New St. George's Mayor E. Michael Jones has called for radical measures after traders suffered an "absolutely horrendous" Christmas.

He took a survey of St. George's shops on the Friday before Christmas and found that while one or two were all right the rest were doing dismally.

He told The Royal Gazette last week: "They are doing three or four or five customers a day.

"Christmas in St. George's has been absolutely horrendous, there's been nobody in town shopping. It's like a ghost town down here.

"I have never in my life seen a Christmas like this. It's so slow down here, we will have to look at it next year."

In Hamilton the streets and sidewalks had been packed, said Mr. Jones. "Down here you would find it hard to find anyone walking the sidewalks.

"We have to find something to entice more shoppers."

He conceded the closure of Smith's and the temporary closure of the Somer's Wharf branch of Trimingham's due to hurricane damage had been a blow. So too have been the lure of sales in Hamilton due to the merger of those two shops.

East End traders had made an effort to get a variety of goods in for Islanders for the Christmas season, instead of primarily selling tourist fodder. Mr. Jones said he would be aiming at working with traders to tackle the problem next year.

He said the lack of parking problems, in contrast to Hamilton, needed to be exploited. "When you have been to Hamilton it is such a pleasure to shop here."

But merely publicising free parking would not be enough to retrieve the situation, said Mr. Jones.

Imaginative marketing and promotions with traders getting together as a group was needed, said the Mayor, so it was a case of "come down here and you get something".

"It's something we did six to eight years ago, it encouraged people to come."

Mr. Jones, who was elected in November, said he was far from complacent about the time he had to change things.

"I have fewer than 35 months left. I think that way because it gives me a better idea of how much time I have left to achieve things I want to do."

Key to St. George's revival is fully exploiting the town's World Heritage Site status, won three years ago, which has so far failed to add extra visitors, said Mr. Jones.

Meanwhile Pilgrim Rock, in Massachusetts, where the passengers on the Mayflower were said to have first set foot in the New World attracted one million visitors a year he noted.

"We need to be in a far better position in marketing St. George's as a significant and worthy of recognition.

"When a World Heritage Site is designated people flock to see them. I can't see why St. George's should be any different. I have just come in, I will look to address that."

Currently visitors spent half a day in St. George's rather than several days Mr. Jones is aiming for.

A marketing and tourism committee was being discussed at Corporation of St. George's level and could raise the town's profile in the Tourism department said the Mayor.

He said Premier Alex Scott had been very positive about the town during their recent meeting and Mr. Jones hopes a formula can be put together to provide the cash-strapped town with additional funds.

Unlike Hamilton, St.George's had little room for new buildings to attract extra tax revenue. Mr Jones said international business was reluctant to move east, despite the closeness of the Airport.

"The Premier has given every indication of looking forward to working with St. George's."