Tourism officials are hoping to build on the success of a Cup Match vacation promotion.

Minister David Allen confirmed that just under 200 special packages were sold for the holiday weekend, a little lower than was expected.

But he is aiming to build on the publicity generated by the association with New York radio station WRKS Kiss FM and its renowned host Isaac Hayes, to boost the number of African-American visitors to the Island.

Ten free holidays were given away as part of the campaign, which also involved advertising in newspapers and magazines in the New York and Washington DC areas.

Mr. Allen said: "There was no question we were quite happy about it. It was a very good response and something we are looking to build on.

"A post mortem will be done in the coming weeks, which will assess what the conversion was. It was really designed to promote Bermuda as a whole.'' The campaign promoted the celebration of Emancipation from slavery in Bermuda.

Centering on Cup Match, there were also extra events staged to attract visitors.

There were link-ups with Kiss FM involving local station Power 95, and live broadcasts from the Island.

"Isaac Hayes gave us several months of promotion,'' added Mr. Allen. "We got a lot of feedback from people who have never thought about coming here before, who are definitely planning to come back.'' Hotel packages were offered in conjunction with many Island hotels, including both Canadian Pacific sites, with the aim being to lure visitors back for longer holidays.

Research has shown that African-Americans are inclined to spend more on vacations, and are more keen to visit and participate in cultural attractions and events.

New market: David Allen