marketing its product, Shadow Tourism Minister David Allen recommended yesterday.

Mr. Allen was speaking after the announcement that the industry had launched an advertising campaign called Radio Bermuda over US radio waves.

Radio Bermuda will feature some 540 spots on 15 radio stations in five major cities across the US between March 30 and October 9.

The campaign features CedarBridge deputy principal Carlos Symonds talking about different aspects of Bermuda. Each spot will be played twice during either a morning or evening rush hour and then be taken off the air.

The campaign replaces Let Yourself Go which was criticised for its sex and sin overtones by members of the public and the Progressive Labour Party.

Mr. Allen said: "I can tell you that I always appreciate it when people try to take a new approach.

"However I am concerned about the stop-start, fitful approach that is being taken to market Bermuda tourism.'' He noted that two years ago people were told television was the medium to be used for marketing the Island.

"Now we are being told that radio is the way to go.'' Two years ago the Island was also told that newspapers were important but now glossy magazines were being pushed.

"It seems like every year the advertising agency (DDB Needham) and the Tourism Department try to come up with a new scenario,'' said Mr. Allen.

He said he did not think that enough thought went into what made Bermuda unique.

"I feel that we have to get back to basics and sell our strong points. These are the uniqueness of the Island's architecture, scenery, culture, food and, to a certain extent, music.'' At the same time, he continued, the Island's dynamic side had to also be portrayed -- while not resorting to the sex and sin style used in the Let Yourself Go advertising campaign.

"I think we can provide youthful dynamics without being tacky like the sex and sin imagery used in Let Yourself Go.'' Mr. Allen said he believed television's worth in a marketing campaign should not be underestimated because of the failure of the Let Yourself Go campaign.

"I am concerned that we are not using television altogether. There has to be a visual presentation.

"Let Yourself Go was disastrous in that its message undermined our product.

TV did not work then because of this disastrous message.'' Now only radio was being used after television was used in the wrong way.

"Radio is a medium we want to use but to totally discard all television seems to really do a disservice to Bermuda which is such a visual product.

"I am not saying that radio should not be used but it should be part of the total mix. We need television advertising with a message projecting Bermuda as it should be.''