Schoolchildren have been taught to give up their seats to tourists and seniors if they see them standing up on a bus.Education Minister Dame Jennifer Smith shared her views on bus etiquette to infants at Elliott Primary School in Devonshire yesterday.The interactive class, organised as part of Hospitality Week, saw youngsters getting to grips with basic manners to create a more welcoming environment for tourists.About 30 children were taught to “treat tourists as guests” while sticking to the ‘golden rule' of ‘do unto others as you'd have them do unto you.'The youngsters aged just six and seven were told to “interact with everyone with a smile” as they were ambassadors for the Island.Dame Jennifer asked the children: “When you are on the bus and see a tourist or someone older than you standing, what should you do?”The youngsters tried their hardest guessing: “Say Good Morning to them,” “Ask them how they are feeling,” and “Ask them where they are going.”Dame Jennifer went on: “If you see a tourist or senior standing, you need to give them your seat.“This is good manners. You need to say: ‘Excuse me, would you like a seat?'“If you say that you are really going to make people happy.”Dame Jennifer was invited along to yesterday's lesson at Elliott Primary School, as well as Tourism Minister Patrice Minors.A series of lessons at 19 public and private schools have been organised this week by Bermuda's Hospitality Institute. They hope to promote the “art of being hospitable a life skill every individual should master.”Through a series of role-plays Elliott youngsters were taught “what is proper and what is improper” when it comes to talking to others.They learned to always greet people with a ‘good morning' quickly followed by a ‘how are you?' While doing this the children were told to always stand straight and tall, and make eye contact.Several youngsters were even given the daunting task of introducing themselves and a friend to the two Ministers in the correct way with all of them remembering to say: “It was a pleasure to meet you.”“Why are manners important?” was a question met with a whole host of answers as children said: “they get you things,” “you make more friends,” and “tourists spend more money in Bermuda.”The children reiterated the difference between right and wrong as they said: “You shouldn't talk at the same time,” “You shouldn't be rude,” “ and “You shouldn't have bad attitudes.”They also quickly grasped why tourists were important to Bermuda's economy; saying: “They bring money,” “We want hotel rooms to be full” and “If they are happy they will tell their friends.”Ms Minors taught the children how to be ambassadors for Bermuda, explaining that an ambassador was “someone who represents a country by saying positive and great things about that place.”She said: “When you see a tourist, tell them about all the great things you can do in Bermuda. It doesn't matter how small you are, you are all ambassadors for Bermuda.”Another guest speaker was Debora Rhoda, conference services manager at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel, who said she hoped the children “followed things through and remembered it all.”She told the children: “Whenever someone comes into the hotel, you have to make an impact.“Many visitors are only here for one or two days so we have to make a good impression. We have to show them we are pleasurable and have good manners.“It makes all the difference, people do notice.”Children eagerly raced to put their hands up to answer questions as Ms Rhoda put their Bermuda knowledge to the test. The children were asked what restaurant would they take their parents to dinner and what beach would they recommend going to for the day. They were also asked how people could get to Dockyard without a car and what there was to do in Dockyard.The children also recited the poem Manners Make The Man, which stresses the importance of manners to ‘make this world a better place.'Darnell Hollis, head of infants at Elliott Primary School, said special ‘hospitality' classes were being held all week at the school.She said: “The children are really, really enjoying it. So much so that we are seeing them correct one another when they are saying and doing things. The importance of good manners is really sinking in.”Karla Lacey, CEO of the Bermuda Hospitality Institute, said she also hoped the weeklong series of events would develop a future Bermudian workforce in the tourism industry.To put your own manners to the test, take a fun quiz at the Bermuda Hospitality Institute website on www.bhi.bm.