reported in this newspaper last Saturday, might be seen as a dramatic about-turn in attitude.

Speaking to a group of European tour operators, Mr. Allen stressed that quality, not quantity, was a far more significant factor in the health of the Island's second pillar of the economy. He added that there had been too much pre-occupation with the number of visitors Bermuda can attract rather than the money they generated in the economy.

The Minister may be correct in his analysis, but it is a view he has shown little enthusiasm for in the past.

While the only promise that Mr. Allen has ever made while Minister is that the road to recovery will be a long, hard one with no quick fixes, the talk has always centred on how we can and must increase visitor numbers to the Island.

Similarly, when in Opposition, Mr. Allen was persistently scathing of tourism policy -- and visitor numbers were usually at the centre of those criticisms.

He frequently held up disappointing monthly figures as illustrative of "a death spiral'', expressed concern at "shocking results'' and on one occasion added: "We believe the United Bermuda Party Government has allowed the product to stagnate -- and for the past 18 years the figures reflect exactly that.'' When a winter advertisement campaign promoting Bermuda as an exclusive country club was launched two years ago by then-Minister David Dodwell, Mr. Allen said the plans would turn away a huge portion of the market and give out a message of "restricted access''.

And in one session of the House of Assembly in 1997, Mr. Allen said: "The Finance Minister said...that he did not see Bermuda returning to the Golden Years of tourism but we cannot set our sights lower than returning to those years.'' Now, it would appear, Mr. Allen is dancing to a different tune. At last week's presentation he said: "Bermuda did drift over the last two decades and go towards numbers, more mass market than in the past. We are now repositioning ourselves.'' Mr. Allen is right. Because of our location, size, infrastructure and a host of other reasons, there is no way Bermuda can appeal to a mass market providing cheap holidays for many. And the reality is that Bermuda may never again have the critical mass of hotel beds to be a mass market destination.

Instead we must focus on our strengths: That we are an exclusive resort that can cater to niche markets, appealing to those visitors who are prepared to pay the extra dollar to go the extra mile.

To be sure, service standards and value for money must improve now, or this strategy will fail as well.

But one has to question why the Minister is only now beginning to trumpet such a policy -- after nearly two years in the job and at a time when Bermuda looks set to have its worst tourism year -- at least in terms of visitor numbers -- for the last 21 years.

When in Opposition, Mr. Allen was only too willing to use disappointing arrival figures to his advantage -- and understandably so. Now in the hotseat and with figures still falling, he conveniently suggests they should be underplayed. He should, at the least, admit that he was wrong to be so vehement in criticisms of the decline in numbers when he was on the other side of the House and that he was mistaken when he promised on the election of the PLP a return to tourism's glory years.