Director of Tourism Judith Hall Bean has appealed to Bermudians to stop putting down tourism, and she urged political parties to stop exploiting the issue.

She was speaking at the end of the National Tourism Conference at the Fairmont Southampton on Friday which delegates agreed was an overwhelming success, indicating Bermuda's tourism industry was getting on the right track.

Mrs. Hall Bean said Bermudians were too quick to blame people because the Island has not seen the visitor numbers of the early 1980's. And she told the final session that Bermuda's two main parties should not drag tourism into politics but should work to make things better.

She said she echoed the call by journalist Roger Crombie on Thursday who urged Bermudians to stop “dissing” tourism and instead highlight how good the industry really is now.

Also at the Tourism conference yesterday, Bermuda Industrial Union President Derrick Burgess said Bermuda needs to go back to the old school levels of service to lead the world again in tourism.

“As a country, we have got to stop dissing the country,” Mrs. Hall Bean said, using the slang term for disrespect.

“The average Bermudian today, if he doesn't see 600,000 or 700,000 tourists coming to the Island feels someone is not doing their job right,” she said. “It is used as a political toy and it should not be used in the political arena.”

It was incumbent on both parties to work together for the good of tourism, she said. Earlier in the closing session at the Fairmont Southampton Hotel, Bermuda National Gallery director Laura Gorham also said it was time for everyone to stop putting down the industry while praising international business, saying: “We have a great product, that could be better, and we are all part of the solution.”

But the Department of Tourism's European Director Ian Parker said the criticisms were self-examination, rather than trashing the Island.

“It is not dissing it, it is saying we have had problems and let's analyse it,” he said. With 40 percent repeat business out of north America and 30 percent out of Europe, Bermuda must be doing something right, he said.

“We are at the stage where we can go forward. If we have 40 percent repeat business, let's look at the (new advertising) campaign that will bring more new people in, and once we get them in they will be repeat visitors, and we will go forward with tourism.”

There was unanimous agreement that the conference had been a success, with Dr. Andrew Lockwood, professor of hospitality management at the University of Surrey, England, telling Bermudians not to be so lacking in self-confidence.

The Island had some really talented individuals and he was surprised there was so much self-doubt.

Mrs. Hall Bean said all the notes of the conference, including the one day session on Wednesday for children at Sonesta Beach Hotel, would be analysed and recommendations on improving service will be made to Tourism Minister Renee Webb.

“Bermuda was a world leader in tourism. We set the standards that were later adopted by other countries,” Mr. Burgess said. “We had good service in the hotels, and I believe what would be just as appropriate would be to return to the service of yesteryear.”

He recalled working his way through the industry in the 1960s and 1970s when staff were immaculately dressed and would be inspected by the ma?tre d' before being allowed into the restaurant. BIU members in walks of life were committed to working to make tourism a success, but management had to adhere to an unwritten “psychological contract” to respect workers.

“That is a set of expectations operational at all times between the employer and the employee that is when you go to the workplace you expect things to happen that will treat me right and approach me right and will be concerned about my personal problems,” said Mr. Burgess.

Because of human nature it was not realistic to expect people to leave their personal problems at home, he said. “When I bring them I expect to be treated with respect and dignity, and when you don't accept that psychological project, you get problems.”

He said the union expected workers to be the best in the world, and by and large they were if they were treated with respect.