A host of new initiatives aiming to boost Bermuda's tourism product and investment appeal have been revealed.

At the core of the new thrust are bids to lure young Bermudians into the hospitality industry, joint marketing and an action plan to smooth the path for prospective investors.

The new moves come after an unprecedented third meeting between hotel owners and Government since the PLP assumed power in November.

And Tourism Minister David Allen revealed that a fourth summit is planned for later this year, followed next year by a major tourism conference on the Island.

Bermuda Hotel Association president Muriel Richardson said the coming together of hotel bosses, Ministers, union officials and Premier Jennifer Smith was an historic moment for the Island.

And Mr. Allen said the meeting, which took place in Boston last weekend, was unique as previous summits had taken place infrequently. Now the regular sessions would enable the partners to coordinate action.

"Canadian Pacific said they had never experienced that kind of relationship with a Government,'' he said.

The Minister said an Island-wide tourism conference, next April, would pull together all the other partners involved in Bermuda vacations -- from airlines and service providers to cruise lines and the unions.

Joint marketing for the Island would enable hotels and other forms of accommodations to be aware of Government advertising campaigns and dovetail their own promotions to make the most out of marketing.

And in reference to July's latest tourism figures, which showed falls in US air arrivals and hotel bed nights, Mr. Allen said the lack of cohesive packages could have had an effect.

He said the poor figures for July showed the Island needed to be more proactive in the marketplace, and be ready with various holiday options earlier.

To aid the Island's bid for new hotel investment, new initiatives will smooth the process for potential developers.

A "first point of contact'' will act as liaison, helping investors navigate their way through Government processes -- and a current Civil Service review aims to make the whole practice "customer driven''.

In addition, there will be rapid decision-making in areas such as immigration, planning and unions.

And a kit containing video and instructions will be made available to prospects, as well as a website.

Tourism summit To try and lure young Bermudians into the hospitality industry, there will be initiatives in schools, new training schemes and internships.

Following the Boston summit, which was organised by Monitor management consultants, the group -- which included hotel managers from the Sonesta, Hamilton and Southampton Princesses, Elbow Beach and Harmony Club -- addressed six specific areas.

The issues included product and marketing strategies, human capital, operating costs and a long-term strategy for tourism.