Businessman Floyd Forth has launched a drive to get Bermuda back on top of the tourism list with a luxury Lexus limousine.

Mr Forth acquired the slate grey 4.6 litre V8 machine, which bears the personalised number plate LIM007, a few months ago.

And he added that he aimed to use the upmarket car to help drive Bermuda back to the top end of the holiday market.

Mr Forth said: “After working in the hotel industry and Bermuda being a service-oriented country, I thought it was time for Bermuda to raise the game in transportation.

“We saw a niche for something like this in Bermuda and decided to pursue it.”

Now the company, which has several trained drivers, caters to wealthy visitors, often from private jets, but is also available for special occasions like weddings, prom dances and other celebrations which people want to make extra special by turning up in style.

Mr Forth said: “It’s not a car you bring out every day. It costs a lot more than a taxi and it tends to be special occasions or people visiting.”

He added: “We had a general and some senators from Nigeria here in January and we do a lot of CEOs.

“One man came in on a private jet with his girlfriend. He’d never been here before.

“He didn’t want a cab with a light on top, but he wanted a car to take him and his girlfriend to dinner, see Bermuda by moonlight, get back on his private jet and go.”

Mr Forth added: “We’ve driven a few celebrities too.”

Pampered passengers, who can book using US, UK and Canadian phone numbers, can expect chilled champagne or Bermuda trademark specialities like rum swizzle and dark ‘n’ stormys, as well as chilled face towels, while relaxing on the toning light grey leather upholstery of the Lexus.

But he said: “We haven’t had any strange requests, but if someone asked us something, we would consider it — as long it was legal, of course.”

Mr Forth, who is also involved in the less glamorous taxi trade and minibus services, said he had originally trained as a mason, and worked in construction, learning to drive more down-to-earth vehicles like trucks and heavy construction equipment.

He added: “My father was a building contractor, so I’ve driven trucks and cranes virtually my entire life.”

He also is involved in a separate firm, Bermuda Concierge Services, run by nephew Trevor Forth, which offers services like transportation, overseas booking and dog services, including breeding, shipping and transportation, as well as security services.

Mr Forth said that he expected the America’s Cup next year would provide a boost for the business and that he had already had private client business for the World Series races last year.

But he explained: “Our focus isn’t primarily on the America’s Cup, but we expect to see expansion, definitely.

“I expect the economy to keep improving — if we can get the construction moving, the economy will move too.

“With the new hotels coming, we should be okay and there will be mega-yachts coming in for 2017.

“And the more wealthy people around, the better it is for my business.”

Mr Forth said that strict rules on the kinds of vehicles allowed in Bermuda were relaxed in the run-up to the Beyonce concert in 2008 by then-Premier Dr Brown, which opened the door to luxury models of the kind available in Europe and the US.

He added: “It was a great idea. We need to raise the level in Bermuda, especially when it comes to service.”

Mr Forth said his background in hospitality helped him know how to deal with passengers.

He explained: “I like it — I love people. It’s the sort of job I always let the client lead. If they get in and start to talk, I love to talk.

“If someone doesn’t want to talk, I don’t talk.”

And Mr Forth said a booming visitor industry offered worthwhile careers outside the white collar professions.

He added: “We would like to employ any of the young people who are thinking about entering the service industry. We can’t all be accountants or in reinsurance. There’s a lot of opportunity for entrepreneurship.”