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Monitor goes into Phase Three of plan to boost Bermuda's tourism

Bermudians are set to see more change in the tourism industry as the efforts of overseas consultants and locals gather steam.

The message came from Boston-based Monitor Company's Michael Fairbanks and Joseph Babiec as they unveiled Phase Three of the plan to restore the Island's tourism industry.

The latest stage was phased in over three months and earnest work began in July. Its main goal is to develop initiatives developed in Phases Two and encourage their expansion.

"It will broaden and deepen the amount of change in tourism. We will shift from a little group to a bigger network which will pull people in,'' said Mr.

Babiec.

Monitor's Phase One saw the gathering of information about the needs and preferences of US visitors and identified 12 separate visitor profiles for local companies to examine and determine which they could serve best.

A resistance to change -- and the need for the industry to change if it wanted to be successful -- were Monitor's key initial findings.

Phase Two resulted in 12 initiatives and a variety of local organisations are meeting those objectives.

Groups have developed networks to improve service to visitors who come to Bermuda looking to explore, escape, partake in scuba activities or the Bermuda International Film Festival.

Meanwhile a transportation guide and premium taxi tours have also been developed while hotel industry workers have created initiatives to reward, inform and educate employees.

Phase Three looks to increase the number of local partners participating in these areas and begin developing more networks.

Twenty-four new initiatives make up the effort to expand upon the original 12.

Some further expand on initiatives already in place while the others introduce new objectives such as creating a relaxers pilot team who will develop products for vacationers looking for a romantic getaway.

And it is hoped that the organisations already involved in the programme -- thought of as "early adaptors'', noted Mr. Fairbanks -- will provide the traction to pull others -- the "late adaptors'' -- on board.

The end result of increased participation in the schemes Monitor helped innovate will be increased benefits for all.

"Phase Three is about taking change mainstream. We are hoping to attract these late adaptors,'' said Mr. Fairbanks.

The theme of expanding change in the community is part of the company's drive to move away from concepts of change and analysing how to make changes and getting people to actually practice change.

Mr. Fairbanks said Monitor believed the organisations who took part in the first 12 initiatives Monitor identified are ready for this process.

Two in hospital after crash Mr. Babiec noted that the development of broad change in the community could be seen in three distinct phases with the first being the development of open dialogue about change and competitiveness.

Next comes the need to adopt and adapt to change which is illustrated when they practise it. "Groups in Bermuda are doing this now,'' he pointed out.

And the third stage is when Bermuda regains its ability to innovate, which it lost hence its inability to compete and the resulting decline in tourism.

It will know when it has reached this level when other destinations start coming to the Island again for ideas and they start looking for locals to work for them.

Phase Three is designed to take the Island in this direction.

Beyond the expansion of the local network, there will be emphasis on getting local partners to plug the right overseas distribution channels and accelerate the process of selling their products to the customers who want them.

It will also see development of the work which resulted in bringing hotel and union leaders together in an off-Island setting last March for dialogue.

This thinking will be extended in a bid to improve communication between Government and industries such as transportation and retail.

Industry workshops will begin in around three weeks in a bid to determine how involved Government should be in tourism. Development of trust in this area will improve receptiveness to change.