BERMUDA hoteliers have been busy trying to ensure that an imminent tightening of US immigration rules will not cost them American clients ? as concern rises that the change will cost the region's tourism industry dear.

Frank Stocek, president of the Bermuda Hotel Association (BHA), said he believed the requirement for everyone flying from the island to the US to have a passport would have less effect on Bermuda than on many rival destinations.

Americans make up the majority of visitors to Bermuda, but an estimated three out of four US citizens do not have a passport.

Any American who wants to fly to Bermuda from January 7 next year will need to have a passport in order to regain entry to the States. The deadline for cruise ship passengers to comply is June 1, 2009.

A study carried out by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) deduced this week that the new passport rule would cost the Caribbean region $2.6 billion in lost tourism trade and 188,000 jobs.

Regional media have reported that some heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) intend to go to Washington to lobby US leaders not to go ahead with the change.

The Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Vincent Venderpool Wallace, likened the potential impact from the move to a category six hurricane hitting the region.

Mr. Stocek, who is the general manager of the Elbow Beach Hotel, thought Bermuda would be relatively unscathed.

He said members of the BHA had been aware of the possible repercussions of the change and had been trying to raise awareness of it.

"There is some concern that some people might think it's too much of a hassle to get a passport," Mr. Stocek said.

"But on the whole the kind of consumers we get here tend to be well travelled, people who have travelled all over the world. I think a large majority of Americans who come to Bermuda already have passports.

"On behalf of the BHA and all tourism stakeholders, we have been in the process of publicising the deadline for over six months.

"Every booking confirmation we send out has that message attached to it."

And Mr. Stocek said he believed some Caribbean destinations stood to lose more than Bermuda from the passport regulation change.

Indeed, the Jamaican Tourist Board is offering US visitors a voucher equal to the cost of obtaining a passport ($97 for an adult and $85 for a child). And Jamaica is also launching a publicity campaign at three of the busiest railway stations in the US.

The WTTC study estimated that 80 per cent of US visitors to Jamaica did not have a passport, as well as 30 per cent going to the Bahamas and 50 per cent travelling to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

"For Bermuda I don't think the impact will be anything like as great as it will be for some of our competitors, like Jamaica," Mr. Stocek said. "I don't think it's the great concern for us that it is for Caribbean countries."

The BHA president believed there were signs of a strong recovery in the island's tourism business and he hoped that would continue despite the resignation of former Tourism Minister Ewart Brown last week.

"We will miss Dr. Brown," Mr. Stocek said. "During his tenure he created an amazing amount of positive change and he's done a lot of good for the tourism industry.

"Tourism in Bermuda is on the rebound and I'm sure that will continue with Dr. Brown's replacement (Senator David Burch), as long as the Ministry of Tourism keeps promoting Bermuda as it has been."

He added that hoteliers were due to meet Sen. Burch yesterday.

Bermuda residents of all nationalities will also need to have a passport to travel to the US from January 8, 2007. And all those who need a visa for the US must now apply for it electronically, via the internet. More information is available by logging onto the US Consulate's web site at http://hamilton.usconsulate.gov.