Bermuda is undergoing a re-branding to create an image for the long-term and sustained promotion of the Island's tourism industry, it has been revealed.

The first ideas for the campaign, which will be launched in the autumn, suggest marketing the Island to stressed-out wealthy Americans as an up-market haven of civilisation and sophistication from a by-gone era.

Tourism Minister David Allen said the Island's new advertising agency Arnold McGrath, would finalise the image over the summer and launch a media blitz, including cable television adverts. And the upbeat minister said he believed the momentum built up by increases in air arrivals in January (up 4.5 percent) and February (up 10.1 percent) could continue.

He spoke out as the Island's tourism marketing plan for the coming year was unveiled, which includes new events including a neo-soul festival over Cup Match, a culinary arts festival, an improved Jazz Festival, a shipwreck diving festi- val, and “golf jam” aimed at wealthy African Americans.

Plans for the African Diaspora Heritage Trail, with a launch conference in May, was creating world-wide interest and raising the Island's profile, especially among African Americans, he said at the marketing launch on Thursday at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess.

“We are determined to get the branding right and are determined not to go for any quick fixes. It will be a long-term campaign that must be in place for years,” said Mr. Allen. “It defeats the purpose if we chop and change it. We've had ‘Let Yourself Go,' and ‘Out of the Blue' and this will last for years and years. The branding exercise won't debut until Autumn.

“Europe is doing figures (to Bermuda) which are double for February. It's close to phenomenal. We are very optimistic about the year ahead.

“Bermuda is the first destination post-September 11 to show a dramatic increase in January and February.

“We feel that we have a momentum going and we can not only maintain it, but grow that momentum. These are the first increases in nearly two years and that's very significant.”

Tourism will be spending $7 million on media marketing in the coming year, including $2.6 million in the autumn to push the new Bermuda brand, particularly in the Island's core market of New York and Boston.

A suggested brand video from Arnold McGrath, asks “What happened to civilisation?” and shows over-worked Americans dealing with the stress and rudeness of city living, seeking sanctuary in Bermuda.

It features 1950s-era Hollywood-type images from the golden age of tourism, emphasising top quality service and sophisticated living, with the theme “timeless glamour so close to home”.

Tourism is continuing the winter ‘Compliments of Bermuda' promotion - giving room deals and vouchers which can be used in Island stores and restaurants - into the summer, but with a free flight deal tagged on.

Under this promotion, a tourist booking a five-day stay in Bermuda through a major tourist wholesaler will be able to get a free flight for a companion. Tourism has earmarked $250,000 for the flight promotion, and will pay for half the fare, up to $250,000.

Mr. Allen said the free flight promotion was the most significant the Island had ever done and should produce dramatic results.

Suggested adverts to back the promotion in the US are: “The Park Avenue version of buy one, get one free.” The advert can be tailored in Boston to wealthy Beacon Hill.

As previously revealed, the target audience will be college-educated professionals aged over 36 with a combined household income of more than $125,000.

Adverts for Compliments of Bermuda will show on cable television stations A&E, CNN, CNBC, Food Network, Golf Channel, ESPN, Discovery, the History Channel and MSNBC.

The agency will spend $150,000 on promoting the Jazz Festival, $100,000 on the Culinary Arts Festival, $425,000 targeting group trade, $350,000 on the travel trade, $94,000 for the Big Game fishing classic, and $100,000 on Bermuda International Film Festival.

A promotions company in Florida has approached the Island about staging a classic car show in November this year, a marching band competition for black college bands is set for next Spring, and a National Youth Festival of athletics, sports and music is to be set up which will hopefully attract 3,000 US school students.

A new frequent visitor programme will be launched to give dedicated events on the Island for regular tourists including rum swizzle parties, tea with the Mayor of Hamilton, and access to special site on Bermuda Tourism web site where they can post holiday photographs and recommendations.

Cambridge Beaches President Michael Winfield said: “In the 20 years I've been involved in tourism, the positioning video (from Arnold McGrath) is the closest to getting Bermuda right that I've seen.

“One of the negatives about Bermuda is that it's stuffy. We don't want to be stuffy and your video is very close to saying that we are stuffy, but you're not.”

Rob Moorman of Arnold McGrath said: “I don't know that we think Bermuda is stuffy. We think its very warm and uniformly friendly.”And he said he did believe the $7 million media budget was enough to launch the brand make-over.