A winning smile and a cheery manner has landed bus driver Winifred Dyer the Visitor Industry Partnership (VIP) Award for the fourth quarter.

Ms Dyer was nominated by Jane O'Connor of London, Ontario, who met her on the St. George's to Flatts Village run.

Tourism Minister David Allen presented Ms Dyer with a prize of a free weekend for two at a local hotel during a special lunch at MR Onions last Thursday.

In her nomination, Ms O'Connor wrote: "Ms Dyer made a difference not only to me as a tourist but to other tourists and Bermudian residents alike who have the pleasure of boarding her bus.

"Ms Dyer met everyone with a smiling face, direct eye contact and a pleasant good afternoon. These acts alone were significant to me in that I felt particularly welcomed on her bus, which made me simply happy about being in Bermuda.

"In a short amount of time between St. George's and Flatts Village, Ms Dyer successfully, efficiently and kindly handled an unusual number of interventions which could have turned nasty, all involving local citizens."

Ms O'Connor continued: "Ms Dyer continued without showing any frustration, nor did she change her driving behaviour or demeanour.

"It struck me that by doing her job well, Ms Dyer certainly made a senior citizen from Canada feel safe and glad to be in Bermuda. In fact, I enjoyed a little more of your Bermuda sunshine that day."

Ms Dyer and the three other quarterly VIP Sunshine award winners will be invited to the Hotelier of the Year award in the Fairmont Hamilton Princess on April 27 to mark the culmination of VIP's Tourism Appreciation Week.