Somewhere along the line Bermudians confused service with servitude.But now Karla Lacey, who became the CEO of the Bermuda Hospitality Institute (BHI), last April, is hoping that Bermudians will once again be attracted to the tourism industry.However Ms Lacey said that while it seems at first glance that Bermudians have withdrawn from the hospitality industry in droves, that is not quite the case.“It is a myth that Bermudians are not there it is more of a perception. But the people who are the face of the industry the ones who come into direct contact with locals and visitors are non-Bermudians. However Bermudians dominate every other area in the hospitality industry behind the scenes in the administration areas and management ranks. But when it comes to the front line staff along with the chefs and others in the kitchen, they are mainly non Bermudians.“In fact the 2009 Employment Survey shows that (the hospitality industry) is made up of 50 percent non-Bermudians and 50 percent Bermudians, Bermuda Permanent Residency Holders and spouses of Bermudians.“It is fair to say that people see more non-Bermudians but that is because they are in more visible positions.”However Ms Lacey wants to have more Bermudians going into the industry.“The Bermuda Hospitality Institute is here to lead and encourage the development, growth and sustainability of Bermudians in the hotel industry. We want young people to pursue a career there and also to have those who had worked in the industry to come back on either a full time or part time basis. We are encouraging people to go into the industry and the industry cannot sustain itself unless there are Bermudians in it.”On Bermudians who have moved out of the service industry, Ms Lacey said: “For some reason along the way service and servitude became synonymous with each other. And as people went into other industries the construction industry during the building boom, the international business industry they began working nine to five for good money and no weekends and no nights.“Then other people had to be imported to take those other positions (in the hospitality industry). But it all began with this attitude and perception that service meant servitude and that it was beneath Bermudians. It became an attitude that it was OK to go into a restaurant and have someone else wait on them but then after a while it became that they (foreign workers) were taking the jobs that Bermudians didn’t want to do anyway it was, and is, a vicious circle.”So when Ms Lacey took over as CEO of the BHI she decided to immediately start a summer hospitality programme for young people aged 16 to 19 years old those in the last years of high school and the first years of college.“This was the first summer we did it we wanted to to show the breadth and depth of the industry to young people who had not made up their minds as to what they wanted to do in life. Some of those young people will decide to enter the food side or the administrative side of the hospitality industry while some may say that it is not for them but at least they have learned what it is about.“We did two programmes each four weeks long and I believe it was very successful and I was very pleased with the employer participation.”Ms Lacey is trying to encourage young people to enter the industry because “there are good jobs there”.She said: “There are some slow times but typically restaurants don’t close down they go all year round. It is hard work but people can earn a good wage. However it is not a job for everyone.”