William Griffith is the new Director of Tourism.

Mr. Griffith, otherwise known as Billy Griffith in the hospitality industry, was the general manager of the Harmony Club and Belmont hotel and more recently served as the president of the Bermuda Resort Hotels.

Announcing the appointment yesterday, Premier Ewart Brown said with Mr. Griffith's wealth of knowledge and depth of experience, he would be an asset to the Department.

"William Griffith is our new Director of Tourism. Many will know him as Billy Griffith. He is nothing short of a household name in Bermuda's hospitality industry. There are precious few people in Bermuda who understand the local tourism industry like Billy Griffith," the Premier said.

"He has joined our team at a critical time. We are ushering in the platinum period in tourism which includes a lot of activity in the hotel sector — a new resort at the former Wyndham, a new hotel at Tucker's Point, a newly opened property at Newstead, new resorts soon coming to Morgan's Point and St. George's — the list goes on and on."

Mr. Griffith, who will start in the position in September, graduated from the University of West Indies with a hotel management degree in 1979.

A father of three, he has served on a number of boards including being the president of the Hotel Employers of Bermuda, chairman of the Bermuda Hotel Association marketing committee, president of the Bermuda Hotel Association, on the board of governors at the Bermuda College, chairman of the Stonington Beach Hotel Committee, member of the Board of Tourism and co-chair of the Bermuda Alliance for Tourism.

Mr. Griffith, upon receiving his 'feel the love' pin from the Premier to commemorate his joining the tourism team, said he looked forward to the challenge.

He said: "Thank you for the pin and I am beginning to feel the love already. I am ready for probably the biggest challenge in my life.

"I look forward to working with the Premier and his team. I look forward to sharing and hopefully matching his intensity for the industry."