BERMUDA needs to show it is working to make the island safer if the island wants to encourage thousands of cruise passengers to venture off their ships in the evenings to spend money.

That is the view of Shadow Tourism Minister Kim Swan, who said the perception of the island as an unsafe place after dark, as portrayed by the US State Department's web site, had to be tackled.

His comments come in the wake of the release of a report by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), which records growth in the region's tourist industry last year and a positive outlook.

The report documents visitor numbers for various portions of 2004 from 30 islands, countries and resorts in the Caribbean and also includes Bermuda. All but one of the 30 showed an increase in visitor numbers, while most had an increase in the cruise ship sector as well.

"The Minister has said he wants to see visitor spending increase. On any given week day in spring or summer, we have about 5,000 tourists in cruise ships moored here. If you have two ships in St. George's, two in Hamilton and one at Dockyard, 5,000 is a conservative estimate.

"But most of these people are staying on their ships at night and they're being dissuaded to go on shore, for safety reasons. They are not participating in our economy and we need to encourage them to get off the ships at night."

The travel advisory information on the US State Department web site states that Bermuda has a "moderate but growing crime rate".

It goes on to advise: "Travellers should exercise caution when walking after dark or visiting out-of-the-way places on the island, as they can be vulnerable to theft and sexual assault, and because narrow and dark roadways can contribute to accidents.

"Travellers should also note an increase in gang presence in Bermuda and should take regular precautions to avoid confrontation. The back streets of Hamilton are often the setting for night-time assaults, particularly after the bars close."

Bermuda Police Service this week revealed 2004 year-end crime figures, which showed a 13 per cent increase in violent crime but a drop in overall crimes reported.

Home Affairs & Public Safety Minister Randy Horton this week said the figures were "of extreme concern" and announced that Cabinet had approved funding for another 11 officers to join the Police Support Unit.

Senator Swan said: "It is clear we need to have a greater police presence, not only for the safety of the community but also for our tourism industry. The issue in St. George's is that we need our police station there.

"It's the Government's job to determine what is necessary to make Bermuda safer in real terms and to be perceived as safer."

Tourism Minister Dr. Ewart Brown has set a target of increasing visitor spending by seven per cent over the next three years in his plan for tourism unveiled last month.

Senator Swan said the best way to achieve that would be to persuade the cruisers to spend their evenings on shore and that part of the solution was to provide the necessary entertainment to lure them off the ship.

But he said the cruise ships had a major advantage over local club and restaurant owners.

"The cruise ships are competing with local businesses to provide entertainment and it's not a level playing field," Senator Swan said.

"For example, local businesses need a work permit to bring in an entertainer from overseas, the cruise ships do not.

"The Government has to recognise that if they want to increase visitor spending, there is money going begging whenever the cruise ships are in port."

The CTO report pointed out that a major contributory factor in the increase in the region's tourism industry was the weakness of the US dollar. That has made Bermuda and Caribbean vacations less expensive from those travelling from outside the dollar area. Also, it has become more expensive for Americans to travel to Europe, so the Caribbean has become an attractive alternative.

The report also pointed out that the Caribbean has a reputation as being a relatively safe destination, a major asset these days.