the Island.

For the Government is considering setting up a special "gold card'' scheme for frequent travellers to the Island, whether for tourism or business.

Tourism Minister, the Hon. David Dodwell, confirmed this week that a Government team were looking at ways to make it easier for VIP businessmen and tourists to gain entry.

But he said: "It is early days yet, but the process off accelerating arrivals is an important issue for the Government.

"Anything which can help that aim, protects our security controls and also enhances the arrival of tourists and business visitors is welcome.'' "First impressions are always important and anything which speeds up the entry process for repeat visitors would be valuable.'' Mr. Dodwell added that delays at Bermuda International Airport were not a major source of complaint.

But he said: "A lot of our flights come in close to each other and don't always land exactly on time.

"You can have congestion and the Government are always looking at ways to avoid this kind of thing.

"The technology, cards like credit cards or ATM cards, is available and is used in other jurisdictions.'' Mr. Dodwell said the cards would also have to be discussed with the Labour and Home Affairs Ministry, which is responsible for immigration and customs, to ensure the system was fail-safe.

And he stressed that every precaution would be taken to ensure that system was protected from abuse and that all travellers would still have to clear customs.

Finance Minister, the Hon. Grant Gibbons, said: "There is a need for this sort of system from my perspective. It would be very useful for business travellers.

"The difficult issue is security and that means we would have to be sure that whoever presents the card is the person who is named on it.'' Dr. Gibbons added that an experimental system used in some US airports matched palm prints. But he said that problems, including changes in individual palm prints over time, had been found.

"I think what we would want is something simpler, perhaps using a tag on an existing passport to flag a traveller,'' he said.

The news was unveiled in a recent interview with Bermuda's Premier, the Hon.

David Saul, with a US-based financial services magazine.

Dr. Saul said: "We are working on some form of card -- we shall set up a separate booth at the airport for them so they can just have this gold card with their picture on it which is speed read and they will just be able to whip right through.''