hyping rather than healing tourism.

He mocked Tourism Minister David Allen for trying to sell a product which 52 percent of departing customers said they were disappointed with.

He told Senators in yesterday's Budget debate: "After the lovely pictures have been seen and the Gombeys have danced we need to bring home the bacon.'' He said word of mouth would do far more than expensive promotion.

"It's human nature for people to ask you what your holiday was like. If you have 200,000 people talking to five people that's a million people hearing that it's not what it used to be.

"That's why I say we should be here making sure the improvement takes place rather than running round the north trying to tell the 52 percent.'' "It's worth far more when the customer does it than the salesman does it.

Sen. Burgess said the land at Morgan's Point was a unique opportunity for the Government to make a statement about tourism.

And he said Bermuda's high prices were being mirrored elsewhere in the world but people didn't mind paying them if the quality was there.

However Government Senator David Burch said incentives for hotels were helping to spark a turn around in the industry.

He said the fact that The Reefs, Grotto Bay and Cambridge Beaches were investing large sums proved they believed a revival was around the corner.

He said: "If you are spending your own money it is because you can see exactly where we are going.'' Government had sat down with the hotel industry to get them on board and had met with hotels far more than the previous Government, said Sen. Burch.

And he said buy-in from the Bermuda Industrial Union was also a healthy sign.

Progressive Labour Party Senator Calvin Smith said tourism had structural problems which were being addressed.

He said he was quite prepared for high ranking Opposition politicians to join in with ideas.

"We are engaging in direct marketing to differentiate Bermuda,'' he said, citing eco tours of Nonsuch island as an example which would encourage the high end of the market.