time later this year.

And officials are confident the event, on similar lines to the well received North American Bermuda marketplace, will be a hit despite the strained relations between the two countries.

Tourism representatives and hoteliers will join Bermudian entertainers in October as they pitch their stall in Toronto and Ottawa for the four day show.

The Department of Tourism is confident it will not be overshadowed by a possible retrial of Justis Smith, accused of the murder of Canadian teenager Rebecca Middleton, or the Government's objection to Canada's choice for Honorary Consul.

"People recognise Bermuda for what it is and they clearly understand that what happened was totally out of character for the Island,'' said Mr.

Phillips, referring to the Rebecca Middleton case.

"That is not what they think about, unfortunately when that happens it does give Bermuda a black eye. But people are sensible and they know the vast majority of Bermudians are decent people.'' Visitor arrivals from Canada fell by nine percent in April -- the seventh drop in consecutive months.

A weak economy and air service limited to one flight a day are the main reasons cited by the Tourism Director, who added that all areas were suffering from a downturn in Canadian business.

But Canadian anger following the collapse of the Middleton murder trial, which spawned a call to boycott the Island, and the Government objection to the appointment of Saul Froomkin as Honorary Consul, have both brought bad publicity for Bermuda.

In addition, the circumstances surrounding the Middleton murder are set to be aired in a US network TV documentary in August.

The Tourism Department is confident both incidents are seen in isolation by the Canadian people.

Previous promotions in Canada have taken the form of round table seminars, but Tourism Minister David Allen wanted to give the country the same kind of star treatment seen recently in North America.

During April, Mr. Allen was joined by Premier Jennifer Smith and a host of hotel general managers as a grand Bermuda travelling showcase -- complete with Gombeys, Regiment Band and local musicians -- blazed a trail through New York, Boston, Atlanta and Philadelphia.

A similar event is planned for Canada but critics question whether all the money spent actually brings a return.

Next stop, Canada Shadow Tourism Minister David Dodwell said he was very concerned at the broad concept of the tours, since they were very expensive and it was not evident that they had the full support of the industry.

"I am concerned that there are going to be four tours this year, where is the money coming from and what else is not being done because of this,'' he said.

"You have to be careful not to go over the top with entertainment. Travel agents want to be educated, so it is important to get the right mix. They need to learn what is new, how do we get there, for instance. That is what we should be focusing on, not entertainment.''