survey reveals. But it says the Island is not alone in feeling the effects of the economic downturn.

The report, in the first issue of a new magazine, Caribbean Tourism Today, shows Bermuda's major competitors are also being hit by bad times.

The survey collates figures for 1991, when tourism in the region was affected by economic hardship in major markets and after-effects from the Gulf War.

Larger destinations like Bermuda were the hardest hit, says the Barbados-published magazine.

Bermuda's 11.2 percent fall in stayover visitors between 1990 and 1991 was the second biggest in the region, the survey reveals. Only the British Virgin Islands experienced a bigger fall, of 22.74 percent.

Visitors to Barbados dropped 8.76 percent, to the Bahamas 8.62 percent, to the Cayman Islands 6.24 percent and to Puerto Rico 6.2 percent. The US Virgin Islands suffered only a 1.86 percent drop.

In Jamaica the number of visitors rose by 0.46 percent, while the comparatively new destination of Aruba enjoyed a 15.84 percent boost.

Bermuda's 7.8 percent drop in visitor spending compares to a drop of 8.29 percent in the Bahamas and 8.11 percent in Barbados. In Puerto Rico spending rose 5.72 percent, in Jamaica 4.

05 percent and in the US Virgin Islands 0.54 percent.

Looking at market countries, the magazine notes a "disappointing'' performance from the US -- the most crucial source of visitors to the region.

"Each of the larger destinations recorded declines of more than five percent in stayover arrivals from the US when compared to 1990,'' it says.

"The Canadian market also showed a decline in the number of long-stay visitors to some Caribbean islands during 1991,'' says the report. "Of the larger destinations, Barbados was hardest hit, recording a 20 percent decline.

Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands also recorded declines of over five percent.

"As recessionary malaise continues to linger in the Caribbean's major tourist-generating markets, industry experts envision no immediate recovery for the battered industry,'' concludes the magazine. "The outlook with regard to visitors from North America remains bleak.'' But the survey does find good news. Apart from the UK, the European market showed encouraging signs, with growth of five percent predicted by the end of winter, 1992. Columbus anniversary celebrations were expected to encourage visitors from Europe.

And the survey records more growth in the booming cruise ship sector.

Bermuda's 13.86 percent rise in cruise visitors compared with a 31.25 rise in the Cayman Islands and a 27.14 percent rise in Jamaica. Puerto Rico had a rise of 11.42 percent, the Bahamas 8.96 percent, the US Virgin Islands 8.48 percent, Barbados 2.63 percent and Aruba 2.48 percent.