Bermuda scored a double triumph last week by hosting two important receptions in San Diego that could bode well for the Island's two principal industries.

First an annual reception held in connection with the RIMS Conference, attracted more than 750 people to a stunning evening in the Grand Ballroom of the storied Hotel Del Coronado.

Bermudians basked in the light of the setting sun, which poured through the ocean front room, as the Ministers of Tourism and Finance, and Bermuda's international business community graciously hosted an eager gathering.

The event is always unusual in that Bermuda organisers always seem to go out of their way to transport attendees away from the RIMS Convention centre and away from designated RIMS hotels. In this case, as had been done in the past, special buses were laid on to ferry people to Coronado.

Smith & Scott law partner Michael Smith remarked, "The Bermuda reception each year at RIMS seems to stand out from the crowd. Our organisers have done it again by finding the classiest location of any of the RIMS receptions for the week.

"There is no comparison. And it is no wonder that many people in the know at RIMS visit with Bermuda during this special night.

"And just like the conference itself, it gives Bermuda an opportunity to network with clients and potential clients outside our jurisdiction, while presenting a united front of Government and business.'' Receptions boost Island But if the Wednesday Bermuda reception was spectacular in its setting, a more low key event held on Thursday evening at the Hyatt Regency held equal importance.

The Department of Tourism hosted top San Diego travel agents and their VIP clients who were interested in using Bermuda for a convention or other group meetings.

It is the third year that Tourism Minister David Dodwell has sought to use the RIMS conference as a staging area for tourism promotion, and the second consecutive year he has brought a full contingent of tourism officials. He thinks the special marketing effort is working. Last week, the tourism reception came just days after he joined Premier Pamela Gordon on a courtesy call on city Mayor Susan Golding, where the Premier was presented with a key to the city.

Mr. Dodwell was described by his Tourism director Gary Phillips as the architect of modern tourism. Mr. Phillips said of Bermuda's tourism effort: "We need to respond far more vigorously and far more earnestly to the different trends in tourism that are taking place.'' Mr. Dodwell pointed out efforts of the Department of Tourism's overseas officers and said he felt Bermudians failed to fully appreciate the hard work put in by their tourism representatives, who are perpetually on the road.

The tourism reception was held with a backdrop of displayed Bermuda art, a collection of Bermuda books available as gifts to the attendees, Bermuda foodstuffs for consumption and Gene Steede's Bermuda music for enjoyment. It was with that foundation that the Minister extended an invitation to Californians to visit Bermuda.

He said, "Bermuda, in essence, almost invented resort island tourism some 50 years ago. We've been in tourism over 100 years, when people used to come on steamships with their trunks for the winter.

"But really modern day tourism as we know it existed in Bermuda for the past 50 years. And with all of the new tourism destinations out there today, it is difficult for one place to maintain its attractiveness. Bermuda is going through that process right now of trying to maintain traditions, while trying to appeal to the modern day vacationer. It's not easy.

"We think that we have an exciting product in the Island of Bermuda. Over the next two or three years, there'll be three or four new hotels built in Bermuda and a new Jack Nicklaus-designed course, and upgrades in existing hotels.''