The Visitor Industry Partnership (VIP), which promotes the importance of tourism to Bermudians, is making an urgent plea for business sponsorship after losing $25,000 in funding from Government.

VIP previously relied on companies and individuals to pay a fee to become members, but now it has moved to rely on sponsorship for its expanding activities.

VIP executive director Stacey Evans said although Government still funded the organisation generously, the $25,000 cut was hurting.

"It has had a huge impact. They are still funding us generously, but VIP is in urgent need to raise funding from the public and private sector to meet the shortfall," she said.

Each year VIP hands out quarterly Sunshine awards to hospitality employees who have been nominated by tourists and locals for going the extra mile, leading to an annual excellence award sponsored by Belco.

Ms Evans said VIP was now looking for principal sponsorship for some of its other programmes such as the school outreach programme, which goes into the classes to teach students the importance of tourism to the economy.

She said $3,000 is currently spent on the school outreach programme, though VIP wants to expand it to a $48,000 project employing a full-time member of staff, but it cannot afford to do so.

VIP held a reception at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess on Wednesday to launch a $25,000 raffle prize to help raise the shortfall.

But Ms Evans said the ideal situation would be to attract more title sponsors such as Belco.

She also reminded guests - and members of the public - that the deadline for nominating people for the VIP Excellence Awards is this Monday.