Bermuda's Premier Assembles Religious Leaders on Faith Tourism

Bermuda’s Premier Assembles Local Religious Leaders

HAMILTON, Bermuda - Premier Dr. Ewart F. Brown of Bermuda hosted a breakfast forum on Wednesday, September 17 with Bermuda’s religious leaders to discuss combating anti-social behaviour and the continuation of Faith-based Tourism.

About 70 religious leaders from a wide variety of local churches attended.

Premier Brown said: “Bermuda is blessed with a very strong faith community and I am grateful the leaders of that community are willing to come together and share their concerns and ideas. I told them today’s forum is not the end of the participation process, the Government wants to hear from the faith community often and we will create a structure that makes it easier to do so. ”

Parental responsibility legislation, life skills and morality teaching in schools and easing the financial burdens on working parents to allow them more time with their children were among a long list of issues discussed during an open dialogue on anti-social behaviour.

Wednesday’s event was held at the Evangelical Church of Bermuda in Paget.

About two-thirds of the two-hour session focused on anti-social behaviour, while the remaining time was spent on Faith-based Tourism

Emilygail Dill, as Acting Director of Sales and Marketing in the Bermuda Department of Tourism’s North America Office, has oversight for the Department’s Faith-based Tourism strategy. Today she briefed Bermuda’s faith leaders on the $18 billon global Faith-based Tourism industry. The industry generates more than 300 million travelers annually.

Mrs. Dill, an ordained minister, told the gathering the support of local faith leaders would be crucial to the future success of Faith-based Tourism in Bermuda.