Government MP Dale Butler has called for the former Club Med hotel to be converted into an information technology centre as part of a raft of measures to revive tourism.

He said it would serve Bermuda as well as the Caribbean.

He said: "It would bring in foreign exchange with its automatic housing and with a dynamic curriculum graduating students in an area where there is a worldwide shortage. It would be a big plus for the Island.'' Mr. Butler told Hamilton Rotarians that the importance of tourism needed to be emphasised in schools to encourage youngsters to go back into the industry.

He said: "We currently have a tremendous shortage of skilled workers in the hospitality industry.

"For the first time in Bermuda's history we have seen adverts for bartenders and we will shortly see adverts asking for housekeepers. "There is simply a shortage of Bermudians who want to do that work. The hours and the pay are no longer attractive.

"In our business it has been hard to find a steady kitchen porter and Bermudian waiters are almost impossible to find because of the booming economy where they can make more money.

"And the fact that our industry has a six-day week is also a deterrent to Bermudians.'' Mr. Butler said that despite the closure of The Marriot, Lantana, Bermudiana Beach Club, Belmont and Club Med hotels there were not long lines of jobless Bermudian chefs, waiters, bartenders, housekeepers or cashiers.

"Could it be that Bermudians are employed and, in some cases, in more than one job,'' he asked.

"Yet we hear a hue and cry for Bermudian service. My response has been if you want Bermudian service you must join the industry.

"We have a Bermuda College with a first-class programme at a very moderate price but it is not full to capacity.

"If we are to fill all the jobs with Bermudians the College should be full because there are so many opportunities available in all fields for Bermudians.'' Mr. Butler said Jamaica had a better in-school tourist programme than Bermuda because it had a professional in-school co-ordinator.

He said: "I make regular presentations in schools and the Visitor Industry Partnership has operated the School Outreach programme since 1999.

"But the School Outreach Programme consists of volunteers and unfortunately efforts to re-introduce a link between schools and hotels have not been as successful as anticipated with few buds making it to become plants.'' Mr. Butler said an in-school industry co-ordinator would help establish clear industry and school training goals, deliver and co-ordinate tourism training in schools and develop teacher training courses to improve the quality of instruction in this area.

EDUCATION ED TOURISM TOU