The eco-resort planned for Daniel's Head will help Bermuda close the "ten year'' gap that the rest of the tourism world has on the Island, it has been claimed.

PLP Shadow Tourism Minister David Allen said he was delighted at the plans to build canvas-covered cottages, including some in the water, at the former Canadian Naval base.

And he said the $8 million Destination Villages resort, which is being built by an American company who have already built successful developments in the Caribbean, could be a runaway success.

"I am delighted to see this project going ahead, for years I have been calling for Bermuda to capitalise on its eco-tourism resources,'' he said.

"It is not pie in the sky, this could make Bermuda once again newsworthy.'' But the MP feared Campers Villages LLC were planning to build more holiday units then the area could sustain.

The 125 cottages are aimed at older, wealthier North American tourists, who are looking for a different kind of holiday experience with the emphasis on "getting back to nature''.

The "modern day hippies'' will stay in wooden-framed canvas-roofed units, complete with wind generators, compost toilets and solar water heater.

Some will be erected in the water, albeit six feet above the high water mark.

They would not be used in high winds.

An integral part of the holiday will be the chance to interact with Bermudians, to learn about their culture.

Nature trails, crafts, indigenous food will all go to make up a vacation experience that is more holistic than five-star.

"This will attract the type of upscale tourists that are looking for the back to nature experience -- they are not looking for five star luxury,'' he said.

"They do not want barriers like air conditioning or walls. They are looking for something extra, an experience that is real and can rejuvenate themselves, improve their life and understand how nature works.

"This type of resort is going to put Bermuda on the map.'' MILITARY MIL