The Department of Tourism is launching a new weekly radio show designed to encourage greater local participation in the flagging industry.

?Wake up Bermuda ? Tourism Now!? will take place every Monday from 12.15 to 1 p.m on ZBM 1340 AM and is to be hosted by Rodman Woolridge ? a man with almost 25 years experience in the hospitality industry.

At a Press conference last Friday, Tourism Minister Dr. Ewart Brown said he hoped the new initiative would help to ?engage? the community on a wide-range of tourism topics such as enhancing the hotels, improving standards of service and ways of getting Bermudians interested in a career in the industry.

The show will include the opportunity to call in as well as question and answer sessions, Dr. Brown said, ?providing an opportunity for the public to share their views and opinions?.

?As I have said in the past, Bermuda?s tourism industry has changed considerably over the past 30 years,? he said.

?As such, we must seek different ways to gauge the pulse of what Bermuda is really thinking and feeling about our tourism industry. We know this community has a lot to say when it comes to tourism, and it is our goal to provide a forum so they can speak their minds through an unfiltered medium, which focuses on finding solutions ? not dwelling on the problems.?

?Aside from expressing your views,? he continued, ?we realise that there are literally hundreds of visitor related ideas and business opportunities that are waiting to be fulfilled, and we at the Department want to provide the tools to help Bermudians realise this potential.?

Dr. Brown also invited people to come to a tourism seminar at the Elbow Beach Hotel on Thursday at 6.30 p.m ? the first in a series of ?product development? forums ?designed to help turn ideas into productive service offerings for our visitors?.