winning the hearts and minds of travel agents.

The agents are seen as crucial in the campaign to attract more visitors to the Island, because many tourists are undecided where to go on holiday.

Mr. Paul Zar, Tourism's North American sales director, was joined at Sonesta Beach this week by about 20 of his sales force in the US and Canada.

The sales people, all senior Bermudian staff, gathered to review 1993 and plan for the next two years.

Travel agents, their main target, were high on the agenda. And the meeting heard the results of the latest research into what they are thinking.

"In all critical measurements there was an improvement in the attitude of travel agents towards the department and towards Bermuda,'' said Mr. Zar.

"We have seen over the past five years almost a doubling of the rating we get from travel agents on Bermuda's value and affordability.

"Agents were also asked what they thought of our convenience of location and our general environment.

"They gave us a very good report card on our image overseas. We got very high ratings on almost everything.

"The two areas on which we have to continue to place emphasis are value for the dollar and affordability.

"There's still a perception out there that Bermuda is still maybe too expensive for some people.

"But we have made significant improvements in these areas by emphasising packages that are available and that the hotels have held their rates now for several years.'' Competition from the new USAir Boston service had started a "fare war''. This had also helped change attitudes about the cost of a Bermuda vacation. The Sonesta meeting judged the achievements of the department's 39 staff in North America, Mr. Zar added.

"We did quite quite well in 1993, as measured by the research and in terms of visitors. It was a very significant year for us because we feel that we've weathered a downturn for the entire industry.'' Groundwork done over the past five years had begun to pay off in 1993, he said. Some countries had scaled down their sales efforts because of the recession. Jamaica had shut its Chicago office, for example, but Bermuda had kept going.

Mr. Zar said research confirmed the importance of winning over travel agents.

It was estimated that fewer than half the customers going into travel agencies knew where they wanted to go on vacation.

The agent had the power to influence them in the direction of Bermuda or another country. "It's an ongoing challenge to get travel agents on our side, to keep them recommending Bermuda.

"Up to 80 percent of visitors come through travel agents, so we have to get them on our side.'' Sales staff from Bermuda's traditional markets were optimistic about 1994. Mr.

Richard Eve, regional sales manager for mid-Atlantic states including New York and New Jersey, said he was hoping to build on an increase in the number of airline seats available from the area.

He wanted to increase the number of visits from people who lived away from the main airports serving the Island.