Tourism and Transport Minister Ewart Brown yesterday told more than 60 delegates that traditional marketing methods clearly had to change for the Island to succeed as a tourism destination.

And he said the advent of low cost carriers had not only put legacy carriers under intense competitive pressure, but also had a ripple effect throughout the travel industry.

Dr. Brown was delivering the opening keynote address at an international workshop of the American and International Associations of Airport Executives at the Fairmont Southampton.

?Twenty years ago, Bermuda International Airport had its ramp full of aeroplanes from Eastern Airlines and Pan American, for example. Virtually all passengers back then booked their vacations at a travel agent?s office,? he said.

?Now, we see airlines which were unheard of just ten years ago and many people now use the Internet for their vacation planning.?

He said it was important for everyone to adapt to these changing realities and recognise these trends ? turning them to our advantage.

Dr. Brown said he found that even affluent travellers were increasingly price sensitive when it comes to air travel and will resist perceived high air fares.

?Even for a well established, upscale travel destination such as Bermuda, we have found it essential to radically alter our air service strategy and rethink the marketing of our tourist product,? he said.

He added that this restructuring has encompassed the entire gamut of the tourism experience, working in close partnership with Bermuda hotels, current and prospective airlines serving Bermuda, and tourist attractions.

Dr. Brown said it was for this reason that the portfolios of Tourism and Transport were merged so that he, as Minister of Tourism and Transport, could work with the Ministry team to assure a seamless integration of the entire travel experience ? from sales and marketing in Bermuda?s key gateway cities, air and cruise ship transportation to the Island, competitively priced travel packages and even the local bus and ferry system, all of which are under his Ministry.

?So change has been a constant fact of life in terms of Bermuda?s air transportation since its inception more that 70 years ago,? Dr. Brown said.

?Competition has become ever more sophisticated and focused, as leisure travel destinations compete with one another to attract and maintain fickle vacationers.?

Dr. Brown said businesses carefully evaluated convenient, reliable air transportation as a prerequisite for their business location decisions.

?Evolving security requirements in today?s world demand far greater flexibility in airport terminal design. All of this requires airport management to become increasing savvy in its marketing development.?

He added that, as managers, the industry needed to ensure that their organisations were properly structured to be proactive in meeting these challenges.

The international workshop venue was filled with a diverse mix of airline, airport, and tourism perspectives and is being attended by aviation professionals from around the globe.

Bermuda International Airport Manager, Jim Howes said the three-day conference was very informative and interactive and included professionals from not only the US and Canada, but also England, Russia and Austria.

The workshop continues at the Fairmont Southampton until tomorrow and will also include workshops focusing on various aspects such as discovering how to leverage an airport?s strengths and capturing new markets, reviewing case studies that reveal the secrets of translating market opportunities into market reality, and exploring approaches that address market challenges and the scarcity of resources.