is to be held overseas, a seminar for industry professionals has heard.

Top American journalists flew to the Island for the seminar, held on Friday, to encourage the industry to get the best from public relations.

New York-based public relations guru Lou Hammond, who handles the Island's marketing in the United States, organised the seminar in the Fairmont Hamilton Princess.

She told The Royal Gazette : "The media is essential in selling the Island.

Seeing is believing and editorial endorsement is the biggest opportunity to build business.'' "Hopefully it has given the industry here a new understanding of tourism for the North American vacationer so they can meet their needs and give them what they want.

"It gives them direction in how to reach to the media more effectively and a chance to hear from the horse's mouth.'' The audience was able to quiz Cynthia Edmunds, the associate editor of America's biggest selling wedding magazine, Bride's Magazine , Laura Dennis, editorial co-ordinator of the travel agents' magazine Travel Weekly , and Mark Orwoll, managing editor of the up-market Travel and Leisure .

Ms Edmunds said: "People want pampering but they also want something incredible and Bermuda is so poised for this.

"You've got all this amazing stuff, but you just need to turn up the volume.'' Ms Hammond urged everyone in the tourism industry to ensure her company is kept abreast of any promotions or initiatives, so she can feed them to media in the vital U.S. market.

A key message was for hotels to keep an up-to-date website.

Department of Tourism public relations manager Charles Webbe said afterwards: "It went well. "Hopefully Bermudians will be a little bit more educated about what's being done out there.'' TOURISM TOU