do follow-up research to measure local awareness on the importance of Bermuda's international business industry, committee chairman Norris Ebbin said yesterday.

The study will not only determine whether or not the local awareness committee is "on target'' but also measure Bermudian "commitment levels to international business and tourism,'' Mr. Ebbin, speaking at yesterday's Hamilton Lions Club weekly luncheon at Pier 6, said.

"When commitment levels were measured before the local awareness programme was launched, they were discouraging. Ten percent of Bermudians felt committed to the success of international business and nine percent felt committed to tourism's success.'' Mr. Ebbin said it is hoped the follow-up study will show "those levels will have risen significantly.'' The local awareness programme has its genesis in findings of a 1994 research study on local attitudes and perceptions on the international business industry. The study was conducted in 1994 by Canadian firm Market Facts with sub contractor Research Innovations Ltd. for BIBA.

The local awareness programme, dubbed "International business...it's about all of us'', was set up to raise awareness and support of the Island's international business industry.

Currently half the BIBA local marketing programme's $100,000 cost comes from Government. Matching funds are contributed by companies involved directly or indirectly in Bermuda's international business industry.

The programme's focus was also to help Bermudians realise "that it is they who will make this industry a success, whether they are directly employed in international business or whether they indirectly contribute some service or product without which the quality of the industry would diminish,'' Mr. Ebbin said.

The committee determined the message of the programme would be one of partnership between international business and tourism.

"We wanted the message to be inclusive and we wanted to make sure that no one felt we were saying that international business is paramount or that tourism takes a backseat to international business,'' Mr. Ebbin said.

"Therefore, the programme's advertisements, presentations and printed material feature not only Bermudian lawyers, bankers, brokers and underwriters, that is those individuals who work directly in the international business industry, but also taxi drivers, construction workers, restaurateurs and others vital to the success of both tourism and international business industries.

"Not that long ago, the contribution that each industry made to foreign exchange earnings was compared on a regular basis, as if there was an undeclared contest between international business and tourism. One would hear rumblings about the `demise' of tourism and the ascendancy of international business and so on,'' Mr. Ebbin said.

"The simple fact is that international business needs a healthy tourism industry. The tourism industry provides the infrastructure for international business.'' Since January, the BIBA local awareness committee has made presentations to BIU shop stewards, department heads at two hotels, to Chamber of Commerce members, as well as the department of education and secondary school students.

The committee also has a presence at Saturday's "We Are Tourism'' event at Bermuda College.

Mr. Ebbin, a chartered accountant, is a Bermuda Telephone Company Ltd.

assistant vice president. Previously, he was an audit manager with KPMG Peat Marwick and worked for the accounting firm in Bermuda and Canada.