Reactions to the decision to reduce the Ministry of Tourism's budget this year have been decidedly mixed.

There are those who feel that the reduction recognises that a good deal of money has been wasted by the Ministry, to the point that some people think that Minister David Allen would be better off standing on a New York street corner handing out free flights to the Island instead of giving money to advertising agencies and media barons to no purpose.

That may well be so, but the fact that money may have been spent badly in the past does not mean that it should not be spent well in the future.

And now may well be the time when Bermuda needs to spend money, not only because the Island's own arrivals figures are criminally low but because every other tourist resort is advertising like gang busters to lure visitors. Bermuda, according to recent reports, already does not figure in the travel plans of many people in the Island's target market. That means the lsland needs to raise its profile as people make their summer travel plans.

Finance Minister Eugene Cox has said that using zero-based budgeting enabled the Ministry to identify waste and redundant programmes and eliminate them. As a result, the Ministry's overall budget was cut. Obviously, any reductions in waste are welcome.

But the overall marketing budget was cut and while spending will rise in the US by about $1 million, that is not necessarily a large amount when it comes to buying advertising space in mass media like newspapers, magazines and television.

With arrivals declining at a less traumatic rate from Canada and Europe, it would be disappointing if reduced marketing hurt the Bermuda sales effort there as well.

The only tourism initiative of any sort mentioned in the Budget is the effort to maintain or increase airlift to the Island. But the airlines will be unenthusiastic about the latter idea if Bermuda itself fails to put any marketing muscle into the gateway cities where Government would like to see extra flights taking off for Bermuda.

Mr. Allen deserves credit for reducing waste and unnecessary spending in his Ministry when it seems clear that some of his colleagues have been far less careful. Mr. Cox should have rewarded him with extra money for marketing and improving the Bermuda tourism product, not punish him.