Improving standards of service will be the theme of the third annual national tourism conference next month.

Tourism Minister Renee Webb said service was vital for tourism to thrive in Bermuda.

She said: "In recent years we have all heard comments regarding the level of service in Bermuda and the urgent need to protect our reputation amongst the industry leaders.

"Whether or not we believe we are providing good service, our clients, wherever they are to be found, will be the final arbiter of whether they have received good service and value for money.

"In this regard we have taken a holistic approach regarding the entire issue of service quality and have gone beyond the hospitality sector in Bermuda to ensure that all services on offer exceed the expectations of all persons who use them."

She said the tourism conference which runs from December 4 to 7 at the Fairmont Southampton Princess will be also feature a student tourism conference for senior school students.

Ms Webb said: "They will assist us in determining how our young people perceive the hospitality sector and give some insight into their level of interest in joining that sector.

"Heading the student delegation will be CedarBridge student Zahra Muhammad who was recently awarded the top prize at the Caribbean Tourism Organisation's conference in the Bahamas." The minister said a roster of seasoned experts would be sharing their best practices with delegates.

Keynote presentations are due from motivational speaker Keith Harrell, Elliot Ettenburg of Customer Strategies Worldwide Inc. and Colin Shaw from Beyond Philosophy UK.

This year 17 categories of employment will be recognised in the awards for excellence banquet.

Prices include air and cruise trips while one person will win $20,000 from the Bank of Butterfield.