I am really pleased with the announcement of a possible harbour-side hotel for St. George's that would cater to visiting yachtsmen and their families, long an untapped business potential for the Old Town.

My colleagues and I wish the venture best of luck, recognising that an announcement doesn't necessarily lead to bricks and mortar. The financing challenges behind new hotel developments are daunting, particularly so in high-cost Bermuda.

East Enders have had more than their fair share of hotel announcements over the past decade. There have been at least 30 on the "impending" Park Hyatt hotel on the hill, including one at a public meeting two Mondays ago where it was announced that there would be an announcement.

What was clear at that meeting was the intense interest of the townspeople who turned out to hear the latest about a project that has still not broken ground after more than four years.

There is a sense of urgency to turning around the town's diminishing economy, which has been systematically weakened by PLP Government decisions. By its hand, we have seen the Town lose its cruise ships to Dockyard. We have seen the Government needlessly close the golf course. And we have seen it favour Dockyard for the construction of a yacht facility.

There have been other debilitating decisions, all combining to emasculate the commercial heart of St. George's.

So what can be done to turn around the Old Town's fortunes?

For me and my colleagues, we begin with the commitment to never give up on St. George's. We look at the Old Town's history and what stands out is toughness and resilience surviving for centuries as a working town; the oldest continuously settled community in the New World.

That's St. George's DNA a working town. And that's what is threatened today.

Our vision for the Town's restoration begins with the words "Destination St. George's".

We have to give people a reason to visit the town and East Enders a reason to stay and work there.

This can be facilitated with a few Government decisions. All that's needed is the will to make them happen, the will to do the right thing for St. George's. Here they are:

* Reopen the golf course. Closing it closed a going concern; something that generated activity, jobs and cash. It doesn't need to be closed and it would not take a lot to get it back in operation.

* Get a dedicated cruise ship that will berth alongside Ordnance Island or Tiger's Wharf. Is that too much to ask? The Government scrambled last year to get a ship for the Old Town when the community demanded one; proof that ships are ready to visit Bermuda if asked. That the Premier got one too big to pass through Town Cut spoke volumes about Government indifference and lack of attention.

* Open the St. George's Police station 24/7. Ask any resident and they will say they want it open. That should be enough for any caring Government to hear. The station nevertheless remains closed at night. Hooligans and criminals know this, and the town is less safe because of it.

* Roll back needless Immigration restrictions 'red-tape' that diminishes Bermuda's attractiveness to passing yachts. Longer stays mean more business for local retailers.

* Use the fuel tax to ensure the Corporation and its partners have sufficient income to balance their budgets and provide for capital improvements. As things stand, the Corporation is being bled dry by the cumulative effect of Government policies and decisions that do not have the interests of St. George's at heart. This can be reversed.

Finally, St. George's needs to be marketed as a must-see destination. Bermuda Tourism can amp up St. George's profile in its overseas and on-Island marketing. St. George's is an architectural and cultural marvel and it's our view that these attributes can be dramatically highlighted.

My colleagues and I are not giving up on St. George's. For some unfathomable reason the PLP Government did, but we and the people of St. George's can end that and get the Old Town working again for all its people.

Kim Swan is the Opposition Leader and leader of the United Bermuda Party