Long seen as a competitor, Barbados also recognises Bermuda as a viable tourist market and have used sports to lure Bermudians to their Island.

Locals travel to Barbados by the hundreds every year for the annual Test match, and now the Barbados Tourist Authority is stepping up its promotion scheme to attract visitors to other major festivals and sporting events as well.

Cricketing great Sir Garfield Sobers, one of Barbados' national heroes and now a special consultant with the Barbados Tourism Authority, is in Bermuda this week to help promote the Island alongwith Assistant Sales Manager in the United States, Dwight Thompson, and Sports Promotions Officer, Morris Greenidge.

The Barbados Tourism Authority have identified seven major tourist attractions each year and have named them the "Magnificent Seven Festivals''. They include the Barbados Jazz Festival in January, the Holetown Festival in February, Holder's Opera Season (March), Oistins Fish Festival in April, Congaline Street Festival (April-May), Gospelfest in May and the Crop Over from late June to August.

In terms of sporting events, there is the Sir Garfield Sobers International Schoolboys Cricket Tournament every July, a seniors cricket tournament in October, road tennis in November and the Run Barbados Series (10K and marathon) and open golf tournament in December.

"Bermuda, in terms of tourism marketing and promotions as far as Barbados is concerned, is becoming one of the markets that has, in our opinion, reached the point where we need to pay some attention to it,'' Thompson yesterday during a briefing at Harmony Club.

"There is great potential for business from Bermuda to Barbados, not only in the traditional season for Test cricket and Crop Over but we also have other markets growing, for instance jazz. We have a Jazz Festival that is getting bigger every year and in January we'll be having George Benson, Kenny G and Earth, Wind and Fire.

"This is one of the things we'll be looking to promote here in Bermuda and get people coming to Barbados. The market in Bermuda fits with our target market really well.'' Barbados, like Bermuda may be known for sun, sea and sand, but Tourism officials there have recognised the need to promote other aspects of the country. Sports in one such area and they hosted various sports associations and travel agencies and tour operators last evening at a reception.

"The sports programme which we have set out in the Barbados Tourism Authority consists of a major event each month,'' explained Greenidge.

"We begin with sailing in January, the Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup (horse racing) in March, and international beach volleyball in May. During the month of June we have Aquasplash, all sorts of water activities, including yachting.

We have two yacht races during the month of June while during the months of July and August a lot of school activities will take place.'' Sir Garfield Sobers