This week the news was focused on the Budget for 2024- 2025.

 "Quality destinations do not just happen, most of all, they are not successful without planning undertaken through a continuous and consistent process involving the three key stakeholders (the local authority, the business community, and the local community)."

Though I am glad I did not follow the tedious speech on television, I did get a good summary of the key points from the printed media. This was a budget that showed no sign of energy, initiative and life. A budget today needs to try and boost investment, encourage careers, innovation and progress - both socially, culturally, economically and infrastructurally. This budget had nothing of this; it was simply the result of a tired, shoddy administration.

There was no investment for innovation, education or tourism. This budget has created the first step towards taking the life out of these islands, destroying the incentive for new experiences and a quality destination. I am reminded, when I think of this budget, about that saying we sometimes use when we feel the end is near: "Will the last person please turn out the lights and close the door". This budget has had that effect.

These islands have no life left, only an existence and as for the lights - after a miserable summer of frequent power cuts, I will be commenting about the darkened and dangerous roads and streets at night with only a glimmer of street lights.

If the key stakeholders are interested in really developing a quality destination for visitors, then this needs investment in a number of resources: social, economic, cultural, infrastructural, and human resources. Quality destinations do not just happen, most of all, they are not successful without planning undertaken through a continuous and consistent process involving the three key stakeholders (the local authority, the business community, and the local community).

Two clear examples of this total lack of planning are the development of the DB complex in Pembroke and, worse still, the three towers on the site of the wonderful gardens and Villa Rosa in Baystreet. The budget mentioned nothing about investments for sustainable growth and the quality of life for visitors and the local community. It reminded me of those budgets from forty years ago where the highlight was the reduction in a tin of tuna fish! Certainly, there is no sign of sustainable planning, innovation, and pumping life into these islands.

But even here I will attempt to list six proposals how a new government can change this sad situation around:

1. The integrated approach and the continuous and consistent consultation with the key stakeholders must be practiced at local, regional and even national levels to listen to the issues that are really of common interest and the ideas for growth and investment.

2. The traffic and transport issues must be solved to make the roads safe and secure and lighting needs to be bright instead of the dark glimmers of some third-rate country.

3. There needs to be a programme for investment and initiatives to improve the quality of life for the local community and the visitors; this must give incentives to the potential investor and not lead to stakeholder fatigue.

4. What is stopping businesses in the hotel and catering industry from being innovative and serving clients after 10pm? This is turning most localities into ghost towns instead of vibrant centres.

5. We need to look for professionals not simply employees who are after jobs instead of careers

6. Finally, this must have been one of dullest and worst budgets to support tourism investment and a better quality of life. This only served to increase the sense of existence over the sense of living and to destroy any hope of giving new incentive for quality and innovative investment.

By following these six stages, we can ensure that these islands are managed professionally, sustainably and with the idea of developing a quality activity that attracts the visitor who wants to be here not the one who wants to be here. Travel and Tourism to these islands today is about quantitative gains for the greedy and uncouth. We need to put professionalism and hospitality back in the equation.