percent by the year 2000. We have to seek to develop a better tourism product to seek to develop those visitors.'' That was one of the statements made by Mr. David L. Edgell, senior executive director of the US Travel and Tourism Administration delivered to a tourism assessment seminar in the US Virgin Islands.

We have to wonder if Bermuda is working to develop those visitors of the future.

We do not see any effort on the part of various ministries and departments of Government to get together and coordinate efforts to improve the visitor's experience. Each department seems to go its own way without a connecting theme. We hear of no consideration of improved transportation for visitors so that they can get about easily and efficiently and enjoy Bermuda. That need not be the case. We do not think very much consideration is given to the needs of the visitor when planning transportation.

Mr. Edgell says visitors want the historic aspects of the places they visit as well as "something different'' and uniqueness. We think Bermuda, especially in its large hotels, has been moving away from being different and unique and toward a uniformity which can be found in most of the world's resorts. There are places in Bermuda which work very hard to retain a local flavour and it is no accident that many of these are among the most successful properties. That should be a lesson that it is wrong for the Ministry of Tourism to agree to allow hotels to do as they please and to even think of agreeing to palace suites on the dunes and multi-million dollar condos. Bermuda needs to emphasise what it is and to celebrate its history and its unique character and not to destroy what it has. It is a mistake to think that Bermuda can be a success by copying other resorts or by becoming more like the competition. The reverse is true. Bermuda must become less like other resorts while providing quality and comfort.

We do not see any signs that hotel management and hotel workers, who share the fruits of successful tourism, are talking to one another in any meaningful way outside acrimonious bargaining sessions. Does one group ever explain its problems to the other without threatening? Do they ever suggest to one another that they should try to settle their differences without upsetting the paying visitor. When the visitor is upset, both management and workers lose. Does anyone ever put guests before ego? Is there any future plan for tourism in Bermuda or are we just faltering along hoping to miraculously recapture the successes of the past?. If we are doing that, we have it all very wrong. Do we have any idea what we want from tourism in the year 2000 in terms of contribution and cash or are we just planning to raise the rates to meet our needs? Do we have any plan to refurbish, rebuild and renovate hotels to meet visitor needs? Do we plan to go on making major hotel decisions on an ad hoc basis to suit new owners and to be again held to ransom for quick decisions against the public interest as we have been by Elbow Beach? If we had a clear plan and clear policies the Elbow Beach row could have been avoided because palaces on the dunes could never have been suggested.

Bermuda is not alone in trying to grapple with changing tourism but it may be falling behind because it dwells on past successes and has no plan for its future needs. It may be that the first thing Bermuda needs is a tourism assessment seminar involving everyone in the tourist industry.