storm was probably responsible for a dip in visitor arrival figures last week.

The 5.3 percent drop was the first break in an eight week trend that has given the beleaguered tourism industry an indication it was on the road to recovery.

Figures released by the Finance Ministry yesterday showed 101 fewer people flying to the Island during the week than the same period last year.

On Friday, when the massive storm was at its height, the Toronto, Philadelphia and New York LaGuardia flights were cancelled. The flights represented half the lift coming to the Island.

The Ministry figures also showed that visitor arrivals remain 2.8 percent down for the year to last week. The industry has been performing at the 1991 level since April, when the busy visitor season began.