Tourism has changed from 30 years ago, new Tourism director Cherie Whitter said yesterday, and Bermuda ? both within the Department of Tourism and the product itself ? must be flexible enough to meet new trends and changing demands.

While much of the focus will be on increasing the number of hotel beds and promoting tourism during the golf and spa season (formerly known as ?the off-season?), she said, equally important is engaging Bermudians ? especially young Bermudians ? in the tourism product.

Three weeks in to her new job, Ms Whitter sat down with yesterday to discuss the ins and outs of her department.

Formerly the assistant director for marketing at Tourism, she left the department in 2002 to join Capital G as vice president, marketing.

However when the $120,000-post of Tourism director became available after former director Judith Hall-Bean resigned, Ms Whitter took the next step in her career path. She was named new director in June.

Her first three weeks in the job have been a whirlwind, but Ms Whitter was clear in her objectives ? for herself, for the department, and for Bermuda.

?I don?t think tourism is dying,? she said. ?I think it has changed. Bermuda has changed. It?s not what it was 20 or 30 years ago, and it?s not likely to be that way again.?

How Bermuda deals with that change will signify success, she added. ?There are a lot of different factors to look at when you consider success. It?s no longer tourism alone, but a collective economic strength, including international business ... It will definitely be a different tourism and I think the department will have to work hard at communicating that. We are not under-performing necessarily; we are just performing in a different way. Whether by choice or not our industry today is different.?

For herself, she admitted she was unsure what her greatest challenges would be. Her greatest assets, she did not doubt, were her staff at the department. ?People here are committing their lives to success, giving 200 percent,? with a strong support system and lots of dedication.

The department?s biggest challenge, on the other hand, will be its ability to be flexible in the face of changing travel trends. Tourism will have to refocus their resources ? both human and financial ? to meet these trends, she said.

That will require attending seminars, working with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), doing in-house research and utilising international agencies to keep Bermuda on the ball in the face of trends such as ?snuba? (a new water sport somewhere in between snorkelling and scuba) and motorised unicycles for tourists to meander through Hamilton on.

Fortunately, one of the department?s greatest strengths is its flexibility, she said. Another strength is the partnership with the private sector through the Bermuda Alliance for Tourism (BAT). ?We are all singing from the same hymn book.?

As for the product of Bermuda, one major area of focus will be increasing the number of hotel beds on the Island, she said.

Having a low bed count right now may not be a bad thing, however. This summer ?we were full,? she said. ?The Island is doing extremely well filling the inventory we have ... If you want to go to Bermuda, you have to book early.? That sends a clear message to travellers: that Bermuda is a hot spot, immediately increasing interest in travelling here. ?The potential visitor doesn?t know it?s because there are fewer beds, so demand is being stimulated.?

That positive aside, increasing the number of beds remains a priority, especially with more and more flights being introduced to the Island. Hotel beds will also continue to take priority over residential developments on land zoned for tourism, she added, though that is being handled at a Ministerial level.

Ms Whitter said she did not have an opinion on former Tourism Minister Renee Webb?s abrupt resignation from the department, saying only that Ms Webb had done ?tremendous work?, and that new Minister Ewart Brown ?is now building on that effort?.

As for the controversy surrounding both the awarding of the lease and the relations between staff and management at Coco Reef, formerly the Stonington Beach Hotel, Ms Whitter said there were lessons to be learned ? as there are after any project, controversial or not. The controversy will not leave her on her guard when examining new potential tourism developments for the Island.

The department wants to encourage Bermudians ? particularly young Bermudians ? to take advantage of the opportunities that lie in tourism. ?It is unfortunate that so many people have opted not to go into hospitality,? she said, adding it was more than just working in a hotel.

There are opportunities for entrepreneurs, for restaurants, for shops, for development and for event planning, all within the hospitality industry, she said, and the department is hoping to engage far more young people in Tourism through initiatives such as its internship programmes.

The goal, as Mr. Brown has stated, is to get Bermudians excited about tourism again. After all, while strong pluses for Bermuda are its proximity to the US and its reputation for safety in a post-9/11 world, ?Bermuda?s greatest asset is its people. They probably always have been, they probably always will be,? Ms Whitter said.

?That?s why visitors ought to come, for a cultural experience that is unique and different from home.

That means everyone has a role to play, however. ?The mere fact of greeting a visitor as they walk down the street has an impact on their experience,? she said. ?I don?t think we can take that for granted.?

When you invite a guest into your home you give them the best treatment, she said ? the same with tourists. Small things like dropping candy wrappers from a car window or honking a horn in frustration at tourists battling with their mopeds have impacts, ?and this is something we need to constantly remind the public ... The department can?t do it alone.

?Everything you do matters because we are a tourist destination ... People will come back to a place where they feel welcome.?