Tourists visiting Bermuda will receive a $5 million fillip after the Chamber of Commerce launched its latest promotion to boost the local economy.

Each Passport to Bermuda Savings book, which is sponsored by Belco and supported by the Bermuda Hotels Association (BHA) and the Bermuda Alliance for Tourism, offers visitors more than $1,000 in discounts when they spend money in a range of the Island's shops and restaurants.

The Chamber has printed 5,000 copies of the book, which went on official release yesterday and will be available at all participating hotels, in the hope it will help revive flagging sales in the retail and hospitality sectors.

It has also announced a restaurant and retail festival set to launch on Sunday November 22, starting with an arts and crafts demonstration at the No. 6 Terminal in Front Street, Hamilton, and which includes a series of events featuring retailers and restaurateurs, such as restaurants offering three-course fixed price menus for the first week and traders holding a retail festival with discounts on goods bought in store starting on Saturday, November 28.

"There is a lot of activity to really try and boost the sales this year," said Diane Gordon, executive vice-president of the Chamber, who officially launched the new initiatives at a press conference held at the Chamber boardroom yesterday.

"This is not about stopping people from shopping overseas — this is about making Bermuda aware of what can happen if we don't support the retailers and restaurants locally.

"It is about supporting Bermuda Inc. overall and this is just a demonstration of how we are partnering up with our members and other organisations in order to really boost the economy and help our members — it is about working with everyone."

The Passport to Bermuda Savings Book promotion, which runs from now until March 31, will provide tourists with a host of offerings, from discounts of spas, salons and golf courses to jewellers, clothes and gift shops, as well as bike hire and eating out.

"An initiative such as this would not have been possible without the help of our sponsors Belco and with backing from the BHA and Bermuda Alliance for Tourism," said Mrs. Gordon.

"There is enough in here to entice the visitors and make them feel that they are part of something special here.

"But what I think is really important for Bermuda as a whole is that there is a lot of organisations that have been working this year particularly to provide other sources of initiatives to help the business community and the community overall.

"Right now, Bermuda has got to survive internationally and so every single one of us has got to pull together to make something happen."

Linda Smith-Wilson, senior vice-president of corporate relations at Belco, said assisting the Chamber's promotion was even more important this year when Bermuda's business community needed help the most.

"We think it is really going to help to provide a real boost to the local retail and hospitality industry," she said.

Fiona Lines, divisional coordinator of the Chamber, who, along with Alexis Roberts of the BHA and the Bermuda Alliance for Tourism came up with the concept for this year's book, said partners and members needed little convincing to lend their support to the initiative.

"The savings are well over $1,000 and we really have to thank our members who really stepped up this year to provide great savings," she said.

l A number of Bermuda's hotels and guesthouses have joined forces to offer a new winter promotion which offers every fourth night free to visitors staying in their accommodation between now and April 15, 2010. Bookings can be made until March 31, 2010 for a minimum of a four-night stay, with a Passport to Bermuda Savings book included while supplies last.

Participating hotels include Aunt Nea's Inn, Surf Side, Newstead Belmont Hills, Cambridge Beaches, Edgehill Manor, Rosedon, Fairmont Hamilton Princess, Fairmont Southampton, The Reefs, Royal Palms, Oxford House, Coco Reef, Elbow Beach, 9 Beaches, Fourways Inn, Granaway, Grotto Bay, Grape Bay and Greenbank.