THE Department of Tourism has been urged to take a look at a privately-sponsored initiative rewarding a repeat visitor.

Dr. Harold Pestana donated more than 30 paintings by local artists - bought on numerous trips to the island - to the Bermudian public via Masterworks Foundation. A group effort will bring him to the island next week to thank him for the gift and open his exhibition.

"Sonesta Beach Hotel was so impressed with the nature of his gift that they're giving him and his daughter a free stay there. Delta Airlines is flying them in at a reduced rate. Colonial Insurance has given us free hanging space and is hosting a reception. I think as a taxpayer, much of which goes to the funding of the Tourism Department, the Department of Tourism could benefit by offering incentives like this to a classic Bermudaphile," Masterworks founder Tom Butterfield said yesterday.

"My impression is that he bought a little bit of Bermuda to take back as a souvenir, to remember his Bermuda. It's a classic tale of someone supporting local arts by making an acquisition and then generously giving it back. It came out of the blue and couldn't have given a kinder gift."

Dr. Pestana, a former geology professor at Colby College in Maine, first visited Bermuda in 1973.

"I ran a number of field trips and research trips at the Bermuda Biological Station for Research and over the years, have gone down with various student groups," Dr. Pestana said.

"I picked up a couple pieces every time and found other Bermuda paintings at antique stores in the United States and found more on the auction site e-bay. I had so many my house was filled with them as well as other pieces of art."

When he retired, Dr. Pestana said, he thought he might never visit Bermuda again and decided to give his collection back to the island.

"Neither my son nor my daughter were interested in keeping them," he explained. "And over the years, I'd seen articles in the newspaper about the Masterworks Foundation and thought they would be interested."

Masterworks' Elise Outerbridge added: "Sometimes the private sector has to step in to take up where Tourism isn't prepared or isn't able to.

"We approached Tourism and told them about Dr. Pestana and how he was a repeat tourist to the island. He's the kind of visitor we want to attract. He's obviously someone who's invested a great deal of time, energy and money in Bermuda.

"If more of this happened, imagine the ways it would improve relations with different countries. Dr. Pestana would go back to Maine and tell everyone how great Bermuda was. It's a step-by-step process that we have to go through to regain our place in the tourism industry but there has to be a joint effort between Government, Tourism and private individuals."

What is being done is simply the best way of thanking him, Mr. Butterfield said.

"The number one issue for me is the generosity of the gift," he said. "Dr. Pestana knew in the fall of last year that he was retiring and made the decision to give back to Bermuda via the 'facility' of Masterworks, his Bermuda collection, some of which were acquired in Bermuda and some found in the United States.

"(Bringing him here is) a way of saying thank you. It's no different than if someone had won an award and then received something to show for it. It would have been an affirmation, an indication of our appreciation of that loyalty for someone to say, 'Here's two round trip tickets for free. You've supported Bermudians and Bermudian art and now we want to thank you'."

Dr. Pestana's collection is now hanging in the Colonial Insurance Building on Reid Street in Hamilton.