Jan Hutton, the new chief executive of the Bermuda Tourism Authority (Photograph by Sarah Lagan)
Understanding the changing nature of how tourists choose where to travel using tools such as artificial intelligence will be critical to success in the industry, the Bermuda Tourism Authority’s incoming head has insisted.
Jan Hutton, who arrived on the island from her native Australia a week ago and assumes the role of chief executive on July 1, said tourists were increasingly turning to AI to craft personalised itineraries — a trend that is driving competition in new ways.
Ms Hutton joined members of the board, including William Griffith, the BTA chairman, and Erin Wright, the acting chief executive, for a round-table discussion on the industry and her role within it.
A global tourism leader with more than 20 years’ experience including in “AI innovation”, Ms Hutton said: “We are living in a world that is changing fast. The very reason people travel is shifting, let alone their expectations.
“The most important thing in those changing behaviours is how they search and discover a destination.
“The reason AI data is so critical is that it makes sure we are visible in very simple terms. We are not innovating ahead of the consumer — they are leading this. They are searching and discovering destinations and services differently.
“We lived in a world that was led by Google for 20 years. It still has a role but AI offers fast and personalised itinerary planning, and those tools are fast replacing how destinations are searched and discovered. We want to make sure that Bermuda is right at the forefront.
“There are lots of opportunities for AI, automation, improved performance and how we market, but ultimately the most important thing is making sure we are visible.”
Ms Hutton, who worked in various roles in the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific, said Bermuda can benefit from its safety and stability in the face of unpredictable global geopolitical stakes.
She explained: “Tourism is operating in uncertain times around the world, I don’t sugar-coat that.
“Tourism needs resilience, it needs hard-hitting strategies in order to maintain its social licence and continue to play the important role that it does.
“Knowing that there is uncertainty in the geopolitical context of tourism globally only positions us more strongly. We are a place that is safe, stable and close to home, and it is important that we capitalise on those benefits.
“We must make sure that we are using data smartly to build out a strategy to ensure there is resilience in our source markets, our key audience segments and our brand messaging, aligned to what audiences are looking for.”
Ms Hutton has been recognised with numerous industry accolades including being named Most Influential CEO in Tourism Strategy in 2023. She said her skills and experience are relevant to the changing global landscape.
“It is about paying attention, understanding that tourism is a vulnerable sector and building strategies to make sure that you can optimise and make it resilient,” she explained.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a virus, conflict, the price of oil or rate of exchange. There are a lot of factors around tourism that have a massive influence on its success.
“I believe that part of what I have done in the past, and what I hope to bring, is an understanding of what those headwinds are and have strategies around how we manage those risks proactively and responsibly.”
Ms Hutton replaces Tracy Berkeley, who had served in the substantive role since March 2023.
Her appointment follows a lengthy process that started in August 2025, during which about 80 local and overseas candidates applied for the post.
Mr Griffith said Ms Hutton stood out for her “outstanding leadership, strategic expertise and proven track record of deliverable, measurable results”.
He added: “She has successfully led initiatives across destination marketing organisations, harnessing the power of data, technology, innovation and strong stakeholder partnerships to drive sustainable growth.”
Culture review
Jan Hutton spoke to The Royal Gazette about the challenges the Bermuda Tourism Authority encountered previously, as highlighted in a 2025 culture review.
In that review, the authority received a “disappointing failing grade” amid statements made by employees about the organisation. Phrases used included “mistrust”, “domineering” and “siloed”, among more positive statements.
Asked if she had been concerned about the review’s findings, Ms Hutton said: “I think it speaks volumes that you have a board that invested that level of time and energy to make sure that the culture was transparently reviewed.
“It took dedicated steps to rebuild a culture with a truly enabling environment for the type of performance that was expected.
“My concerns would have been if I had read about the culture and there weren’t steps being taken. Culture is incredibly important to me and a big part of my leadership style, and I think that the board were looking for that from the beginning.
“I do think that Erin [Wright, acting chief executive] has done a superb job of rebuilding with a lot of openness and clear intent.”
William Griffith, the BTA chairman, added: “After the review, we did a comprehensive HR audit where every single person was interviewed within the organisations and exit interviews were held with all who had left in the last two or three years.
“We think that was fairly therapeutic in terms of putting some closure to the issues that existed at the time.
“In the last 15 months or so, we have been in the rebuilding stage of the organisation. I am happy that we are heading in the right direction.
“We are very happy where we are at the moment. There is a lot of work to be done as well, but there is a lot of positivity coming out of the existing team at the moment.
“Jan’s role is to continue to build that momentum not only from an internal cultural standpoint but also to focus all of us in driving business to the island.”
Public access to information records released to the Gazette in February 2025 confirmed that 30 people left the organisation in a little more than 2½ years.
The departures included 23 staff members who resigned or left through mutual separation between June 1, 2022, and January 8, 2025.
There has also been high turnover at the top of the quango.
Tracy Berkeley, the former chief executive, resigned after the release of the culture review, with Ms Wright stepping in as acting chief executive.
The move made Ms Wright the sixth person with responsibility for the top job since the BTA was established in 2014.
Ms Hutton said her priority at this stage was to listen and learn about the BTA and Bermuda’s tourism environment before making any public statements on specifics such as new target markets.
She said she had some “early-formed” ideas but was still engaged in what she referred to as a “listening tour”.
“The timing of arriving here is truly a gift,” she said. “We are in the last stretch of the current National Tourism Plan and that allows us an opportunity to reframe how we prioritise our source markets.
“It’s fair to say there is opportunity to diversify and we will certainly be building resilience into our portfolio.”
According to the BTA, the 2019-26 National Tourism Plan aims to build a “sustainable, resilient and community-integrated tourism industry”.
Speaking on her first impressions of the island, Ms Hutton said while Bermuda’s natural environment was “beautiful and exquisite”, it was the people and the culture that had truly captured her attention.
She said: “If there is a way that we could bottle that culture and if we could find the right language to articulate that, it is something that visitors are hungry for — that gritty authentic engagement and sincere connection to place.”
Jan Hutton, the incoming chief executive of the Bermuda Tourism Authority, with its chairman, William Griffith (Photograph by Sarah Lagan)
