touching a few buttons on their personal computers.

And when the Island looks at marketing and distributing its product, it will have to bear this in mind, Tourism Minister David Dodwell said last week.

He spoke to The Royal Gazette on the heels of the release of a report from the Boston-based consulting firm hired to resuscitate the Island's tourism industry.

One area the Monitor Company targeted as needing improvement was the area of product distribution.

Its report said Bermuda needed to design its overseas distribution system with the new on-Island product range it intended to create.

The best travel entities were needed in this day of high level competition to market the Island.

Mr. Dodwell pointed said these entities consisted of "travel agents, wholesalers, tour operators, airlines and even electronic technology such as the Internet.'' The key factors the department looked at in each entity were whether or not they could be influenced and/or controlled and this changed how they were treated.

"Some of these Bermuda can control and influence while others it can not.

Travel agents, for instance, can be influenced but not controlled.'' The development of technology was causing the distribution entities to change and develop. Entities were being created that Bermuda could have control and influence over.

It was important to realise just how powerful these might be come, said Mr.

Dodwell.

"The customer will be able to get everything they want off the Internet eventually.

"The development of technology raises the big question of what will happen to the travel agents, wholesalers and tour operators.

"I think that they will still be around but the way they do business will change dramatically.'' Mr. Dodwell highlighted two travel sites in place on the web that he felt would mushroom.

Expedia and Travelocit, he said, were interactive travel web sites that he expected to balloon in influence.

The Department of Tourism also has a web site in place which is equipped with video clips and 360 degree views of the Island.

It is also linked to other sites on the web.

Mr. Dodwell pointed out that the department was already working on other aspects of the Island's distribution system.

An airline review had been launched and Mr. Dodwell said one of the hopes was to get a better understanding of how they worked.

This would help the Island gain insight into influencing them and working closer with them in the fields of marketing and knowledge sharing.

Monitor would be aiding the overall process, he continued, as they would be able to bring vast consumer knowledge to the decision making table.

This would enable the Island to see how customers felt they were being affected by changes in travel.

HI-TECH CHANGES -- David Dodwell