There are a number of reasons behind the growth in visitor arrivals from the UK, Bermuda's new Director of Tourism in the UK and Europe said.

Ian Parker told The Royal Gazette from his office in London that: "If we can even sustain the latest increases we have experienced I would be more than happy. I would be very pleased just to hold them at this level.'' The latest batch of visitor statistics for June in the latest release of Government's Bermuda in Perspective showed that UK arrivals during the month were 20 percent above those experienced in June, 1997.

This was the third consecutive double digit increase for the year, and the eighth consecutive increase dating back to November of last year.

For the first six months of the year, UK arrivals are up 18.86 percent to 13,140 from 11,055 during the first half of 1997.

Mr. Parker put the growth down to a variety of reasons.

First off, he noted, the UK department's Bermuda specialist travel agent scheme was starting to pay off.

Under the programme, the department identifies performing travel agents throughout the UK and develops them through a three-pronged approach.

They are run through a two month, two module training programme which teaches them about the Island and what it has to offer; they are invited on a familiarisation trip to the Island to see things first hand; and the department gets involved in their marketing efforts for Bermuda on a 50-50 basis.

Mr. Parker said the department was also working closely with tour operators to offer cooperative campaigns and was endeavouring to come up with new products.

One which had proved successful took advantage of British Airways' new fourth direct flight to the Island from London on Fridays.

Because it left London at mid-day and arrived locally late afternoon, travellers could be on a beach in Bermuda that day.

Therefore the department was continuing to push the idea of the short break to the Island.

"It's an ideal way to get people into the Island,'' noted Mr. Parker.

And once they were here, he continued, it was easier for the department to capitalise on the high number of repeat visitors the Island received from the UK.

Some 40 percent of the Island's business from the UK is repeat business, he noted.

"The more we can introduce, the more we hope will come back,'' said Mr.

Parker.

A further example was designed to take advantage of the UK travellers flying to Bermuda via North America.

Two-centre vacations, the department promotes, offer travellers three or four night stays in cities like New York, Boston and Toronto and an additional three or four days in Bermuda.

These were also becoming popular, said Mr. Parker.

Other factors beyond the department's control had also contributed to the increases, he admitted.

Publicity generated by numerous articles in the electronic and print media about the Island had undoubtedly spurred interest in the Island, he said.

And a weak dollar against a strong pound had encouraged the overall UK travel market remarkably.

"The pound buys more wherever you go,'' he pointed out.

Mr. Parker replaced former director Pippa Grive in March when she resigned.

He, too, is a director with British based travel consultants Communications in Business -- the firm responsible for marketing Bermuda throughout the UK and Europe.