Bermuda News Archives
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Tropical Storm Fay and then the devil Hurricane Gonzalo (October 18, 2014)
Just a few days back we were saying that Bermuda faced the least storm and hurricane in 2014 compared to the past several years... and almost immediately the tropical storm Fay hit the island. While the island was trying to recover from Fay with over 1,500 houses still without power, a category-3 fierce hurricane Gonzalo appeared from nowhere and lashed on the island. As I write this, Gonzalo's eye has just passed over Bermuda, the category-3 hurricane has transitioned and reduced to a strong category-2 hurricane with sustained wind speed of 112kmph.
About 30,700 houses and establishments have been left without power which is about 85% of the island (as per Bermuda's electricity provider Belco). Airport is closed, and the entire island has been virtually shut down. Many houses have been left with roofs damaged, a part of the King Edward VII hospital flooded and damaged, lots of trees have fallen on the streets, and several boats drowned. However the good news... no casualty has been reported in the island. Due to large scale damage, Botanical Gardens and Arboretum will remain closed for 3 months for restoration.
Beginning January 23rd, 2015 Bermuda will be celebrating its 40th anniversary of the festival which was originally launched in 1976. The entire line up of performances is now ready. Internationally acclaimed cellist Yo Yo Ma's performance will be the highlight of 2015 Bermuda Festival of Performing Arts.
Closure plan of Salt Kettle House in Paget (September 2014)
One of the oldest and most beloved guesthouses of the island, the Salt Kettle House will be closing down in January 2015. It will be converted into a residential complex with five cottages, two apartments and a studio which will be available on rent from summer of 2015. Hazel Lowe, the owner of the guesthouse is now 85. The family has decided to come out of the hectic tourist lodging activities and offer the property to residents on rent. Hazel and her husband took over the property in 1970 and has been very successfully running the guesthouse since then. Most of the guests were returning guests. It will however continue to run as a guesthouse until January 2015.
Closure of Bermuda Sun Newspaper (August 2014)
Bermuda Sun, which was the only newspaper in the island other than the daily Royal Gazette, has closed down. Its last publication was on July 30, 2014. It started its publication in 1964. Financial viability is shown as the reason.
Cup Match (July 2014)
This year the
Cup Match days are scheduled on July 31 (Thursday) and Aug 1 (Friday). The cricket match between Somerset Cricket Club and St George Cricket Club will be played in Somerset Cricket Ground. Tickets are priced at $20 for adults and $5 for children (age 5-12). Below 5 are free. You can get the tickets at the entrance of the stadium. BTA (Bermuda Tourism Authority) has drawn up a list of programs for the tourists who would like to immerse themselves into the festivities during this week. They are offering free hourly shuttle services from the dockyard to the cricket ground and back. And also entry to
Soca vs Reggae program,
beach fest, couple of entertainment cruises leaving from Hamilton harbor etc. You can get BTA program tickets at the Visitors Information Centers at the Dockyard, Hamilton and St George and also collect printed copies of free 2014 Cup Match Guide.
Some great innovations are working. An old ferry has been refurbished giving it a look and feel of a pirate ship and is converted into a floating bar at the dockyard and next to the Heritage Wharf cruise pier. Cheap drinks, nice reggae music and great view of the marina and passing cruise ships are the main attractions.
The legendary scuba diver who collected innumerable treasures from underwater shipwrecks in his lifetime, has passed away on June 9, 2014 at the age of 89. He was the person who discovered the wreck San Pedro where he found the famous Pectoral Cross made of gold and emerald. Other than being a great diver and treasure hunter, Teddy was also a great historian, lecturer and author.
The traditional weekly celebration Destination Dockyard held on every Monday in summer at the Royal Naval Dockyard has been cancelled this year. But it has been replaced with an array of weekly events and activities to be held between May to October. Many of them are free to all!
Bermuda Yoga Festival 2014
A festival of yoga and chants has been organized between April 4-6 in 2014 where many internationally famous yoga teachers will give lessons and speeches to the attendees. This is the first of its kind in the island where body, spirit and heart are central to the event. There will be 42 sessions including several for beginners. It will be held at Hotel Fairmont Southampton. Day and session passes are available. For further info, Email:
[email protected]
Coral Beach and Tennis Club and Horizons Cottages (December 2013)
Both these luxury sister properties have been in receivership for some 10 months waiting to find a new owner. The wait has finally ended.
They do have a new owner - New York based CBC 2013, which is a subsidiary of Three Wall Capital and ROC Group.
Skirking Ceremony at Fort Hamilton (November 2013)
It's the time in the winter when tourists and others can enjoy a unique event - The Skirking Ceremony.
Bermuda Islands Pipe Band plays bagpipe music at
Fort Hamilton. The event takes place from November through March on every Monday from 12noon to 12:30pm.
Finally some relief for the cruise ship passengers while docked at the port. Until now gambling in all forms including casinos where disallowed in Bermuda. So while in port, the cruise ships had to close down their own casinos. But no longer so under the new law. From 9pm until 5am, cruise ships are now allowed to keep their casinos open. However only the cruise ship passengers can avail the facilities and not their guests, islanders or even other visitors to the island. There is still no casinos or gambling allowed anywhere else in the island.
Over the years cruise ships calling ports in Bermuda had been slowly but steadily declining. This incentive is offered to lure more cruise ships to Bermuda. Tourism and Transport Minister of Bermuda commented that most cruise ship passengers return to the ship by 9pm anyway and most retails shops in the island also close well before 9pm. So this move is likely to have minimal impact on entertainment and restaurant businesses in the island.
This year the island's largest beach party held annually was about to get canceled due to lack of sponsorship and funding. However it has been somehow salvaged. The venue has been shifted to Snorkel Park Beach at dockyard from the traditional site at Horseshoe Bay Beach and there has been an entry fee introduced to bridge the funding gap. This is the 8th anniversary of the event and like previous years, lots of fun events and beach games are being organized including beach volleyball, football, netball, tug-o-war, one bounce, swimming race etc. There will also be many local talents performing on the stage. This is a good news for the cruise ship passengers docked at Kings Wharf or Heritage Wharf. They can easily walk down to the festival venue.
Norwegian Breakaway arrives on its maiden voyage (May 15, 2013)
The giant 'city of the sea' as she is known, arrived in Bermuda today for the first time in Heritage Wharf at dockyard carrying over 4,000 passengers from New York. This 18-deck monster is the largest ever to visit the dockyard. The entire dockyard was beaming with carnival like atmosphere. The passengers who stepped down received a complimentary cup of Rum Swizzle as welcome drink. Gombey dancing and Calypso music complemented the mood. Soon after its arrival, the cruise ship Summit of Celebrity Cruises too arrived at Kings Wharf offloading some 2,000 passengers. So many taxis lined up to kick start the season's business.
The second Bermuda Beach Art Festival is scheduled on March 23, 2013 from 9am till noon. Several artists (both resident and visiting) of all skill levels will create artwork on sand using rakes. The arts will only last until the next high tide washes them away. There will be prizes and many other activities that will accompany the event.
Sonesta Beach Resort finds new owner (March 2013)
The abandoned and demolished Sonesta Beach Resort in Sountampton, which was earlier known as the Southampton Beach Resort has been now taken over by the Green Family. They are a Bermudian family that also owns Hotel Fairmont Hamilton Princess. Hopefully once the upgrades of Hamilton Princess gets over, the Sonesta Hotel too will get a fair treatment finally.
Fish Hut Closes Down (March 2013)
The much loved Fish Hut located on Court Street in North Hamilton and run by Molly Brown has sadly closed down. It offered mouth watering fish sandwiches and fish cakes.
The OBA Government has just announced the national budget for the financial year 2013-14 which will come into effect from April 1st 2013.
Air Canada Reducing Flights to Bermuda (February 2013)
Air Canada is likely to reduce its flights to Bermuda and cut it down to three flights a week from May onwards. Currently it's operating five flights a week from Toronto. But starting May, there will be flights only on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Annual Restaurant Week in Bermuda (Jan 21 - Feb 16, 2013)
Great news for the food lovers. This is the second time Bermuda is celebrating its Annual Restaurant Week starting from January 21, 2013 up to Feb 16, 2013. So what can you expect? Many restaurants are participating in this event and offering great food at very reasonable prices. In fact all these restaurants are going to take this opportunity to put their best foot forward, invite guests and offer their best dishes. There are three pre fixed categories - $29, $39 and $49, and you get three course full meal in each. Note that the price does not include beverages, taxes and gratuities. Wine pairings are also offered at $29, $39 and $49. To know which restaurants are participating, visit: www.gotobermuda.com/restaurant-week-2013/
Are there swindlers in Bermuda who try to make money from tourists by deception and fraud? Here is an experience shared by a visitor who returned from Bermuda recently.
New Restaurant in Hamilton City (October 2012)
The Red Steakhouse and Bar is opening up shortly on 55 Front Street. It occupies the space where the Silk Thai Restaurant used to be. Red is an upscale restaurant with a modern classic style interior finish. The cuisine is mostly focussed on steaks and seafood. From the upstairs patio, you get a wonderful unobstructed view of the Hamilton harbor. They also plan to serve after dinner cocktails. However, the ambience here is targeted towards matured guests preferring quiet and relaxed environment.
Unemployment in Bermuda is rising (October 2012)
The unemployment rate in Bermuda has risen to 8% in 2012 compared to 6% in 2010. This has been revealed by the October 2012 Labor Force Survey Executive Report. The report also shows that non-Bermudian (i.e. expat) jobs have decreased by almost 17% compared to 2010. One reason for this is the salaries in the hospitality industry like in hotels and restaurants are no longer that lucrative for expats as it used to be earlier.
New Governor in Bermuda (May 2012)
George Fergusson has taken over as the new Governor of the island. He was sworn in on May 23, 2012 at the grounds of Cabinet office in Bermuda. Being the Queen's man, the Governor's role is to facilitate and work closely with the Premier to help solve the key issues and also provide feedback to the Queen of England about the diplomatic and economic developments in the island amongst many others. George Fergusson in his speech mentioned that he sees two main challenges in Bermuda - economic challenges which is closely intertwined with the western world and the increasing gang related violence in the island. For the latter, although the situation is getting serious with time, this does not yet directly affect tourism or tourists though.
Thousands from all over the world apply for jobs in Bermuda hoping to work and live in this dream island. As a result, over 20% of Bermuda's population are expatriates working in various sectors like Insurance, Finance, Legal, IT, Hospitality and others. While it is a fact that Bermuda lacks skilled resources in many such industries, but do the Bermudians actually get a fair share of jobs in their own homeland? Or the global giant companies who have set up their international and offshore business in Bermuda actually deny jobs to the Bermudians and prefer to take professionals from abroad? Read the story and know about the perspective of a Bermudian, her own experience and what she feels about the job market in Bermuda.
A relatively new concept in Bermuda, People's Market was launched recently as a weekly open market at the Cedar Bridge Academy School campus area in Devonshire. The goal of this market is to let the vendors come to a central area and sell all sorts of goods at affordable prices. Items include food and snacks, jewelry, craft and artwork, furniture, books and lot more. In addition, fun and entertainment are provided in forms of music and dance.
Bermuda Is The Best
In October 2011, Bermuda has been once again voted by the readers of Conde Naste Traveler Magazine as the best island and travel destination in the whole of Caribbean and Atlantic. The Reefs Resort in Southampton parish was voted as the best hotel in the Atlantic.
A great romantic package from Bermuda's Department of Tourism for couples looking for a romantic getaway in Bermuda. The promotional offer includes many free tours, rides, visits to attractions, dance and music, including discounted shopping and golfing that are customized for the couples. The offerings have been made with exclusive romantic touches and includes stays at some of the best romantic hotels, resorts and clubs.
The biggest fashion show 'Evolution' was organized at the City Hall in Hamilton.
Bermuda Beach Tennis Tournament and Beach Volleyball in Horseshoe Bay Beach
A complete health and fitness center at St. George now offers modern facilities with classes.
A new cultural program has kicked off in Bermuda showcasing local talents in dance and music.
There are stringent beach regulations introduced in Bermuda for dogs and horses this summer
This weekly festival summer series now replaces the earlier Destination Dockyard starting June 27, 2011.
A shower and laundry facility has been created by the Warwick Christ Church for the homeless.
Fresco's Restaurant and Wine Bar has now become an Italian Restaurant.
A new guest services has come up at the dockyard offering a complete service package.
Premier Paula Cox recently announced the 2001 budget of Bermuda. Here is a snapshot.
A recently released music album, Da Squad Starting Eleven, features some of the best musical talents of Bermuda.
If you are visiting the Masterworks Art Gallery in Botanical Gardens, you can now have your lunch in this new cafe that was opened on Jan 17.
Facilities at Horseshoe Bay Beach in Bermuda are being upgraded, including washrooms, toilets, parking, covered relaxing room and more.
A recent report on general health in Bermuda indicating the major problem areas and where the island is doing well in health matters.
Highlights of all the cruises scheduled to call Bermuda in 2011 with trip details.
There will be soon a unique performing arts pre school for children in Bermuda. A review..
November - December 2010
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A new war memorial in Bermuda has been opened in the Cabinet grounds.
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Bermuda's Fitch rating of AA+ goes to show its sustained and strong economic conditions.
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A new Cardiac Health Center has come up in Bermuda that supports and guides people having risks of developing heart disease.
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Bermuda college has been awarded the accreditation status by New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
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Duchess of Gloucester presents the new colors to the Bermuda Regiment 20 years after the last colors was presented.
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How is the teaching quality or the education standard in Bermuda. Are they at par with the best in the world? Here is a full review.
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A monument dedicated to the survivors of the wrecked ship Sea Venture is being erected at St George Bermuda.
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Vision and plan for Bermuda was shared by the new Premier Paula Cox in her recent Throne speech at the cabinet grounds.
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Premier Paula Cox announced her new team in the cabinet. There have been many shuffles and new entrants.
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The street market (known as the Olde Town Market) held on Sundays in St. George has been revived. It's drawing hundreds of people.
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October 2010
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Ms. Paula Cox emerged as a clear leader winning the PLP party votes by a large margin to become the new Premier of Bermuda.
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Recent tourists survey shows that fewer people find that Bermuda exceeded their expectations compared to previous years.
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Being newly introduced, the supper club aims towards making new friends over dinner and sharing your passion on food and other subjects.
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Bermuda Petrel, also known commonly as the Cahow, is the national bird of Bermuda. They were thought to be extinct for some 320 years. Now they are back. Find out how.
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September 2010
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Over 400 volunteers participated in cleaning up the shorelines of Bermuda post Igor hurricane. The event was organized by Keep Bermuda Beautiful.
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Here are checklists and guidelines from EMO and Belco to help people of Bermuda prepare in advance against hurricanes.
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Hurricane Igor had swept past Bermuda causing wide scale damages to the island although there has been no casualties.
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Immigration ministry clamps down on expat jobs in Bermuda
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August 2010
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There is a new dry storage marina or a boat port that has come up in St. George. Boats are kept in covered storage and placed on water on demand.
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There is a new Italian restaurant Cafe Amici that has recently come up at the Clock Tower Mall of Dockyard, Bermuda. A review.
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July 2010
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Bermuda Music Festival 2010 is held between Sept 30 - Oct 2 in Fairmont Southampton. Stars include Grammy winners like Ziggy Marley, Braxton, Angie Stone, Estelle.
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This Field Guidebook explores the common and important animals, plants and vegetation of Bermuda.
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Herbie Night, the ever popular breakfast chef of Willowbank Bermuda, has passed away. He served the resort for over 40 years.
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Jiketsu Martial Arts, Fitness and Healing Center in Bermuda focuses on mind and body development for all, including kids, youth and adults.
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Lot more entertainment for tourists and locals, as Bermuda shakes off its laid back style.
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Last year, job fell in Bermuda by 1.7% compared to previous year.
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June 2010
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The corner of a parking lot at Front Street has been reopened as a quiet relaxing space.
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There are great body fitness courses in Bermuda run by Bermuda Small Circle Jujitsu Academy.
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Bollywood dance, offered by Heron School in Bermuda, is taking the island by storm.
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Senior ambassador program has been launched in Bermuda to promote tourism.
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May 2010
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Bermuda's greatest Jazz musician Milton Robinson just passed away. A tribute ...
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9 beaches resort in Bermuda to close down till May 2011 for redevelopment.
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During a recent debate in the cabinet, proposal for casinos in Bermuda has been turned down.
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Carnival Cruise Line is increasing its Bermuda voyages in 2011 to 16 trips.
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April 2010
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A Canadian visitor was robbed while she was pillion riding a scooter. The bag having cash and cell phone were picked up from the scooter basket.
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Underwater Caves in Bermuda - Unfolding the never-before seen mystery of underwater world and marine life of Bermuda.
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Bermuda Kite Festival is a great Easter event and a competition held in Horseshoe Bay Beach.
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New visa requirements for Panamanian, Dominican Republic and Philippine nationals.
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March 2010
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Argentinean and US films are on top in 2010 Bermuda International Film Festival.
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Morgans Point in Bermuda is a peninsula projecting out to the Great Sound and served as US military base for over 50 years.
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Coral Beach Club and Horizons Cottages are planned for redevelopment by Four seasons.
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The government is exploring casinos, gambling and other legalized gaming opportunities in Bermuda.
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Bermuda pink sands that you see in the beaches, may not remain pink in color in future. More..
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In 2010, Bermuda International Film Festival or BIFF is having African theme in documentaries. More..
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February 2010
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Police has issued safety advice for women in Bermuda following reports of sexual assaults.
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The sponsors said every one had a fabulous time. More..
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A 45-foot diving boat of Triangle Diving Center burns up during storm. More..
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Historical story of the slave ship Enterprize was re-enacted in Bermuda after 175 years. More..
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The green theme is to promote the reduction and recycling of waste in the island. More..
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Bermuda Longtails now have dream homes at Bermuda Maritime Museum (BMM). More..
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Cruise passengers for Bermuda to benefit from the waiver of cabin tax. More..
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An exclusive resort is planned in Hawkins Island of Bermuda with a capacity of just 20. More...
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Coral Reefs in Bermuda play an indispensable role and are valued over $722 Million. More..
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There are many reasons to choose Bermuda as the destination over the Caribbean islands. More..
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January 2010
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Visitors giving thumbs down to casino and gambling in Bermuda. More..
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WestJet, a low cost carrier will fly between Toronto and Bermuda from May 2010. More..
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Quiet unspoiled beaches in Bermuda are now under threat from commercialization. More..
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A market review shows that tourism in Bermuda is in the decline. More
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Bermuda received top awards in wreck diving, snorkeling and beginners diving. More..
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St George looks like on its way to recovery from the downturn, said the Mayor. More..
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The crime rate and gun offenses in Bermuda seems to be increasing since 2006. More..
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Bermuda's Premier announced that there will be heavy fine unless taxis use GPS system. More..
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The trend is disturbing as it keeps dropping. 2009 occupancy rate was 11% down. More..
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The restaurant at Port Royal Golf Club has a sweeping view of the course. More..
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First time Bermuda gets services from a woman Priest in its Anglican Church in Somerset. More..
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Carriage House Pub and Restaurant in St. George finally closes down. This is another victim of the economic downturn.
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