succeeding where others have failed.

Bermuda Hotel Association president Dennis Tucker reported yesterday on the overall occupancy for last month and projections for the next three months.

"Hotel and cottage colonies combined achieved a final occupancy of 72.6 percent for the month of April which is 7.9 points ahead of the level attained in April, 1997, and 10.3 points ahead of 1996,'' he said.

Occupancy in April, 1997, stood at 64.7 percent while in April, 1996, it hit 62.3 percent.

Looking ahead, BHA figures show May projections to be up slightly at 79.8 percent against 78.2 percent last year and 74.5 percent in May, 1996.

And projections for June stand at 71 percent against 56 percent at this time last year.

But it is not all good news. July projections are down to 44.9 percent from 45.3 percent last year.

However they are still up on projections at this time in 1996 which stood at 41.6 percent.

Mr. Tucker said: "The BHA is encouraged with the projections for June and are hopeful that the projected occupancy for July will surpass the level obtained in 1997.'' "June is phenomenally up,'' exclaimed Tourism Minister David Dodwell. "It is very good news.'' And the Minister directed praise at Radio Bermuda, 540 original 60-second radio spots which started broadcasting from 15 popular stations in the US on March 30.

"It is still early days yet as the ads have only been on the air for a month and a half,'' he noted.

But he pointed out: "1-800 number calls are up almost 26 percent since the release of Radio Bermuda in early April.

"This includes the regular 1-800-Bermuda number and the 1-800 numbers Radio Bermuda listeners call in their respective markets.

"You add the two together and they are up on the previous year by 25.6 percent for total call ins to the 1-800 numbers.'' And the BHA statistics indicate that conversions are up, as do reports from wholesalers who have seen a change in bookings, he continued.

"Bookings for Bermuda through Liberty GoGo are up 9.2 percent for the period from April 13 to May 10,'' said Mr. Dodwell.

And year to date, the figure for "passenger production'' is up 20 percent, he added.

Passenger production includes people who have booked and gone away as well as people who have booked but not traveled yet.

Meanwhile bookings for Bermuda through another wholesaler, Travel Impressions, are up 30 percent.

Mr. Dodwell noted that Radio Bermuda featured two components: the 540 unique messages which are broadcast once in either the morning or evening as an original daily radio ad; and the radio announcer who follows them with another message about Bermuda.

The radio announcer portion has proved to be incredibly popular.

`Radio Bermuda' is getting results "The response to the live radio announcer spots has exceeded expectations,'' said the Minister.

"There have been a number of positive comments from people who have heard those and subsequently called the Radio Bermuda 1-800 number.'' The ads have been running during morning and evening rush hours in five key markets since March 30. They will wrap up on October 9.

In two of these markets an interesting response has been noted, continued Mr.

Dodwell.

Calls coming in through each city's 1-800 number are timed and in Boston and the Washington D.C. areas, this has shown that 91 percent of the responses during the first four weeks came from people who listened to the radio in the morning hours.

And the department has acted accordingly, confirmed the Minister.

"We have now shifted all the radio spots for those areas to those hours.

There will be no more radio spots in the evening there.'' Taking advantage of this sort of trend is a benefit radio offers, noted Mr.

Dodwell.

"Unlike television spots which have to be booked months in advance, radio allows you to make changes a week in advance. It is a very flexible medium.'' The department will continue to monitor the ads and make any necessary changes.

But Mr. Dodwell was quick to add that Radio Bermuda was only one part of the Island's new $3.5 million plan which also comprises specific print and magazine advertising, public relations, direct marketing and Internet technology.

And the Island is using 85 consecutive Wall Street Journal ads and weekend newspaper ads while advertising in specific magazines.