Hotels, retail stores and others who derive significant direct revenue from tourism have been told that they can play a larger role in attracting more of the lucrative group business to the Island.

They have been asked to advise the department without delay, when significant improvements or additions are made to their businesses, so that Tourism's publicity firm, Porter Novelli, could use it in explaining what is new about the Island.

Group business consists of corporate meetings, travel by professional associations and, corporate incentive programmes which are reward trips from businesses to their employees.

Tourism launched a specific campaign in 1996 to target group business. That spring, of the 76,867 visitors to Bermuda, 10,761 (14 percent) were group travellers.

This spring, 72,538 visitors came to Bermuda and 14,508 (20 percent) were group travellers.

Those attending a Department of Tourism briefing on group business this week were exhorted to provide material for news articles, and were even given disposable cameras and told to photograph attractions and key service providers.

That could be anything from a new hotel, a refurbished wing, a new glass bottom boat, new personnel for client liaison, or any new facility or amenity that could be used as a selling tool by the planner.

The photos may then be used by Porter Novelli, as illustrations in articles about Bermuda that get placed in industry publications. Tourism's assistant director, marketing, Pat Phillip-Bassett, said, "For this year, this is a doubling of our efforts in terms of money for this programme as of last year.

"We see this as a cooperative partnership with our hotel partners. There are a number of hotels that have actually contributed funds to make this programme happen, working with us to generate more group business.

"The entire programme is funded at $800,000, the most on one single programme that we've invested for group business. It is in addition to a programme we run for the November to March, The Right Place, The Right Time.'' The Tourism Department's role is to create positive awareness about Bermuda as a destination and generate leads for hotels to follow up.

More literature has been prepared and group travel planners are invited to join a Bermuda Explorers Club.

Journalists representing publications aimed at the group market have been briefed about what's available here and know when new developments or new attractions like the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute or new night spots come on line.

Tourism's Internet home page, on line since July of last year, has also been updated with specific information on group travel business. The home page already this July accumulated 50,000 visits and over a million "hits''.

Since July 21 to this week, there were 872 visits to the group travel section of Tourism's website.

TOURISM TOU