Among those attending yesterday's open discussion on the issue of human capital development in Bermuda's tourism industry was top local retailer/banker Eldon Trimingham.

The president of Front Street landmark Trimingham's and Bank of Bermuda chairman noted after the presentation that the Bermuda Tourism Competitiveness Programme (BTCP), albeit positive, was "sticking plasters on a cancer patient''.

"This discussion is one of cart before the horse,'' he noted.

Bermuda was losing its core tourism business at a horrifying rate, he continued, with air arrivals from the US East Coast dropping, hotel employment in steady decline and tourist related businesses shrinking and in some cases like Lantana, closing altogether. This was because the local tourism industry was now non-profitable and "therefore will not attract investment or re-investment''.

"No investment, so far as this meeting is concerned, means no money for training, no money for proper raises, and little or no promotion as management function shrinks to match curtailment of services offered.'' This left employees in the industry with poor job perspectives, job insecurity and job dissatisfaction creating unhappy employees which meant unhappy customers.

Meanwhile, the local financial industry was going "gangbusters'' so it was attracting the majority of the Island's top people.

But there was a bright side, he stressed.

Said Mr. Trimingham: "On the bright side, and it should be a guide for us in how to revitalise our hotel industry, there is no problem filling the cruise ships; in fact, we have to fight them off.

"Paradoxically, therefore, Bermuda is still clearly a great place to visit, providing, using the refuge of the ship, our high prices can be sidestepped at the visitor's option.'' And this indicated that the core factor causing Bermuda's tourism decline was price.

"We have, therefore, a great product overall, priced wrong.'' Others in attendance at the meeting did not agree with Mr. Trimingham's opinion.

Monitor Company's Steve Searfoss said there was no reason why the hotels could not be competitive if Bermuda got the right people to visit the Island.

"There is no such thing as a hopeless industry.'' Department of Planning assistant director Aideen Ratteray-Pryse said she felt the work of the BTCP went to the heart of the problem, although she stressed she was not representing that department at the meeting.

Black Star Communications' Rolfe Commissiong said more effort should be made to encourage the Island's cruise ship visitors to come back to Bermuda and stay in a local hotel and that the Island's "laissez faire'' approach to the matter might be what was harming it.