The US firm hired to help develop a strategic marketing plan for Bermuda Tourism will use three principles.

These include: today's holidaymakers have more destinations to choose from; to succeed in tourism you have to use all means to your advantage; and tourism winners always follow a strategy incorporating uniqueness and innovation.

These imply that to thrash out a successful tourism plan there must be: A deep understanding of consumer and trade needs, and attitudes and behaviour are critical; Original marketing; and A focus on where uniqueness is most valuable and likely to be found.

The MCA team will divide the project into three phases which are set to be completed in eight weeks time.

First they will meet with a tourism strategy task force, interview key leaders in the tourism industry and review existing tourism research. The aim here is to identify Bermuda's strengths and weaknesses and recognise industry opportunities and threats through the establishment of a base knowledge of the Island's aims, past and present strategies and issues affecting the industry.

The plan in phase two is to identify future scenarios around the areas of the market, targets, product, competition and partners; identify target segments; and propose how the Island will give value.

These should then be used to agree on a position statement for the Island to stand by in the future. The statement should represent what the Bermuda tourism product will stand for in the market place.

Phase three will see the MCA team working with the tourism strategy task force to "flesh out'' strategic imperatives and tactics which support the position statement.