HOTELIERS and the Government are to draw up an action plan they hope will help to boost the tourism industry.

Bermuda Hotel Association (BHA) president Michael Winfield said the list would be revealed "in the very near future", following talks last weekend between industry representatives and a Government delegation including Premier Alex Scott and Tourism Minister Dr. Ewart Brown.

Commenting on what Bermuda needs to do to revive tourism, Mr. Winfield suggested the island might be becoming "too forgiving of sub-standard customer service" ? a trend he said the hotel industry would not tolerate.

"I will be meeting with the Premier again to ratify a list of specific action points arising from our discussions," Mr. Winfield said.

"It was a frank and meaningful meeting and the success of it will be determined by whatever collaborative action takes place to address the issues discussed.

"I am pleased with the level of communication and attention we are getting from the Government. There was a mutual understanding of the issues and a desire to address them."

Customer service was a key point in boosting the gradual recovery of the hotel industry, Mr. Winfield said, but some areas of service were outside the hotels' control.

"One of the major improvements we all can make is in every aspect of our interaction with guests," Mr. Winfield said.

"To improve our customer service does not just involve the hotels, but all those individuals and companies providing services to the guest.

"The CEO of the Bank of Bermuda (Philip Butterfield), speaking to the Bermuda Employers' Council this week, asked whether there was complacency in Bermuda," Mr. Winfield said.

"Have we become too forgiving of sub-standard service? The answer is certainly 'no' in the hotel industry.

"We are constantly looking for ways to improve what we can offer guests and to improve our physical infrastructure, so we can become competitive with the world.

"The investment you see happening at places like Elbow Beach and the Pink Beach Club, that is a statement of confidence in Bermuda and the industry."

Mr. Winfield, who is president of Cambridge Beaches and also co-chairman of the Bermuda Alliance For Tourism (BAT), was one of around 30 people who took part in last Saturday's talks at the Elbow Beach Hotel.

Neil Labatte, senior vice-president, real estate, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, led the industry group, accompanied by BHA chairman Norman Mastalir, Ariel Sands general manager John O'Brien, Coco Reef managing director John Jefferis, BIU president Derrick Burgess and BAT executive director Wayne Smith.

Other Cabinet members attending included Finance Minister Paula Cox and Labour & Home Affairs Minister Randolph Horton.

According to a Government press release, among the topics discussed in wide-ranging talks were the Hotels Concessions Act, recruitment and immigration, the golf product, hotel rooms and staff housing.

Mr. Winfield added: "One of the issues we raised was the occupancy rate of hotels, which is better than it was last year but not what it should be.

"We had 9/11, SARS, the war in Iraq ? a whole series of events have really challenged the world tourism industry and Bermuda has suffered like everybody else.

"We also talked about the cost of operating a hotel in Bermuda and the challenges of transportation, the improvements in co-operation with the airlines that we have already seen and hope to see more of in the future."