hospitality, according to Minister of Tourism the Hon. C.V. Jim Woolridge.

The Minister believes that giving the impression that each visitor is the most important person on the Island will help the continuing improvement in tourism figures.

And Mr. Woolridge stressed that the improving tourism scene must continue if the Island is to offset lost revenue from the future closure of military bases in Bermuda.

Signs the Island continued to climb out of the recession in October were marked by healthy increases in visitor arrival figures.

Air arrivals rose by nearly 10 percent while there was an increase of more than a third in cruise ship passengers.

Passengers entering through the Civil Air Terminal increased from 37,688, last year, to 41,199 in October. This means a ten percent increase in air arrivals for the full year, adding up to 364,666 passengers to the end of October.

October saw increases in visitors from most areas but the most marked figure was an 18.7 percent rise in North East Americans, signalling an improvement in the region's economic fortunes.

Total US arrivals were up by 13.8 percent, with British up by 17 percent and other Europeans up by nearly half. Only Canadian visitors decreased, by 29.2 percent.

There was no increase in the average length of stay at hotels, cottages and guest houses, despite a rise in bed-nights.

But Mr. Woolridge said he was delighted with the improved picture and praised recent marketing of the Island in the US.

The Minister said: "I think Bermuda is now beginning to become a premier destination for travellers.

"In the last quarter 77 percent of people interviewed at the Airport said that Bermuda was value for money. That is a good and significant improvement.

"To build on that everyone on the Island must play a major part in boosting the way people see us.

"We are going to have to do better when one considers the massive effects that closing the bases will have. Revenue is going to be lost and we need to supplement it.

"We must make visitors feel as though they are the only person on the Island in terms of the way they are welcomed and treated.''