Tourism Organisation's $15 million push to attract winter visitors from the United States. We think that suggestions that Bermuda should join in the Caribbean winter tourism push are really the kind of ideas people arrive at when they are desperate for solutions in hard times. Like Bermuda, the Caribbean is not having an easy time with tourism and seeks to establish an area identity.

The Caribbean winter business push will doubtless be to attract people to winter sun, sand and swimming. Winter is the season in the Caribbean but not in Bermuda. Bermuda cannot provide February summer for Europeans. We think that if we joined in the push and did attract some winter business which was really intended for the Caribbean's winter sun, it would only be by deception thus leaving Bermuda with justifiably angry visitors.

The Caribbean concept is for 23 countries to join together to heighten awareness of the Caribbean across the US. It is said that the campaign will highlight the diversity of the region and complement individual campaigns.

That is fine but the campaign will doubtless have the central theme of warm winter as opposed to European cold. It would be difficult for the campaign to point out honestly that there is one odd duck in the nest called Bermuda which does not provide guaranteed winter warm but wants you to come there anyway.

The truth is that Bermuda is not in the Caribbean even though many people think that it is because geography is not well taught. To imply that Bermuda is in the Caribbean would be to suggest that Bermuda provides winter sun and that would be a cheat.

PLP Shadow Tourism Minister Mr. David Allen wants Bermuda to join the Caribbean Tourism Organisation to have a presence in Europe because the CTO is making inroads in the European tourist market. That would be well and good but we must attract people to Bermuda for what Bermuda offers and not pretend for the sake of a dollar that we are a Caribbean island with winter sun. We are not and to imply so would ruin the chances of getting visitors from Europe for a very long time because they would know we lied and brought them here in the winter under false pretences. This newspaper has expressed some doubts about whether Bermudians are ready for the tough demands European visitors will make on Bermuda but, aside from that, if we want European visitors we must get them honestly.

European winter tourists head, generally, for the ski slopes or the sun.

However it might well be that Bermuda can attract some to Bermuda by promotion of what Bermuda does offer the winter visitor, like golf, and we would support that, but we should not try to attract them to the beach. If during their stay Bermuda should have some beach weather, that's a bonus.

Mr. Allen says that, "The Europeans consider Bermuda as part of the Caribbean whether we like it or not.'' That may well be true but contrary to being in our favour, it presents Bermuda with a problem. Bermuda cannot pretend it is part of the winter Caribbean sun because it is expedient to do so in hard times. If it did that, it would lose its prestige and its credibility as a resort. Bermuda is a premier resort, the best of the islands, and it is in tourism for the long haul, not for a quick fix.

Thankfully the Minister of Tourism the Hon. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge understands the pitfalls and has rejected joining in this promotion. He understands, perhaps better than anyone, that Bermuda could do with some more visitors, especially winter visitors.

Thankfully Mr. Woolridge also understands that Bermuda is unique and it has to sell what it has, and it has plenty, but it cannot sell winter sun because it does not always have sun in February.