industry, a top tourism consultant said yesterday. Monitor Company's Ambar Chowdhury was speaking during a morning presentation on networking which was organised by the Bermuda Tourism Competitiveness Programme.

Businesses which work together, he explained, are able to meet their needs more effectively than if they worked on their own.

But to do this there has to be trust and a change in mentality from "fixed pie'' to "grow the pie'', he continued.

Businesses with a "fixed pie'' mentality are after defeating their competitors in a bid to get maximum market share. However, the market they are competing in never grows. Businesses with a "grow the pie'' mentality work together -- network -- to grow their market and this increases everyone's market share.

Mr. Chowdhury pointed to the Island's transportation industry as a prime example of how networking could benefit businesses.

Monitor Company research had shown that transportation was a major issue among visitors who wanted to know what options were available to them and be reassured that they were easy to use.