marketing consulting firm on its payroll.

The Marketing Corporation of America helped a local strategic task force of hoteliers and tourism officials design a five-year strategic marketing plan and business plan for the Island over an eight week period.

The plan was completed on December 15.

It aims to make Bermuda an entire Island resort -- the premier, upscale, destination of choice for the visitor seeking total relaxation.

The hotels and the Tourism Department split the bill of $285,000 for MCA's two months of work.

Task force members then decided to keep the group on until February 28 to help get the information out to the public and to help implement it.

Tourism Director Gary Phillips said yesterday that now some people in the task force believed MCA should be kept on after the end of this month and this was now being discussed.

Meanwhile one of the players in helping to devise the plan has left the Tourism Department and been temporarily replaced, continued Mr. Phillips.

Former assistant director of marketing Pat Phillip-Bassett's departure has seen Tourism Board marketing committee chairman Terrett West step in to fill the post on a short-time, part time basis.

Mr. Phillips explained that Ms Phillip-Bassett's short notice decision to leave the department took officials by surprise and it often takes longer to fill a civil service position than the notice a departing person had to give, he noted.

The Public Service Commission is now interviewing applicants for the post.

"I have, however, been talking to different people and we recognise that we cannot keep the Marketing Corporation of America on forever.

"The department and industry would benefit from having some assistance from someone who has been intimately involved in the development of the plan and has a background in marketing.'' That person, he continued, was Mr. West.

Mr. West -- who sat on the strategic task force and helped identify MCA as a suitable candidate to help the process of devising the five year plan -- would help effect year one of the plan, said Mr. Phillips, and ensure continuity.