decade has offered the Tourism Department free advice in the future.

Although DDB Needham dropped out of the Department's review of its marketing contracts, there was no feeling of acrimony, stressed agency president Peter Tate.

"We only wish the best for Bermuda and we wish the current Government and administration success,'' said Mr. Tate.

"In an effort to demonstrate this, we wrote to Gary Phillips and told him we had some ideas and thoughts relative to Bermuda's future in the tourism industry.

"We would be happy to give them to him free. This is an open invitation for him and Tourism Minister David Allen to take up at their convenience. We would like them to meet with us so we can give them our thoughts.'' DDB Needham represented the Department of Tourism for some ten years and were responsible for the Bermuda Shorts, Let Yourself Go and Radio Bermuda campaigns. The latter recently won the New York Radio Mercury Award for best radio campaign.

These campaigns, said Mr. Tate, provided the agency with the opportunity to do some of its best work although the end results were disappointing on occasion.

"Unfortunately they did not provide a significant increase in arrivals, bed nights or visitor expenditure. These are the bottom line measurements and if they do not go up significantly then you can not conclude the campaign was successful.'' After some 150 visits to the Island over the past 40 years, he continued, he had built some strong personal and professional relationships with past Tourism Ministers and other residents.

"This made it extremely difficult, both as a personal and a business decision, not to pursue the contracts,'' he said.

DDB Needham decided not to participate in the Department of Tourism's review of its advertising and public relation contracts -- which were announced by Mr. Allen shortly after the Progressive Labour Party won the General Election -- despite assurances from the Minister and Director that they would be competing on a level playing field with the other participating agencies despite their past performance record.

Mr. Tate said this decision was made, not because he did not believe Mr. Allen or Mr. Phillips, but because of the Island's political environment.

"This is not meant in any way to be negative. It is just practical and pragmatic given our understanding of what is going on,'' he said.

"The message sent in the election is that the general population is committed to change. Given that environment it would be close to impossible for us to be reappointed.'' Mr. Tate added that the agency was also presented with a number of other business opportunities which offered a greater chance of success.

"From that standpoint it was a very pragmatic business decision.''