area, says an American tour operator.

Ms Deborah Pickard, divisional sales manager for Liberty Go Go Travel in Boston, hosts a weekly Travel Guide radio programme at WRKO AM in Massachusetts.

On Sunday, the two-hour phone-in programme was broadcast live to Boston from the Belmont Hotel. Tourism Minister the Hon. David Dodwell was a featured guest.

"It was my second annual `Live from Bermuda' show,'' Ms Pickard told The Royal Gazette .

Liberty Go Go is a major Bermuda wholesaler. It also operates 180 retail travel agencies.

Asked why she thought Bermuda's air arrivals were sliding, Ms Pickard said: "I think the cruise business has taken a little bit away from the land vacation.

"I think a lot of people are concerned that Bermuda might be expensive and they couldn't afford it until the very, very strong advertorial push by the cruise lines, especially the Royal Majesty .'' The Majesty Cruise Lines ship is in its second season of making weekly Boston-Bermuda trips, berthing in St. George's.

The all-inclusive nature of cruises hurts hotels, she said. She believed the cruise lines were attracting the same clientele who would otherwise take a land vacation.

But Ms Pickard said she expected strong results from the Department of Tourism's new advertising campaign for the November to March period, with the slogan: "Come bask in a different kind of warmth.'' "That's going to work,'' she said.

Former Tourism Minister the Hon. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge was "a great guy,'' but "I was very, very impressed with David Dodwell''.