Bermuda Tourism is aiming to increase the number of air visitors by 80,000 over the next four years.

A key Department of Tourism document has revealed for the first time the targets set by Minister David Allen for recovery of the ailing industry.

The main long term tourism goals include recovering 80,000 air visitors and opening two new five star hotels, one business hotel and an eco-tourism resort. An additional goal is to "stimulate'' $300 million in hotel investment for the refurbishment of existing properties.

The long term goal of 80,000 air visitors would take 1999's total from 354,026 total air arrivals to 434,000 in four years. That is after the short term aim of adding 8,851 extra vacationers this year, which was announced recently.

But the targets are way short of the original goal of 500,000 air arrivals by 2003, which was set by the Bermuda Tourism Private Sector Long Term Strategy plan -- a target which has now been dropped.

Also included in the Bermuda Department of Tourism North American Integrated Marketing Plan 2000/2001 is the target of retaining the ratio of air to cruise visitors of two thirds to one third. But the goal has brought criticism from one hotelier who said the figures used to calculate the ratio were flawed.

Currently, total air visitors to Bermuda -- which includes people staying in private homes -- gives a ratio of almost two to one, air to cruise.

But just using air visitors who stay in traditional accommodations, from statistics supplied by the Department of Tourism, gives a figure of 39 percent cruise passengers to 61 percent air visitors.

The "private homes'' category last year equalled around 17 percent of total air visitors. It is mainly "visiting, friends and family (VFRs)'' but also includes vacationers renting private homes. The hotelier said the true numbers were those that compared air guests staying in traditional accommodations to cruise, rather than "total air visitors'' which last year included an extra 61,605 VFRs.

If those figures were used, he said, it would mean decreasing cruise passengers by around four percent and increasing air visitors in the process, to return the ratio to two to one, air to cruise. But one tourism executive countered that there was too much pre-occupation with arrival figures.

He said the length of stay and the expenditure on Island per visitor were far better indicators of the health of tourism economy -- wherever people stayed.

The marketing plan was published on March 30 but so far has not been available to the media. In an opening statement, it said: "This plan is designed to help turn the tourism tide and attract the increased amount of visitors to Bermuda that the Island so richly deserves.'' TOURISM REVIVAL STRATEGY Bermuda Tourism has a new course of action to "help turn the tourism tide'' and boost arrival figures. Here are a few of the aims and plans to achieve them: $5.7 million to be spent in the US media for 2000 and 2001 on: Newspapers to support new flights.

Trade press for travel agents.

Cable TV and radio.

Consumer magazines, including golf, wedding, scuba and travel.

Group and incentive advertising. Also, Increase Bermuda's online presence.

Create a Bermuda "web world'' with access to all related sites.

Invite up to 80 overseas media to the Island.

Encourage more repeat guests via direct mail.

Create a promotion for the jazz festival.