An ?aggressive effort? to increase hotel beds and to open up new gateways to Bermuda ? particularly in Europe ? were top Tourism priorities highlighted in yesterday?s Throne Speech.

Also according to the Throne Speech, it?s finally official: Bermuda no longer has an off-season.

The comments on Tourism in the speech echoed many of the sentiments expressed by new Tourism Minister Ewart Brown and new Director Cherie Whitter when they first took over their posts this summer.

?Working with developers, the Government will ensure that new tourism property development includes hotel beds as a component and that those tourism properties that are currently offline are quickly returned to the tourism product,? Governor Sir John Vereker read from the speech yesterday. Any new hotel development will have to include staff housing.

?To fill these new hotel beds, the Government will pursue new business outside of traditional US gateway cities and secure new gateways from Europe.?

Cities in Europe which will be targeted were not specified, and the speech did not elaborate on any advertising initiatives Government may undertake in Europe.

?To ensure year-round employment opportunities in the tourism industry, the Government will implement programmes and initiatives that will refocus the Bermuda experience as one that is available throughout the year,? Government promised in the speech yesterday.

?No longer will Bermuda be seen as having high- and off-seasons. Instead, the Government will reposition Bermuda?s product to provide incentives for tourists to travel to our shores throughout the year.?

The speech did not elaborate on how the product will be repositioned, though Ms Whitter?s phrase ?golf-and-spa season?, from a September interview, does offer some clues.

The Entertainment Development Fund will hopefully help inject a little more ?pop and sizzle? into the product itself, allowing Government to intensify its efforts to revive and support local entertainment.

?This ... initiative will allow the Government to discover and nurture more of our abundant natural talent and ensure that it is available to our visitors,? the speech promised.

What kinds of entertainment will be targeted and exactly how the funds will be used to support such entertainment was not specified in the speech.