The Chamber of Commerce has welcomed Government?s decision to put the contract to run the Island?s Visitor Service Bureaux out to tender.

The Chamber has run the offices on a long-term basis on a Government subsidy and has only recently been able to break-even, said Chamber executive vice-president Diane Gordon.

She said Government?s decision in December to invite tenders for the operation was a good opportunity for everyone to evaluate how the service is run.

There are VSBs in Hamilton, St. George?s, and Dockyard, with smaller operations at Number One and Six sheds in the city, and at the cruise terminal in Dockyard.

The Chamber is currently deciding whether to put in a request to tender.

?The Chamber have no objections to any of this. We think it is a great opportunity to evaluate our role as service providers, and there may be others out there who want to run a business such as this,? said Mrs. Gordon.

?The Chamber has run this operation for many years at a loss only because the Government subsidy doesn?t cover the entire cost of the operation.

?For the last few years we?ve operated at a break-even level because of decisions we have taken.

?It takes a considerable amount of time and effort and Government?s policy of re-evaluating these contracts allows the Chamber the opportunity to consider the costs and everything else about this service and to consider whether or not there is a balance for the efforts.

?The Chamber has collected a request for proposal and it is something that is under discussion.?