The Department of Tourism is demanding that overseas advertising and public relations firms bidding for contracts form partnerships with local firms.

While five local full-service firms have been asked to take part in the Department's first extensive review of these areas in the past ten years, all local companies providing services will get a chance to be involved in marketing Bermuda tourism.

The news came yesterday from Tourism Minister David Allen as he provided a progress report on the review of the Department's public relations and advertising contracts which began in late November.

Mr. Allen quoted the stipulation from the formal Request for Proposal which was sent to the 32 advertising and public relations firms which were invited to participate in the review. "The Agency must demonstrate how they will work with a Bermuda advertising agency and what process will be used to buy creative services from a local advertising agency and /or agencies.'' He elaborated further: "It is our intention to have the involvement of local creative talent from the very beginning of the development of the campaign, and this is the very first time such a decision has ever been taken.

"We believe it is essential to have Bermudian involvement in the campaign from its genesis, if we are to truly succeed in putting the Bermudian identity back into Bermuda Tourism.

"My aim is to unleash all the creative forces we know exist in Bermuda, and harness these in the new beginning for Bermuda tourism.'' Of the 32 agencies invited to participate, 18 are understood to have decided to take part in the review.

Allen outlines tourism marketing strategy But Mr. Allen declined to give an exact figure, saying "the vast majority had responded''.

"For the past two weeks,'' he said, "my staff have been conducting an intense series of tele-conferences with those agencies supplying information necessary for their full proposals prior to the end of January.'' These proposals will be short listed and those agencies clearing this hurdle will be invited to make full in-depth presentations early next month with a final decision being made shortly after.

Mr. Allen noted that time was the essence because the campaign had to be ready for an early Spring launch date.

"The time lines for this agency review and putting into place a new advertising and public relations campaign for Bermuda in time for the upcoming 1999 tourism season have been extremely tight and challenging indeed.

"With the General Election having been called at almost the last possible moment provided under the Constitution, a very tight time frame was left.

Normally such a review would have commenced some months earlier.

"However I am very pleased with the progress made thus far, and I am optimistic we will have an exciting new campaign in place in time to properly position this year's tourism season.'' But the decision on who will secure the contracts would not be made hastily, guaranteed Mr. Allen.

"Nearly half of the Department of Tourism's entire budget is allocated to marketing and promotions, including media advertising and public relations, so these decisions are extremely important ones.

"While the development of new on-Island tourism products, in the form of exciting and diverse experiences for our visitors, is key to the revitalisation of Bermuda's tourism industry, the dynamic and effective overseas marketing of our tourism product is also essential.'' Mr. Allen highlighted that the successful agencies would have to come up with campaigns which reflected the `New Bermuda' to potential visitors.

Noting the historic Progressive Labour Party win in November's General Election, Mr. Allen said the successful campaigns had to give Bermuda a new image in the world tourism market place.

"The new Progressive Labour Party Government is committed to putting the Bermudian identity back into Bermuda Tourism by projecting in its tourism promotion the sense of Bermuda being a culturally dynamic and exciting destination offering far greater dimension in this regard than many other island destinations.

"The aim is to capture Bermuda's and Bermudians' island soul in this campaign. The new campaign must accentuate the uniqueness of Bermuda, its heritage and its people.

"The sense of Bermuda's mystery, romance, the grandeur and drama of its physical location and the vibrancy of its unique people must be conveyed in the new campaign.'' Allen outlines tourism marketing strategy But Mr. Allen declined to give an exact figure, saying "the vast majority had responded''.

"For the past two weeks,'' he said, "my staff have been conducting an intense series of tele-conferences with those agencies supplying information necessary for their full proposals prior to the end of January.'' These proposals will be short listed and those agencies clearing this hurdle will be invited to make full in-depth presentations early next month with a final decision being made shortly after.

Mr. Allen noted that time was the essence because the campaign had to be ready for an early Spring launch date.

"The time lines for this agency review and putting into place a new advertising and public relations campaign for Bermuda in time for the upcoming 1999 tourism season have been extremely tight and challenging indeed.

"With the General Election having been called at almost the last possible moment provided under the Constitution, a very tight time frame was left.

Normally such a review would have commenced some months earlier.

"However I am very pleased with the progress made thus far, and I am optimistic we will have an exciting new campaign in place in time to properly position this year's tourism season.'' But the decision on who will secure the contracts would not be made hastily, guaranteed Mr. Allen.

"Nearly half of the Department of Tourism's entire budget is allocated to marketing and promotions, including media advertising and public relations, so these decisions are extremely important ones.

"While the development of new on-Island tourism products, in the form of exciting and diverse experiences for our visitors, is key to the revitalisation of Bermuda's tourism industry, the dynamic and effective overseas marketing of our tourism product is also essential.'' Mr. Allen highlighted that the successful agencies would have to come up with campaigns which reflected the `New Bermuda' to potential visitors.

Noting the historic Progressive Labour Party win in November's General Election, Mr. Allen said the successful campaigns had to give Bermuda a new image in the world tourism market place.

"The new Progressive Labour Party Government is committed to putting the Bermudian identity back into Bermuda Tourism by projecting in its tourism promotion the sense of Bermuda being a culturally dynamic and exciting destination offering far greater dimension in this regard than many other island destinations.

"The aim is to capture Bermuda's and Bermudians' island soul in this campaign. The new campaign must accentuate the uniqueness of Bermuda, its heritage and its people.

"The sense of Bermuda's mystery, romance, the grandeur and drama of its physical location and the vibrancy of its unique people must be conveyed in the new campaign.''