News from Bermuda

Bermuda took a step towards allowing casinos on the island with an announcement last week of a feasibility study on gaming.

The joint venture between the Government and the Bermuda Hotel Association sees the Innovation Group appointed to conduct a study that would cover a casino gaming market assessment, the feasibility of a Bermuda lottery, gaming legislation, tax and revenue considerations, and the social and economic impact of gaming on Bermuda and its people.

In June the Government announced plans to allow cruise ships to operate casinos while in port.

Premier Ewart Brown announced today that the PGA Grand Slam of Golf will be held in Bermuda in 2009 and 2010.

The 2009 event will be held at the Port Royal Golf Course October 19 to 21, currently undergoing renovations and expected to open in January next year.

Premier Brown said, ‘We are so proud to extend our valued partnership with the PGA of America and the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. We’re especially proud to have an event as prestigious as the Grand Slam at Port Royal – a spectacular public golf course that belongs to the people of Bermuda and speaks loudly to our country’s commitment to the game.’

For the last 2 years the event has been held at the Mid Ocean Club.

Passengers departing Bermuda can now surf the internet for free at the airport.

Rock Media, the company responsible for advertising signage at LF Wade International Airport, have installed a wireless internet hot spot in the departure area.

The announcement was made yesterday by Ewart Brown, the Bermuda Premier and Minister of Tourism and Transport.

Bermuda is the number 1 island in the Caribbean and Atlantic according to Conde Nast Traveler readers.

Over 30,000 readers of the influential travel magazine participated in the 2008 reader survey. The results were announced at a ceremony in New York last week.

Plans to build a new hotel in St George received a big boost last week after a law was passed in the House of Assembly. The Park Hyatt (St. George’s) Resort Act 2008 will allow developers Bazarian International to seek financing for a Park Hyatt resort on the site of the former Club Med.

The law gives Bazarian International 5 years to get the hotel operational or lose the right to develop the site. The hotel is expected to open in 2012.

Holland America Line will resume cruises to Bermuda in 2010. The Veendam will offer 10 cruises in 2010 and 20 in 2011. She will sail from New York on Mondays and stay 3 nights in port.

The Veendam is a relatively small ship, accommodating 1,300 passengers and 500 crew, and enabling it to dock in both Hamilton and St George.

Richard D. Meadows, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Guest Programs for Holland America Line said, ‘Veendam is ideal for this itinerary. She is a premium mid-size ship, the perfect size to navigate the narrow entrances to the harbors in Hamilton and St. George’s. Veendam’s guests are able to step off the ship right in the center of each town. Ships larger than Veendam must tie up at the Dockyard facility a considerable distance from both towns. With overnight stays in Hamilton and St. George’s, guests will truly have the time to explore Bermuda and gain an appreciation of its culture, its people and its history as well as the time to relax on the island’s beaches, play a full round - or two - of golf on its world-renowned golf courses or partake of the many activities offered.’

Hundreds of travellers have been left stranded in Bermuda and elsewhere following the collapse of the low-cost transatlantic airline Zoom. The UK and Canada-based firm suspended all operations yesterday blaming the credit crunch and hefty rises in fuel bills.

The airline was founded in 2001 by Scottish brothers John and Hugh Boyle and employed over 700 staff in the UK and Canada. The airline has advised passengers to contact their credit card companies for refunds and seek alternative flights with other airlines.

Tiger Woods will not play in the 2008 PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda after being forced to withdraw from the remainder of the PGA Tour season. Just days after winning the US Open and qualifying for the tournament, Woods announced that he will shortly be undergoing reconstructive knee surgery and will be need time for rehabilitation.

The news comes as a big blow for Bermuda who had hoped to bring the star to the island. Woods qualified for the event last year, the first time it had been held in Bermuda, but withdrew for personal reasons.

The PGA Grand Slam of Golf tournament will be held at the Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda on October 14 – 15 2008. Tickets are available from www.pga.com.

The Waterloo House hotel and restaurant in Hamilton will close on July 29 and is likely to be redeveloped as offices. Owners Horizon Ltd say the luxury hotel has not been profitable despite winning numerous awards, including being named as one of the best hotels in the world by Travel and Leisure magazine just 2 years ago. All staff have been offered employment at the hotel’s sister property; Horizons and Cottages.

Government have announced that the St George’s Golf Course is set to close because it is losing too much money. The public course will close in August, despite the fact that Port Royal, another public course, is not reopening until January 2009.

It is anticipated that the land will be used for a new course that will be part of the Park Hyatt hotel, set to open in 2011.