Dear Sir, We purchased your paper in Hamilton, but did not get to read it until both my wife and I returned to the US aboard the Horizon . Came upon "Letters to the Editor'' column, thus, our letter.

Eleven years ago, we visited your Island, and experienced the hospitality of the Bermudian people. This must be a tradition, as here we are back again, and the same hospitality still exists.

On the morning of August 29, we left the ship to being our sightseeing and shopping, unaware of where to start. We entered the dock building and encountered a lady in uniform. As she is employed by Island Wide Security, we gathered she was there for security reasons, and to possibly assist passengers. And assist she did. We asked many questions, and she answered every one of them with patience and courtesy. The impression Ms Lu-anne Brown made caused us to write this letter. A very fine lady. Let's not forget the two policemen we spoke to, and the two postal women who helped in the purchase of collectible stamps at the post office, and to the many store personnel, and on and on.

Thank you Bermudians MR. & MRS. FRANK M. FORTE New York You've lost your way September 1, 2000 Dear Sir, As a recent visitor to your beautiful and friendly country may I respectfully suggest that, from a tourism standpoint, Bermuda appears to have lost its way.

Your August 28 article "June arrivals fall but occupancies rise'' cited what can only be described as significant declines in almost every tourism sector, a trend that, by all accounts, has been evident for some years and shows little sign of reversal.

As a marketer, it would appear to me that what the country needs to do is go to what made it famous in the first place; catering to the millions around the world who have the wealth and resource to enjoy what Bermuda offers. Instead, what it appears to be doing is competing for the same tourist as hundreds of other destinations around the world -- a battle it is bound to lose.

Bermuda knows and understands wealth. Its entire lifestyle and economic infrastructure are far more attractive to those with the funds to indulge themselves than to the average family who may have saved for years to buy a magic cruise or a holiday in the sun. What it should be selling is the old-world service, the ambience, the luxury, the hard-to-find retail specialty goods and the haute cuisine that the wealthy appreciate, respect and will pay for; not the tacky T-shirts or china mugs "from Bermuda'' that can be brought in a million stores around the world.

Yes, this will require a significant upward shift in customer services which, again respectfully, is just not up to international standards in some key sectors. Yes, it will mean substantial changes in retail mix and purchasing polices. Yes, it will demand that the best chefs from around the world encouraged to live and work in Bermuda, among many other things. Change is hard and painful, but the alternative, if the current trend continues, will be far more painful.

Bermuda is the brand name for class, grace, beauty, friendship and paradise on earth. These are its core competencies that no other country in the world can match. I appreciate how easy it is to be an "expert'' from the outside; and there is no "quick fix'. But, in pure marketing terms, does Bermuda really have a choice? PETER BARROW Guelph, Ontario