passengers into hundreds of more lucrative hotel vacationers.

Starting today, musicians, Tourism officials and hoteliers will welcome the ship-borne holidaymakers ashore with Bermudian entertainment normally seen at the Airport.

Tourism Minister David Allen will join the Mayors of Hamilton and St. George's today, as he greets hundreds of guests arriving on the Norwegian Crown and Zenith .

Representatives from Island accommodations will be promoting land-based holidays and invitations for refreshments at some properties will be given out at random.

The programme is to continue right through the cruise ship season and aims to tempt some of the 6,000-plus cruise ship visitors into future, more profitable Island holidays.

Mr. Allen said: "We already know that about ten percent of our hotel guests came here for the first time by cruise ship.

"We believe there is an opportunity to expand on this number through this partnership, and this will give cruise ship passengers an opportunity to see what the hotels have to offer.''