The chairman of the United Bermuda Party's election campaign committee yesterday criticised the Tourism Minister for stifling fresh thought on improving the Island's tourism industry.

Mr. Ward Young said the Minister's rejection this week of ideas to develop the European market amounted to "turning a blind eye'' to a national problem.

"We are not on the right track,'' the businessman said in a two-page statement.

Mr. Young suggested the Minister was not fully aware of concern over tourism.

"If you are still in doubt, take a poll and ask the the community,'' his statement said.

Mr. Young said he issued the statement because of an apparent unwillingess to come to grips with the Island's faltering industry.

"We are heading into the coldest winter this Island has ever seen and everyone is putting up roadblocks,'' he said. "It's time for the roadblocks to come down.'' He said the Island was in need of "visionary thinking'' that could break through the slough of recession.

He referred to Bermuda's experience immediately after the Second World War when the Island's leadership moved dramatically to improve the tourism industry by "throwing out the old and bringing in the new''.

Mr. Young was unclear what new people should become involved in tourism planning but said: "I think the business community have to be a bigger part of it. There are not enough merchants up there.'' Mr. Young's release -- which reads as an impatient appeal to the Minister -- begins with the statement that it is "designed to add constructively to the voice of those who are appealing to the Minister of Tourism for change''.

"It is time for talk not for rebuke. It is a time for vision not blinkers. It is a time for Bermudians to sit down and decide where we want to be in the next 20 years.

"The facts are that our visitor count has substantially declined since 1981.

This is no time for turning a blind eye to the problem or to denigrate those who are concerned and try to make suggestions to correct the problem.

"It is not just the Ministry's problem, it is our problem. We have a right to discuss it without fear or rebuke and we have a right to be heard. So hear us please.'' Mr. Ward, who is president of BDC Ltd., said the Ministry should consider short term objectives for improving industry performance. Among them are: "targeting'' short-term holidays by pointing out that Bermuda is only an hour away. (Bermuda's current advertising campaign theme is A Short Trip to a Perfect Holiday); conducting massive re-training of all Bermuda to "welcome, appreciate and serve our visitors every minute of the day''; target key European countries and harness its business through charter packages offering holidays devoted to outdoor activities such as golf, tennis and SCUBA diving; doing "something'' about dormant hotel sites such as Club Med, the Bermudiana and the Ritz-Carlton on South Shore.

"When we say `do something', that means do not rest until the job is done,'' Mr. Young's statement reads.

He urged the Minister to "admit to Bermuda'' that the Ritz-Carlton developers "will not be coming to Bermuda'' and to "get the site cleaned up...

"Do not just sit back and wait for the property to deteriorate until it is an eyesore. Do something about it.'' Mr. Young was equally insistent about the Club Med site and about a cruise ship specifically for St. George's.

In an interview yesterday, he said: "If the will was there, we would have a cruise ship in St. George's. That's the Minister's fault.'' When asked to explain why he was taking his criticisms public and risking the appearance of UBP senior members warring with each other, Mr. Young said: "I'm willing to make some noise to make sure something gets done.'' Mr. Woolridge yesterday refused to comment.