development of new and existing markets.

And with this is the need to improve airline service to the Island, stressed Tourism Minister David Allen during Wednesday's budget debate.

The European market has potential to be expanded, he continued, as statistics showed they were willing to pay more while on vacation and stay for longer periods of time.

Along with Germany and Italy, he noted, Switzerland was sending a proportionately large amount of business to Bermuda presently and this was an area which could be developed, he suggested.

But Bermuda will not forget its major market in North America, he stressed.

"Yes we will develop new markets but we will not forget our core markets. But we must diversify the pie.'' In the volatile global economic market, anything could happen, explained Mr.

Allen, so if a problem was created in one country it would be "good business practice'' for Bermuda to be able to get business from another.

This will include trying to expand the Island's US market with increased efforts in the mid-western, south-eastern and western states.

In the mid-west, the Chicago office will remain closed despite Mr. Allen's stringent criticism of then-Tourism Minister David Dodwell's announcement that he would be closing it.

However a group marketing sales person will be put in place there and with the development of air service there, a satellite office could be reopened.

And further North the Island will target Canadian travellers more specifically with a dedicated marketing programme.

Also set to be targeted specifically is the African-American market which Mr.

Allen said he felt had never been developed.

Mr. Allen looked at his efforts to promote the Island overseas and mentioned Bermuda's attendance at the Caribbean Hotel Association Market Place in mid-January, at London Market Place and on a European briefing tour to Frankfurt and Milan last month.

Looking ahead he revealed details about a North American Briefing Tour scheduled for early April which would see Tourism department members and hoteliers hit Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Atlanta with the Bermuda Regiment Band and a local Gombey troupe in tow.

In mid-April Mr. Allen will be in Dallas with Premier Jennifer Smith to promote the Island at the Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS) Conference.

A two-day Canadian Market Place is set to be held in September in Toronto for the travel trade and the Island will be represented at the Caribbean Hotel Industry Corporation show and the American Society of Travel Agents World Travel Congress in Strasbourg.

Airlines are a problem, noted Mr. Allen, and Government was looking at other airlines to serve the Island in a bid to increase service and hopefully develop competition which would lower fares.

Charters were also being considered, he added.

Three airlines were being courted, he revealed, with one possibly serving the Island out of Europe twice a week by next Spring.

American Airlines had also been approached about establishing a direct service to the Island from Miami but if this airline did not come through, promised Mr. Allen, other airlines would be courted.

When it came to discussions with new airlines, however, the Island was hamstrung by the fact that Britain controlled all airline agreements affecting the Island and this was another matter under review.

Another area being looked into, revealed Mr. Allen, was the advance purchase requirements for tickets to Bermuda.

As the Island was a short hop from the US, he continued, visitors often did not think of coming here until the last minute but when they went to purchase airline tickets within the two week advance period they were hit with huge fares.

Mr. Allen said he was pursuing a shorter advance purchase period, such as a week or even three days, which would allow travellers looking for a short getaway to still come to Bermuda.

Shadow Tourism Minister David Dodwell noted that an air service strategy plan was formed under the last Government and he called on it to be made public.

One initiative it contained, he continued, was the use of regional jet services to fly to the Island directly from other, smaller gateways.

David Allen