Bermuda could be in for a hard winter following terrorist attacks in the US, the Minister and Shadow Minister of Tourism both agree.

But it was still too early to calculate the full impact of the World Trade Center disaster as it will affect Bermuda's tourism industry.

Tourism Minister David Allen said he had "no idea what's going to happen" to Bermuda's Tourism industry in the wake of Tuesday's tragedy.

"The tourism industry has ebbs and flows, but something of this magnitude - of course it's going to affect us," said Mr. Allen.

"It might possibly be good for us because of our proximity, and we have a good reputation as a safe, secure, tranquil destination that's easy to get to," said Mr. Allen. "But people don't even feel good about flying right now. People might choose driving vacations within the US, like travelling to Canada, but we'll have to see."

In addition to the possible drop-off in air passenger arrivals as a result of Tuesday's US hijackings, Mr. Allen said the cruise ship industry may be affected as well, and mentioned a cruise leaving from Miami was recently cancelled because passengers were not able to reach the port due to grounded airline flights.

Although Bermuda might be in a better position since cruises departing from New York rely primarily on passengers who live in the surrounding area, Mr. Allen said there would be "challenges" if the New York Harbour - currently blocked by battleships - did not reopen soon.

He said Bermuda's tourism industry will also be affected by what happens with the US economy, and noted "we'll know a lot more when the stock market reopens on Monday. It's not going to be an easy winter in Bermuda, but it's not going to be an easy winter anywhere," Mr. Allen added.

Shadow Tourism Minister David Dodwell said it was "too early to tell" if airlines would modify or cut back their services. He said: "From what I hear, some are really curtailing their service. Where does Bermuda fit into this?"

And he said it was also too early to determine the psychological impact of the disaster on potential visitors and how this may affect their travel plans.

"There's the whole emotional issue of flying - is the visitor ready to get back on an airplane? Will they even want to take a vacation after such a traumatic event?" asked Mr. Dodwell.

He said although Bermuda was in for a difficult season, he remained "cautiously optimistic" about the long-term prospects of the Island's tourism industry.

But he said the Ministry needed to "pause and assess" their marketing strategies in light of the changed mentality of the customer.

"Bermuda tourism's ability to change is critical right now," said Mr. Dodwell. "It won't be business as usual, the customer will be thinking differently for a long, long time, and traditional advertising won't be the answer."

Mr. Dodwell said Government should take the remainder of their budget for this year and reassess what might be the best way to spend it.