a qualified Bermudian could not be found to run the Grotto Bay Hotel.

He said the continued hiring of foreign managers in the hotel industry -- despite the churning out of hotel management graduates by Bermuda College -- was sending the wrong message to young Bermudians.

"Every time a Clyde Darrell is passed over, someone's child somewhere is saying `I am not going to bother with tourism, I'll go into international business','' Mr. Scott said.

He was referring to the fact Mr. Darrell will continue as Grotto Bay's resident manager following the hiring of a non-Bermudian general manager after a lengthy search.

"What concerns me is that the hotel college (Stonington) has existed since the 1960s and has not yet produced one Bermudian to run a hotel property here,'' he said.

Mr. Scott pointed to the case of a St. Lucian who recently graduated from the Bermuda College hotel school and was immediately offered a job in his country as duty manager of a major resort.

St. Lucia's tourism department had circulated Mr. Peter Jean Paul's CV around the island's hotels to help him find a job, Mr. Scott noted.

It was not the college's fault few graduates went on to become managers -- many Bermudian graduates were employed in major hotels abroad, he said. The fact was Government was not serious about employing Bermudians.

But Labour Minister the Hon. J. Irving Pearman yesterday pointed out that the work permit of Grotto Bay's new general manager was granted on condition Mr.

Darrell was trained to take over.

And he noted Grotto Bay told him no Bermudians had even applied for the job.

However, Mr. Scott said: "Peter was placed into the hotel industry in St.

Lucia through the aggressive policies of his tourism ministry,'' he said.

"Bermuda's hotel properties use the relaxed, permissive attitudes of Immigration to get around hiring Bermudians.

"The Tourism Ministry and Immigration Department should work in consort and circulate the CV of every Bermudian known to be qualified and trained in hotel management and no one should be let through Immigration until that list is exhausted.'' Mr. Scott said the fact Grotto Bay's resident manager Mr. Darrell was not promoted to general manager was further proof to Bermudians considering a career in the hotel industry that "the Bermudian is always the best man or bride's maid, but never the groom or bride.'' Mr. Scott said it was no wonder Grotto Bay's management trainee programme for half a dozen Bermudians this summer had turned out not one person who wanted to continue working in tourism.

"Bermudians in the hotel industry are not rewarded.'' he said.

Mr. Pearman said although there were several Bermudian hotel managers working on the Island, including Mr. David Dodwell and Mr. C.W. (Toppy) Cowen, he was "as concerned as anyone else that we are not getting more Bermudians in senior positions''.

Grotto Bay financial secretary and spokesman Mr. Charles Vaucrosson confirmed last Friday that a non-Bermudian had been found for the top post vacated by Bermudian Mr. George Robinson more than a year ago.