ideas were bandied about yesterday by one of the largest-ever gatherings of St. George's business men and women.

The Chamber of Commerce tourist season "kick off'' meeting also elicited complaints as well -- most directed at Government's cruise ship policy.

Mr. David Rowntree, chairman of the Chamber's St. George's area committee, told the gathering of about 50 people that a long list of suggestions and recommendations had emerged from a "brain-storming'' session earlier in the year.

The Chamber, working with the town's activities committee, hoped to start implementing many of them this year.

They included using "town hosts'' -- possibly retirees or school children on vacation -- to help direct visitors around town, and encouraging professional walking tours of St. George's with trained guides and a special combined ticket for tourists granting admission to all the town's museums.

Other suggestions included a craft market like the one at Dockyard, a St.

George's seafood festival involving all the town's restaurants, a monthly open-air produce market, and a semi-annual large music concert in the town square.

A proposal to turn Water Street into a pedestrian zone has proved controversial and a survey is now underway. But Mr. Rowntree pointed out that pedestrian zones are common in historic towns elsewhere and are worth considering on more streets in St. George's.

He also supported the idea of a walking trail -- perhaps marked with a painted line -- to guide tourists around the town's principal attractions.

Many of the business men and women spoke enviously of Government money spent developing Dockyard as a tourist attraction at the West End of the Island, and spoke of copying some of its attractions. But at the same time, they said they thought St. George's individuality should be preserved.

"Let's not create a circus atmosphere in St. George's like they have done in Dockyard,'' said Tobacco Bay concession operator Mr. Kenneth Bascome to much applause.

"People can complain that St. George's is in the Dark Ages all they want, but it's one of the few civil places left in the world. It's up to us to go in the market place and promote it.'' And the business group seemed unanimous in their conviction that Government's "two-port'' cruise ship policy does not work for St. George's.

The belief was widespread that tourists were warned that Hamilton was the main town before their ships berthed at St. George's, so the first thing passengers did was get a bus or taxi to Hamilton.

And many complained the new cruise ship terminal at Penno's wharf, slightly away from the centre of town, left the town empty compared to the older and smaller cruise dock at Ordnance Island.

St. George's Mayor the Wor. Henry Hayward said that, for now, St. George's will have to learn to live with the cruise policy.

"The basic problem is there's an agreement signed by Government that we have to abide by,'' he said. "We are stuck with a two-port concept that was shoved down our throats and that is not working.''