-social behaviour we have seen in recent times have got to stop, so addressing the misdirection of some of our young people and the trend toward gun crime are among our greatest priorities as we look ahead.

I now speak for Cabinet and all of Government when I state that we are deeply frustrated with the current approach to tackling crime. Constitutionally, we are hamstrung. We control the purse strings but have little or no say in how the fight is managed. That is why we took the opportunity in London as recently as a couple of weeks ago to leave the UK Government in no doubt that the people of Bermuda need operational control of the Bermuda Police Service. Increasing criminal activity threatens the very social and economic fabric of our island, and it must stop. We need solutions now. And we are going to find them.

On another note, tonight, you will be pleased to know that Government is delivering on our promise for Public Access to Information, or PATI, legislation. I am elated to inform you that a draft PATI Bill is now in the public domain for consultation, and is available on Government’s website at www.gov.bm. Tomorrow, hard copies will be delivered to relevant stakeholders covered by a letter from me inviting feedback; and Friday’s Official Gazette, The Bermuda Sun, will feature information on how you can provide us with your views.

We are now less than a month away from the Convening of Parliament. My hope is that your feedback will be provided in time for us to table this Bill in the House during the upcoming parliamentary session.

With all of the focus on Tourism, International Business and the other issues I have addressed this evening, it is important that I assure you that your Government considers the well-being of our people to be equally, if not more important, than anything else. We will continue to meet the needs of everyday Bermudians.

• Free and subsidized day care has been delivered.
• There are numerous senior citizens enjoying the benefits of Future Care in spite of what you might hear. We will continue to refine this very worthwhile program for our seniors, to ensure that they will always have access to health care during their golden years.
• On Monday, we unveiled Bermuda’s first 24-hour drug treatment facility. We expect that offering intensive drug rehabilitation on the island will help turn around the crippling impact of drugs in our community and go a long way toward curbing drug-related crimes.
• We are committed to providing shelters for people who are homeless, and further, to providing them with the supportive services that they need to become fully productive once again.
• We will continue to encourage entrepreneurial excellence through a vibrant Small Business Development Corporation and the creation of Economic Empowerment Zones in key areas around the Island.
• Finally, we will be even more aggressive in finding jobs for Bermudians. We will identify companies who violate immigration and employment laws, and we will force them to stop. We will not allow our fellow Bermudians to fall between the cracks.

We’ve come a long way. And we have a long way to go. As we have experienced challenging times and look forward to exciting times, my message to you with all that we do, is that we must come closer together as we forge ahead to what the future holds for us. We need to cease to be motivated by our differences of opinion, and start to be driven by our common love for Bermuda.

As Premier of this island paradise, I am humbled, I am honoured and I am grateful. I am calling on all who live and love here to use this 400-year hallmark to begin a new paradigm – together focused as One People for One Bermuda.

Imagine. We only need to reflect momentarily to conclude that but for the UNITY of the people who landed on this then-isolated island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in 1609 – we would not be here today to celebrate this 400th year.

And what a fabulous celebration we are having! All Bermudians – old and young, black and white, rich and poor, pro-independence, loyalists, and royalists, and … believe it or not, both UBP and PLP – are looking forward to the honour of having Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip visit Bermuda at the end of November. Whatever our persuasion or philosophies, we can unite and note that the visit of Queen Elizabeth to any country in the world is an extraordinary occasion. It is a particular honour for Bermuda to receive her in this, our 400th year of existence.

In conclusion, let us commit to embark upon our next 400 years the way our forefathers must have committed to our first. Let us be remembered as men and women who lived through challenging times with hopeful hearts and positive spirits. Let us together summon the strength of our Bermudian character, and fiercely resolve to help the less fortunate and make prosperity and success available to the many and not just a few. Let us promise that day by day, year by year, with God as our witness and our guide, we will steadfastly move toward uniting as One People for One Bermuda – emboldened not by our differences, but by our common heritage and our shared hope for a prosperous future.

May God bless you and your families this evening! Thank you and Good Night!

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has previously stated that jurisdictions who fail to meet global tax transparency standards by March 2010 should be punished with sanctions. Currently, jurisdictions need to have 12 Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEAs) in place to ensure a place on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) ‘white list’. Bermuda received international recognition in June for being the first country to ascend to the OECD white list from the grey list, with its signing its 12th TIEA, with Netherlands.

Currently, Bermuda has 16 signed TIEAs in place, substantially demonstrating Bermuda’s commitment to implement the internationally agreed tax standard, and offsetting any concern arising from President Sarkozy’s joint declaration with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown that the threshold of 12 TIEAs should be seen merely as a starting point in the move towards greater tax transparency. Further, Bermuda was most recently assessed as meeting the international tax standards by the Global Forum’s annual assessment of progress, published on 31st August 2009.

Moreover, in September, Bermuda was elected a Vice Chair of the Steering Group, the policy-making body of the OECD Global Forum. Bermuda is the only non-OECD country of the Chair and Vice Chairs of the Steering Group of the Global Forum. France, like other TIEA partners, extended its praise to Bermuda for this achievement. France is Chair of the Peer Review Group which will be responsible for the universal, robust and transparent monitoring and Peer Review process.

Minister of Finance Paula A. Cox, J.P., M.P., commenting on today’s signing, said: ‘Bermuda’s ties with France extend beyond our treaty relationship to working together in a leadership position of the Global Forum to advance international cooperation in tax information exchange and to represent all members of the Global Forum in achieving a global level-playing field based on fairness and transparency. Through our amicable and productive bilateral negotiation process, as well as by our mutual achievement today in signing, our two countries have further cemented our close relationship.’

The Minister continued, ‘Bermuda now has TIEAs in place with France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, who together lead the G20′s fight against tax havens. These international agreements secure Bermuda’s position as a premier international financial centre, and reinforce the position that we offer value in the international market place in that we support real businesses offering services worldwide and we are not a jurisdiction whose growth is based on non-transparency or secrecy.’

Bermuda’s TIEA with France includes all standard means to ensure due process is followed in tax information requests to Bermuda, including, but not limited to, the following provisions: the request must not pertain to information in the possession or control of a person other than the taxpayer that does not relate specifically to the tax affairs of the taxpayer; the information is protected from disclosure under the laws of Bermuda on the grounds of legal professional privilege; the requesting party’s request for information must be obtainable under its own laws for the purposes of the administration or enforcement of its tax laws or in response to a valid request from the Minister under the agreement; the disclosure of the information must not be contrary to public policy; the requesting party must keep the information confidential and may not disclose it to any unauthorized person.

Bradley Kading, President and Executive Director of the Association of Business Insurers and Reinsurers (ABIR), praised today’s development: ‘Bermuda is an important trading partner for French ceding insurers. It may not be widely known, but ABIR members provide an estimated 35% of the property catastrophe reinsurance purchased through the broker market by French insurers. Bermuda companies play an important role in managing European flood and windstorm risk. In addition, Bermuda’s insurers and reinsurers will pick up an estimated 22% of the liabilities for the tragic Air France plane crash earlier this year. Bermuda’s insurers and reinsurers play an important role in the global market for large loss property and liability events.’

David Ezekiel, Chairman of the Association of Bermuda International Companies (ABIC) echoed Mr. Kading’s sentiments: ‘This is another major step forward for Bermuda. France has a major involvement in the Bermuda market by way of ownership in and trading with Bermuda-based companies and the signing of the TIEA with such a significant partner represents substantial progress. The Ministry deserves congratulations in its continuing efforts on behalf of the Bermuda and the companies that operate here.’

The day began with a meeting with Stephen Timms, Financial Secretary to HM Treasury.

Premier Brown said: ‘Mr Timms had previously expressed his support for Bermuda’s sound regulation and echoed this in our meeting today. Looking forward to the ‘Foot Report’ on Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, Mr Timms was confident that the final report would be complimentary to Bermuda.’

In what was their second meeting, the Premier and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband discussed the global economic situation and other issues pertinent to Bermuda.

‘The Foreign Secretary is likely to accompany Her Majesty the Queen on her visit to Bermuda in November and I conveyed to him the strong desire of the Government that he meet with key stakeholders in our economy while in Bermuda and I think he understands the importance of this,’ the Premier said.

Meantime, the Foreign Secretary reiterated the UK Government’s position with respect to the Uighurs formerly detained at Guantanamo Bay and the means by which they came to Bermuda. The Premier expects to receive the UK Government’s formal position in writing soon.

Also on the Premier’s meeting schedule today was a first meeting with Margaret Hodge, Minister for Culture and Tourism. ‘I took the opportunity to make the Minister aware of our keen desire to see competition again on the Bermuda-London route. She was receptive and supportive,’ the Premier said.

Mrs Hodge has extensive Ministerial experience in the area of education and employment which was of particular interest to Minister of Works and Engineering Derrick Burgess who accompanied the Premier at the Labour Conference today. Minister Hodge discussed the UK Government’s apprenticeship scheme designed to combat youth unemployment.

Minister Burgess said: ‘The very real challenges posed by the economy have made these schemes critical to economic rebounds. I will be looking within my Ministry and discussing such schemes with my colleagues as a useful means to address some of our own challenges.’

Dr. Brown added: ‘I was struck by the problem in the U.K. shared by us at home of attracting young people into the hospitality industry. The Minister took careful note of our Hospitality Institute and commented favourably on our efforts to promote careers in tourism to our people.’

Good afternoon ladies and gentleman. Thank you for joining us for the 2009 second quarter report for the Ministry of Tourism and Transport.

I want to begin in an area I am immensely proud of because of how significantly it will factor in the way we do business going forward.

During the Tourism and Transport first quarter report I explained our 2009/2010 sales and marketing plan and the importance we have placed on digital marketing strategies. We have made significant progress in this area – some of it has already been reported by local media.

I want to take a moment to breakdown some of the numbers to give the public and the industry a greater sense of our efforts to significantly enhance our digital marketing capabilities.

At our BermudaTourism.com website, visits are up 81.9% in the second quarter of 2009 when compared to the same period in 2008. We had several high impact promotions on the site in the second quarter and we attracted more than 301,000 visits.

Page views were up 49.9% to 2.7 million. This means consumers are now spending more time while viewing more pages and sections of our site which tells us the new look and information we have created is working.

And finally the bounce rate for BermudaTourism.com is down 48.5%. This number reflects the instances of consumers visiting the site and then quickly leaving. A reduction in this number means consumers are staying longer on our site, increasing the likelihood they will book a vacation.

Meantime, good news in search as well. Major natural search initiatives have moved BermudaTourism.com to the number one results spot in a Google search of the word: “Bermuda”.

In the past we have been at third and sometimes fourth position.

We believe this trend will continue which is important because search is a cost effective way of touching our target audience and we will continue to increase investment not only with our own website development but also with our online distribution partners.

These numbers are very encouraging. In fact they are exciting. I have supreme confidence we are moving in the right direction on our digital marketing strategy and I will be compelling our internet group to keep their foot on the gas pedal. Increased traffic to the website, despite fewer visitors, is an extremely encouraging indicator that our goal to increase destination awareness is definitely working and this augurs well for the future.

Credit due to i-crossing, our new digital marketing partners, as well as our own Tourism Department marketing team in New York and here in Bermuda.

Now onto the arrival statistics for the second quarter of 2009:

Total visitor arrivals for the Second Quarter of 2009 decreased 7.96% to 203,061 visitors, compared to 220,634 in the same quarter of 2008.

Air arrivals for the second quarter fell 14.27% compared to the same quarter in 2008. A total of 74,979 visitors flew to the island during this quarter down from 87,455 in 2008.

Residents from the United States continue to dominate visitor arrivals with three-quarters of all air visitors stemming from this region. The remaining visitors from Canada, UK, Europe and the Rest of World account for 10%, 9%, 2%, and 4% respectfully.

All categories of commercial properties except small hotels showed declines this quarter with an overall decline of 16.49% for visitors staying in commercial accommodations.

Overall, air visitors stayed on island for an average of 5.74 nights in the second quarter, down slightly from 5.99 nights during the same period in 2008. Visitors staying in commercial properties stayed an average of 4.66 nights down from 4.8 nights in the second quarter of 2008.

Cruise arrival figures totalled 124,553, compared to 129,344 for the second quarter in 2008. That’s a decrease of 3.7% or about 4,800 passengers.

Reasons for the decrease included a slower than projected April 2009 and a cancellation in May due to inclement weather affecting the Caribbean Princess which would have brought approximately 3,000 cruise passengers to Bermuda. And then later in the quarter, May and June cruise arrivals were higher than projected.

• April was down 52.8% year over year;
• May was up 38.8%;
• and June was up 0.7%

Since opening on April 29, a total of 52,000 cruise passengers have moved through the new Heritage Wharf facility at Dockyard. The cruise ships docking at Heritage Wharf have contributed approximately $12 million to Bermuda’s economy, including Government fees, on-island expenditures, shore excursions and other fees paid to the West End Development Corporation.

The Heritage Wharf cruise complex has been well received by retailers, tour operators and the cruise lines, and has generated a higher level of excitement to Dockyard. Now when we talk about Heritage Wharf it is no longer a vision, it is real. I invite Bermudians to visit the new Dockyard with their families and enjoy this new development in Bermuda Tourism.

Now to yacht visitors: there were 3,529 visiting yachtsmen sailing to the island during the second quarter of 2009, a decline of 7.98%. The biennial Newport to Bermuda race, held last June, usually causes a dramatic drop in yacht visitation for the years in which it is not held; however the arrival of the Tall Ships this June softened the blow as 1,104 yachtsmen sailed to the island as part of this event.

Beyond the numbers, the second quarter can best be described as the period when Bermuda Tourism intensified its plan to deal with the significant phenomenon of the economic downturn that is facing the entire travel industry worldwide.

As we outlined in the first quarter the strategy was about:

• Concentrating on the core Northeast market
• Developing promotions that drive business, in conjunction with our hotel partners
• Continuing to leverage the 400th anniversary
• And, as mentioned, heightening our digital marketing strategy.

It is clear that this four-pronged focused approach, emanating from the 2009 Sales and Marketing plan, served to arrest the downward spiral and contributed to a satisfactory levelling off of business.

The second quarter saw significant dialogue and partnering with hotels and this paid off with positive promotions that garnered good business in a difficult environment. There has been some compromising of average room rates in the process and this should not be overlooked. It will affect the bottom lines of hoteliers without a doubt, but, in this regard, we are no different from every other destination that is currently competing for business.

In order to gain a voice in this very competitive market Bermuda needs to stand out in what has become a “sea of sameness” in terms of creativity. We will meet this challenge with a new campaign.

Our agency of record, GlobalHue, developed and launched new ads capitalizing on Bermuda’s proximity from the East Coast. The progressive work highlights the idea of Bermuda being a world away in only two hours. This is not a new message, but it has been conceptualized in a new way and the creativity has been well received by consumers and industry representatives alike.

The print is modular in that it can accommodate messaging specific to the city in which it is being seen, while also highlighting airline and hotel offers specific to the geographic location of the traveller. Success was particularly evidenced in this area as a result of the Boston JetBlue promotion.

Production on television spots was completed just days ago and will launch in New York, Boston, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia before the end of the month. I am thrilled to unveil these fantastic new television commercials here today. Before we roll the tape let me just point out that these modular spots will showcase activities on the island including the beautiful new Port Royal Golf Course, as well as proximity to the East Coast. TV also plays on the idea of Bermuda being a world away in only two hours. Let’s watch.

We are very pleased with these new ads produced by GlobalHue under the direction of our Tourism team in New York.

Convincing Bermuda’s target consumer, the Urbane Traveler, to choose Bermuda as a destination in this economic climate is a great challenge. This upwardly mobile segment has always been hard to capture from a media perspective. They are worldly and have high travel expectations with a large variety of destinations to choose from. And now, as a result of the economic climate, competitors are on sale, promoting packages at very low prices.

The campaign’s main objective is to drive immediate visitation, which means the work must be able to accommodate a retail message, promoting hotel and airfare price points wherever possible. Given that Bermuda’s competitors are relying on slashing prices to drive visitation, without concern for the effects of this behaviour on the brand, it was clear the new campaign would need to sell the island without cheapening the brand in order to differentiate Bermuda and preserve its reputation.

With proximity as the key driver and the single idea “Bermuda, the getaway that actually takes you away” as a starting point, the team crafted the creative platform: “A world away in just under 2 hours.” The resulting work takes advantage of new technology to convey this sentiment. In my view the new campaign has real stopping power.

The campaign tested extremely well among consumers and was said to be attention grabbing. Consumers responded strongly to proximity as a key selling proposition for Bermuda, validating the strategic approach. The work enabled them to see Bermuda as a short break destination comparable to or even easier to reach than many stateside vacation locales.

The campaign has launched in New York, Boston, Charlotte, Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia, Toronto, Washington D.C. in publications, and for the first time ever, on Billboards in key gateways such as New York at the Holland Tunnel and Boston near the airport where in excess of 7 million people will see them daily.

Speaking of Boston, I want to take a moment to talk about our robust partnership with the Boston Red Sox and the New England Sports Network.

On June 19th, our Tourism team descended on Boston’s Fenway Park with heavy resources, making a noticeable impact on this important market. Past Bermuda idol winner Laritta Adderley sang the U.S. National Anthem, Press Secretary and former Boston TV reporter Glenn Jones tossed out the ceremonial first pitch, the Bermuda Gombeys performed in the concourse, we hosted media professionals, captured data, pitched Bermuda to baseball fans and posted continuous updates on Twitter – another aspect of our digital strategy.

We also partnered with JetBlue on the 19th, one of our most important airline partners in the market. We are grateful to them for the resources they dedicated to Bermuda on that evening. We think Bermuda Night was a success evidenced by the post-event media attention and the feedback from baseball fans and industry partners.

Coming up on September 8th we will be back at Fenway Park to heavily market our product once again. It will not be a Bermuda Night this time, but thanks to a post-contract agreement negotiated by GlobalHue, we have a second bite of the cherry to woo Sox fans to Bermuda.

This time we will focus on the upcoming golf and spa season and we are getting almost unprecedented participation from our hotel partners who want to be a part of this promotional opportunity to premium ticketholders at Fenway Park. We have also joined forces with Gosling’s to mutually benefit two strong Bermuda brands.

Our Sox partnership also includes marketing opportunities at the PGA Deutsche Bank Championship with Tiger Woods next month. This tournament takes place over Labour Day weekend in Norton, Massachusetts. So between September 3rd and September 7th we will be pouring heavy resources into this event where we will be promoting the PGA Grand Slam of Golf and the new Port Royal Golf Course.

With these focused promotions in Massachusetts in 2009 we expect to see a growth in visitors from the Boston market.

Along with our own focused promotions in that city, we also spent resources partnering with local hotels on an even wider scale.

We assisted the Fairmont Southampton with a “$99 over 99 hours” promotion that produced 14,554 room nights. To put this achievement in some perspective this equated to 75% of one entire month of business for that particular hotel – an excellent achievement and congrats to them on this bold initiative.

BDOT also partnered with more than 12 hotels for a Sizzling Summer 400th Anniversary sale that has, as of June 30, 2009, produced an incremental 15,164 room nights to the island’s hotels. Bermuda Tourism has directly supported the hotel industry with cash payments of more than $750,000 in these promotions in the past year. So you’ll have to forgive me for vehemently opposing even the mere suggestion that the Government does not support their hotel partners. We do support them. Their successes are our successes and vice versa.

June first and second also saw a very successful 50% off 48-Hour Sale that achieved 4,164 room nights to more than ten hotels.

These promotions have all been available to consumers, both as a direct booking option as well and through the major wholesale and online distribution partners.

Speaking of which, the results have been very encouraging for the online operators. I consider this to also be a part of our digital marketing strategy.

• Expedia is up 33% year to date
• Orbitz up 45%
• Travelocity up 35%
• And Purely Bermuda, a key UK online operator, up 36% with some of these major promotions.

The projected room nights for this group for year end is currently up 40% or approximately 56,000 room nights of increased business. This movement in the numbers speaks very well for the future.

In airline news, Bermuda has been very fortunate during this challenging period to have maintained virtually all of its air service, while at the same time forging much closer partnerships with all of our airline friends.

Delta re-launched its new service out of La Guardia on May 23.

JetBlue reintroduced its seasonal flight out of Boston and this year is seeing double digit improvements over the previous year’s business.

British Airways announced an additional flight for winter 2009 /2010 and a team of tourism officials have already travelled to London to have intense discussions with BA on making this increased service a success.

American Airlines, obviously seeing the potential of its Miami service, has announced an increase from five flights weekly to a daily schedule this coming winter. We will obviously be working with them to ensure long term success.

We are very pleased to have worked with all of these airlines to ensure great airfares to the island during this challenging period.

Overall, the average fare from the Northeast is at least half of what it was five years ago and this is in large measure due to our ability to partner effectively with them.

There is also an important development to share on aviation safety. In the second quarter, L.F. Wade International Airport became home to two new Rosenbauer ARFF six-by-six Panther vehicles.

That fancy name may not mean much to you and me, but it means a great deal to the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service. These two vehicles are paramount in Bermuda’s ability to provide fast and efficient response for aircraft emergencies. Should there be an aircraft fire or some other mishap at our airport our Fire Service is now better equipped to save lives. As the Minister responsible for Transport I am comforted to know we have wisely improved the level of safety for Bermudians and visitors… or anyone who works or otherwise uses L.F. Wade International Airport.

Just like the rest of the country, Tourism has been looking for ways to mark Bermuda’s 400th Anniversary. I mentioned earlier the way it has assisted us with “Sizzling Summer 400”. It has also helped us tremendously with public relations activity.

The WPIX TV promotion has also been significant in the New York market. In May alone, more than 17,000 entries were received in the May Bermuda-Bound Giveaway on WPIX. Also in May that promotion was seen by an estimated 4.8 million people, which equated to a media valuation totalling over $90,000.

For Bermuda Day at Fenway on June 19, 2009 the media exposure included, but was not limited to NESN, Boston Globe, Boston Courant and Boston Herald.

The UK and European markets have also been active with several press trips to the island resulting in coverage in The Times, Daily Mail and many European titles.

Let me switch over now to transport where there are some important updates to share.

You may recall the Bermuda Emissions Control Ltd. assumed responsibility for the Safety and Emissions Inspection to all motorized vehicles back at the start of the second quarter. I am advised by the Director of TCD that all the hard work leading up to this transition has proven successful as customers have adjusted well to the new testing procedures. With three testing lanes for cars and trucks at the North Street facility as well as testing lanes at Southside and Rockaway; we expedited the examination process considerably.

I also want to congratulate the TCD family on its nomination by The Bermudian Magazine as the Best of Bermuda for Government Service 2009. Not many years ago Bermudians would not even consider TCD for a service award like this. But now look… they are considered among the best. Surveys showed customers were very pleased with the service they are receiving. I have been advised that the team at TCD were overjoyed at the news… and they should be. Well done!

Meantime at the Department of Civil Aviation, they have interviewed three applicants for the Public Service Bursary Award Scheme 2009. Of these three applicants, two were in the field of Flight Operations and one in Airworthiness. The interview panel put forward recommendations to the Public Services Commission for one person in each field of expertise. The PSC reviewed the recommendations from all Government Departments and I am pleased to advise that they awarded Emily Siggins a Bursary for Flight Operations.

Ms. Siggins was recommended for the Flight Operations Bursary as she clearly indicated her desire for pursuing this career path and was able to articulate her action plan to accomplish this. She is embarking on a Bachelor’s degree in Flight Operations and Aviation Management at the Florida Institute of Technology, starting this month, and intends on following this with a Master’s degree in Human Factors. Ultimately, we hope to see Ms Siggins join the DCA team.

Sticking with human resources, I can report that the Department of Tourism re-organization in NYC has been finalized.

The intent now is to bring in high calibre individuals who will work closely with the Director of Global Operations having the skill sets that match the changing market and understanding consumer buying habits not only in our key feeder markets of the US but also internationally.

We need a “Results” driven team that will continue to deliver the growth that I have outlined before.

Announcements will be made in the very near future that clearly indentify the representatives for key markets of UK and Canada.

Great progress has been made in the second quarter to advance the formulation of the Bermuda Hospitality Institute. I had hoped for a second quarter launch, but we are now looking at a launch in this quarter.

The BHI will serve to lead and encourage the development, growth and sustainability of Bermudians in the hospitality industry. It’s goal will be to encourage young Bermudians to pursue Hospitality as a career while simultaneously encouraging the current workforce of the merits of rejoining the industry or considering the hospitality field as a second career choice.

The entire concept will be presented to Cabinet shortly and there will be ads in the press for an Executive Director by the end of this week.

We continue to prepare for a Bermuda hospitality industry that will be more appealing to Bermudians than it is currently. Although the industry has seen a slowdown worldwide, the industry will re-emerge.

Already, in just the first six months of 2009, we have seen a slowdown to the slowdown. Visitor arrivals have improved pretty convincingly between the first quarter and the second quarter of this year. Visitor numbers were down 27.84% in the first quarter, but after the second quarter the 2009 year-to-date figure has improved to an 11.28% decrease when compared to the year prior. That is clearly a trend in the right direction. This trend is expected to improve even further in the third quarter.

So for the balance of this year you can not only expect more of the same, but an intensification of more of the same. Our digital marketing strategy is working and you will see more of it. Our promotional partnerships with local hotel partners is driving visitors to our shores and your will see more of it. Our new ad campaign is turning heads and creating buzz – you will see more of that too. Everyone at Bermuda Tourism will be focused on results for the second half of 2009. This is the time to re-tool, refurbish and return to greatness in Tourism.

Thank you for your attention this afternoon. I am happy to take your questions.

Total visitor arrivals for the second quarter of 2009 decreased 7.96% to 203,061 visitors, compared to 220,634 in the same quarter of 2008.

Air arrivals for the second quarter fell 14.27% compared to the same quarter in 2008. A total of 74,979 visitors flew to the island during this quarter, down from 87,455 in 2008.

Cruise arrival figures totalled 124,553, compared to 129,344 for the second quarter in 2008. That’s a decrease of 3.7% or about 4,800 passengers.

Overall the 2009 second quarter statistics are seen as an improvement over the first quarter, showing signs of an industry recovery in the face of difficult economic times around the globe.

Visitor numbers were down 27.84% in the first quarter, but after the second quarter the 2009 year-to-date figure has improved to an 11.28% decrease when compared to the year prior.

“That is clearly a trend in the right direction,” said Premier Brown who is Minister of Tourism and Transport. “Already, in just the first six months of 2009, we have seen a slowdown to the slowdown. Visitor arrivals have improved pretty convincingly between the first quarter and the second quarter of this year. Everyone at team tourism is now focused on a continuation of this recovery trend and a successful second half.”

Visitor arrival numbers were released today by the Bermuda Department of Tourism at its quarterly address delivered by Premier Brown.

The island has also concluded negotiations on further TIEAs with Mexico, Canada and Japan.

Last month Bermuda signed its 12th TIEA with the Netherlands, and was removed from OECD’s grey list of tax havens.

The tax treaty was Bermuda’s 12th Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA). Signing it ensured the island crossed the threshold for inclusion in the list of countries that have substantially implemented the OECD’s requirement in this area.

Bermuda is the first country to be removed from the grey list. It is expected to sign more tax treaties with more OECD countries in the near future.

The list was published at the end of the G20 meeting in London by the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The ‘grey list’ comprised countries that had not signed Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEAs) with at least 12 other countries.

Bermuda currently only has TIEAs with the US, UK, and Australia.

The island did, however, avoid being blacklisted and not committed to an internationally agreed tax standard.

The blacklisted countries were Malaysia, Costa Rica, Philippines, and Uruguay.

The other countries on the ‘grey list’ were Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Dominica, Gibraltar, Grenada, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Montserrat, Nauru, Antilles, Niue, Panama, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Vanuatu.