Working in the hospitality sector does not just mean lifting trays, Tourism and Transport Minister Ewart Brown said on Monday.

And while there is honour in any job, he added, the diversity of career opportunities in the Tourism industry must not be underestimated.

?Hotels need Bermudian food and beverage directors, Bermudian accountants, Bermudian engineers, and Bermudian general managers.?

The community, he added, has been sidelined for too long, adding: ?Bermudians can no longer afford to be spectators to Tourism.?

Announcing goals for the Department of Tourism, Dr. Brown said the industry is targeting increasing visitor satisfaction by ten percent.

To enrich the visitor experience, he added, the Department will be focusing on shifting the Bermudian identity back into Tourism.

Some new incentives, such as the ?Pop By? flags, will encourage visitors to experience the Bermudian personality for themselves.

The colourful flags will be arranged on, for example, Horseshoe Bay Beach, encouraging visitors to ?pop by? and socialise with locals. Visitors collecting the flags will receive a free six-pack of ginger beer from Barritt?s, who are sponsoring the programme.

Other incentives, however, focus more on getting Bermudians excited about the Tourism industry ? specifically as a job destination.

The staff housing incentive, encouraging hoteliers to provide staff housing for Bermudians as well as ex-pats, is one step, with at least one hotelier having already received Planning permission to build such housing.

Knowing that a job in a hotel could guarantee an apartment at below the market rate could be a huge incentive to work in the industry, Dr. Brown said.

He also planned to increase awareness of the diversity and opportunities within the industry.

?The Bermudian people have to be the ones who are providing the wide variety of services that visitors are taking advantage of... We will work to motivate Bermudians to return to the hospitality sector.?

Enterprising Bermudians were encouraged to set up businesses in the hospitality sector, with Dr. Brown highlighting hopes for a local to start up a private sector water taxi service.

Putting locals back into hospitality also included a personal commitment to introduce Bermudian students to Tourism.

Special assemblies in schools have already lined up, with Dr. Brown promising to visit every school on the Island to talk on the subject. ?It?s a brand new industry and we must encourage our young people to take a brand new look.?

A National Tourism Student Debate will help engage Bermuda?s young people, he said. The regional debate will be held in the East, West, and Central parts of the Island, with the winners going on to meet each other in a final.

That final winner will be named Junior Tourism Minister and represent Bermuda at the annual Caribbean Tourism Organisation conference.

Scholarship and internship programmes established under previous Ministers will be continued, he said.

Improving service standards will also play a large part. ?Improving service standards goes hand in hand with encouraging Bermudians to return to the industry.

?Our visitors expect five-star service when they come to Bermuda. Service standards all over the world have outpaced our standards here.

?Therefore it is imperative that we stimulate the development of industry service standards and support implementation of industry service training programmes to improve service delivery across the hospitality industry.

?At every visitor touch-point our service delivery must be impeccable. Our people must once and for all distinguish service from servitude.?

Bermudians will be able to air their opinions and suggestions on an interactive talk radio show to be aired on Hott 107.5.

Hosted by Rodman Woolridge, who Dr. Brown described as having extensive experience in the hospitality sector, the show will engage the public in Tourism-related discussions.

?We need to know what they are thinking,? Dr. Brown said. ?They are a part of the solution.?