The Island?s tourism industry is set to get a boost from an unlikely source ? the war on crime.

The annual Crime Stoppers International Training Conference will be held on the Island in 2007, thanks to Crime Stoppers Bermuda delegates who won the privilege at this year?s conference in Calgary.

That conference was attended by more than five hundred delegates, some accompanied by their spouses, which means Bermuda can expect to see up to an 800-strong body of attendees in the 2007 event.

The conference, which will take place at the Fairmont Southampton Resort, will extend over three and a half days, and will include delegates from Britain, Canada, the United States and Australia. Australian delegated have already confirmed they will extend their stay to seven days.

It is only the second time in 29 years that a country outside North America has been chosen to host the event.

Conference Chairman, Dave Carruthers, expressed his excitement at the decision.

?The bid was a collective effort,? he said.

?Bermuda could not have achieved selection without the great support received from the Department of Tourism and without the wonderful facilities of the Fairmont Southampton.

?This is a great win for Bermuda and we have every intention of changing those winning votes into registrations and bed nights, but there is a great deal of work to be done before then. It took teamwork to win the bid and it is going to take a significant amount of teamwork to stage a successful conference of which all Bermuda can be justly proud.?