German airline Condor is to quit its service to Bermuda -- but Tourism Minister David Dodwell said last night it was hoped a European replacement would be found.

Condor, a charter subsidiary of Lufthansa, will cease its flights to the Island in October due to lack of business.

Mr. Dodwell said: "It's a disappointment -- but it's not surprising.'' Mr. Dodwell cited three main reasons for the failure of Bermuda's only air link to continental Europe.

Economic problems in Germany had cut the number of travellers, there had been a lack of promotion of the flight by the airline in Germany and the lack of a general service agent in Bermuda meant that the flight had never been well-advertised on the Island.

But he said: "We are now looking for another European carrier. We aren't going to get anybody who is going to come here beginning in October, but hopefully next year.

"One of the thoughts is that rather than a route to the islands and back we could try for one which goes to the US instead.'' Mr. Dodwell said that a flight going on to South Carolina or Miami would mean seats vacated in Bermuda could be taken up by Islanders travelling to the US, boosting profitability for the airline concerned.

The Condor axe fell despite an April marketing blitz launched in Germany by the Tourism Department to boost business.

It was hoped the new European link would open up new markets for the Island.

But passenger levels on the flights, which started amid a blaze of publicity last May, remained disappointing, with an average of 35 passengers a week getting off in Bermuda.

Earlier this year, the Department of Tourism sent out special flyers to German travel agents highlighting hotels which charge reasonable rates and pushing Condor as a carrier.

Two Press trips for German travel writers were also arranged, with six journalists visiting Bermuda.

But Condor accounted for only a third -- 898 visitors -- of the German nationals who travelled to Bermuda between May and December last year.

In March last year, low reservations thwarted plans to create a direct German link from Frankfurt to Bermuda and back again.

The route was extended to the Dominican Republic via Bermuda, with the flight returning to Germany via Bermuda.

And the airline resisted Bermudian pleas to set up a new route from Frankfurt-Bermuda-Antigua and back to Germany via Bermuda because of the low passenger numbers.

Mr. Dodwell said: "The reason why we didn't get that was that hurricanes almost closed down Antigua as a destination last year.''