The Bermuda Tourism Authority is seeking a new crop of entrepreneurs with ideas to improve the visitor experience in 2019. Applications best aligned with Bermuda’s overall tourism strategy could receive investment funds or marketing support as part of the Tourism Experiences Investment Programme.
The programme helps Bermudian entrepreneurs get their ideas off the ground or reposition their existing business to cater to visitors. Anyone interested in submitting an application should begin by attending a free Tourism Experiences Investment Programme workshop on August 30th or 31st. Online registration ahead of time is required. Sessions will cover the following topics:
- detail consumer feedback survey results, along with visitor expectations and desires
- identify product gaps in the Bermuda visitor experience
- offer insight on the kinds of experiences prioritised for 2019
“Bermuda’s tourism economy has grown impressively over the past two-and-a-half years and tourism entrepreneurs have been a major part of that success by providing visitor experiences that didn’t exist before.
“With this year’s investment programme we hope to assist even more Bermudian entrepreneurs launch experiences that meet the desires of our target visitors,” said Bermuda Tourism Authority Chief Product and Experiences Development Officer Pat Phillip-Fairn.Since 2014, almost $4 million has been allocated to home-grown ideas through this process. Bermuda Heroes’ Weekend, Made in Bermuda Festival, Bermuda Triple Challenge and Ariel Re Rugby Sevens are some of the experiences and events to receive funding or marketing support in the past.
The Bermuda Tourism Authority will begin accepting applications for 2019 on September 1st, 2018. The deadline is September 30th. It takes about a month for the selection panel to make its decisions.
Registration for the free workshops must be completed online at the Bermuda Tourism Authority corporate website. Investment applications are also submitted electronically.
