The Island's tourism industry will recover if every resident realises they have a role to play, the newly-appointed executive director of Bermuda Alliance for Tourism (BAT) Wayne Smith believes.

The Bermudian was brimming with confidence about the industry and he told The Royal Gazette he was "born to work in tourism". Mr. Smith was appointed this week as the first executive director of BAT, the joint public/private sector body set up two years ago to synthesise government and the tourism industry.

After spending seven years at the Department of Tourism as sports marketing and product development manager, Mr. Smith became aide-de-camp to the Governor, before working at Bank of N.T. Butterfield and BT Mobility. He believes the Island has a bright future if everyone living here understands they have to ambassadors for tourism.

"I truly believe I was born to work in tourism," said Mr. Smith. "I am really looking forward to working with all the stakeholders, the Department of Tourism, Bermuda Hotel Association, the Chamber of Commerce, Bermuda International Business Association, the hotels, the taxi drivers, the retail people - everyone has a role to play.

"I believe that tourism can be revived and I am happy to have been chosen to do this and I look forward to playing a part in making it happen.

"Tourism is still very important for Bermuda and although international business is very important, tourism still employs a lot of Bermudians and it is very healthy to have two strong pillars to the economy.

"All of us in the community can help revive tourism because every person living on the Island, whether they realise it or not, is an ambassador for the Island. "Bermuda is still a friendly place, but I still think we can do more to improve the experience for the visitor. And if we have 62,000 working to revive tourism, it will happen."

Mr. Smith said he is dismayed by crimes committed against tourists such as the theft of a wallet from Roxanne Coats while she lay on the ground getting treatment after a road accident last Monday. "I would like to make an appeal to the community about this sort of thing. As former Tourism Minister C.V. (Jim) Woolridge used to say, if a tourist has a good experience he will tell people but if he has a bad experience, he will tell 700."

Mr. Smith is married to Belco communication officer Nicole Williams-Smith and they have a two year old son Johnathan.