A new entity designed to take local tourism into the next millennium will do so by enabling it to compete more effectively in the international arena.

And Tourism Minister David Dodwell said while the Bermuda Tourism Authority will allow local tourism to respond to market conditions quickly, it will also "be accountable to the taxpayer''.

"We will have full and complete financial and operating disclosure. The public will know what is going on.'' Tourism officials had to be able to respond to market conditions instantly if the industry was to compete against other countries.

Mr. Dodwell said: "The Tourism Ministry is the only Government Ministry which has to compete with the outside world and because of this it has to be able to turn on a dime.'' Flexibility within a structure was a major aspect of competition, he stressed.

"It cannot be hampered by any circumstances which might impede that. The ability to make a quick decision is absolutely critical.'' "If we wanted to change our sales programme to respond to something happening in the market, we could not do it quickly under our present set up,'' he explained.

The Authority will also give tourism officials greater financial control which will encourage flexibility as well.

"Under the current system, if we need to spend money after the Budget is put to bed we can not do it. A private organisation can make this decision when it needs to. It can also borrow money when it deems it necessary.'' Mr. Dodwell said it was also important to get the private sector involved in tourism management.

"This is critical. It is an extension of my goal to get the public and private sectors working closer together.'' The Tourism Ministry's role had always been seen as marketing Bermuda and once the visitor arrived the private sector took over.

"The industry is changing and we have to do better,'' he said.

The Authority would combine marketing, financing, staffing and positioning elements and manage tourism for the future.

Tourism Authority would still be held accountable Greater links between the private and public sectors would also improve product development through the sharing of information and the creation of a higher level of accountability for the partners, noted Mr. Dodwell.

"This shared commitment says to the private sector, you are investors in this vehicle and you have something to gain from it.'' But the Authority was not a stab at privatising the Tourism Ministry, he pointed out.

"This is a bold and innovative move. People have used the word privatisation but that is not what this is about. It is a new entity with a partnership between the public and private sectors rather than being completely private.'' However Mr. Dodwell added: "We have not even discussed how we are going to do this yet as it is such early days. In my mind it will take about a year.

"This is a Government initiative. My job now is to study the best methods to use to get the necessary commitment from the private sector to do this and to get the best vehicle that serves Bermuda.

"I envisage that it will have some kind of board that gives direction in much the same way that a private company would do it through an organisational system.

"There are a number of other jurisdictions which have similar vehicles and we will be looking at all of these. It is still the early days of the process but what we will be doing is sifting through the best and worst parts of all these.'' However it will not copy so-called "quangos'' such as the Public Transportation Board, Bermuda Housing Corporation or the West End Development Corporation.

"We will create something unique to Bermuda that focuses on our needs. In my view it will not be a hybrid of any existing concept in Bermuda.

"To compete with the outside world, we have to be able to turn on a dime.

What we will end up with will allow us to do that.

"I am excited about this and would like to see the new entity in place by the end of next year.'' The concept of change was not a new idea, he added.

"In 1968 we moved from the former Trade Development Board, that managed tourism then, to the Ministry of Tourism under the Constitution. The concept of changing to suit the times happened in 1968 and now we are doing it again.'' Mr. Dodwell said it was the ideal time for change.

"I think the community is looking for greater involvement. This is the right time now because the community wants it and other jurisdictions have done it.

It is definitely a trend that is proving to be a success.

"There would still be a role of Minister in the Authority. There has to because of the taxpayer element. The Minister would be responsible for safeguarding public funds which would add an element of accountability also.'' Some sections of the department may have to be retained from the current structure, said Mr. Dodwell, but it was too soon to speculate. It was also too early to tell what effect it would have on jobs within the department.

"A structure and model will have to be prepared before we can look at individuals.''