Minister for Tourism and Telecommunications Renee Webb has just returned from Monaco where she spoke at a world summit on trade facilitation and sustainable tourism.

The Crans Montana 2002 World Summit attracted more than 250 delegates from 30 countries, including those from Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia.

"It was both an honour and a pleasure to be invited to address the 2002 World Summit in Monaco last week," said Ms Webb.

"I addressed the conference on both trade facilitation and sustainable tourism. I was able to outline to the conference how Bermuda has developed international business to the benefit of the whole country and how our radical programme on both e-business and e-government will transform public services, while helping to make business more efficient and effective.

"I also noted how e-business has the potential to dramatically improve education and how we are already using the Internet in all of our public schools."

When it came to sustainable tourism, Ms Webb said she stressed how development in Bermuda had to take note of the impact that it had on the Island's limited resources and fragile environment.

"I discussed the careful balance that has to be struck in terms of having cruise ships in Bermuda, and also in attracting tourists to dive and snorkel around our beautiful but vulnerable coral reefs," she added.

"While at the summit, I took the opportunity to speak to many other countries on whether any of the developments being taken forward in Bermuda could aid somewhat less privileged countries." And she said, in particular, she discussed how the model of telecommunication regulation in Bermuda, which had resulted in a more competitive and innovative service, could be developed in other countries, many of which still had either state or private monopolies.

Minister Webb was accompanied on her trip by e-commerce consultant Nigel Hickson, who spoke on a panel concerned with the Internet and information security.

She added: "I believed the summit was an excellent opportunity to both promote Bermuda, but also to learn about the difficulties and challenges, but also opportunities, that many of the developing countries are facing.

"In particular, hearing about the re-development of Afghanistan was particularly moving."