They have hailed the "warm weather guaranteed'' programme a huge success.

And they link it to a wave of good publicity in America and Canada about the scheme.

The November-March programme was launched two years ago by the Tourism Department, Chamber of Commerce and certain hotels.

Under it, some hotels and stores offer 20 percent discounts to visitors when the temperature fails to hit 68.

The aim? To kill the impression Bermuda is cold in the winter.

The Tourism Department's assistant director of marketing Mr. Peter Smith said the idea was working.

And it had played a big part in the recent surge of visitors to the Island.

Latest figures show 55,124 people flew here between January 1 and March 27 -- 21.3 percent up on the same period in 1993.

"It's such a simple and easy-to-understand device to direct people's attention to our weather,'' he said.

He added: "The programme is proving particularly effective in Canada.'' Mr. Smith said hotels and stores in the programme offered fewer discounts this year than last.

This year there were just 11 days when the temperature failed to hit 68.

The breakdown was: January and February, four days each; and March, three days.

"Last year there were about 20 days when discounts were offered,'' Mr. Smith pointed out.

He said overseas journalists had plugged the programme in a big way.

Many major papers and magazines in America and Canada had carried articles on it, he added.

These included The New York Times, The New York Post, Boston Sunday Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Travel Weekly, Ebony, and Toronto Star.

This was just the type of favourable publicity Bermuda needed and aimed for, said Mr. Smith.

Bermuda's Tourism Department has compiled a booklet on sample Press clippings, October 1993-March 1994.

Mr. Smith gave one illustrated New York Post article as an example.

It opened: "Whoever started the rumour that Bermuda is only a summer place did a great disservice to winter vacationers. It seems that doubts have been raised about the weather being warm enough for all of those wonderful Bermudian pursuits: sunning, sailing, snorkelling, golf, tennis, fishing and dining under the whispering palms.

"The truth is, Bermuda has springtime weather all winter long -- and then comes summer.'' Said Mr. Smith: "Four years ago you wouldn't have read an article like this.

"This just goes to show what an effective tool of communication the weather guarantee programme is.'' Mr. Smith said 68 degrees was within the "comfort range'' of North Americans.

"We've had previous attempts at dispelling the notion about our winter weather, but they haven't proved successful.''