An action plan for tourism within 100 days was yesterday promised by Shadow Tourism Minister David Allen if the Progressive Labour Party win the election.

Mr. Allen said: "A PLP Government intends to not only rebuild but expand the industry with its comprehensive plan.

"Using existing budget resources, we will make a better allocation of these resources to Bermuda's overall marketing effort and we will ensure that this effort is more efficiently managed.'' He said that "an overall 18-year-long decline'' in the industry would have to be turned around.

Mr. Allen added that a National Tourism Action Group, to include all interested parties, would be set up to help boost tourism.

He pointed out that -- even with the loss of tourist beds ranging from major hotels to small guest houses -- total hotel bed nights remain "in deficit''.

Mr. Allen said that at July of this year, the number of beds had fallen from 9,567 to 7,808, based on a two-beds per room formula.

He added: "Yet even with this greatly shrunken pie, total bednights to date for this year are down nearly one percent compared to last year.

"One could reasonably expect occupancy rates at surviving hotel properties to be up substantially, given the enormous decrease in hotel beds.'' But Mr. Allen said: "Even to maintain the status quo in hotel occupancy rates is not acceptable to the PLP and it is surely not acceptable to Bermuda and the Bermuda people.'' Mr. Allen was speaking as the PLP discussed their plans for the future of tourism.

He repeated PLP platform pledges to review the tax system to give more incentives to the industry -- including "the linkage...between import duty reduction on wines and spirits for operators in the hospitality industry and provision of entertainment by Bermudian entertainers.'' He added if hotels went for "full scale nightclubs'' a PLP Government would "make it worth their while''.

Mr. Allen added other initiatives would involve projecting a younger image through diving and other watersports and boost educational tourism, which he said could also be used to attract visitors in the off-season.

He also called for negotiations to shorten the booking time for cheap air deals to the Island to make Bermuda more attractive to the increasing number of impulse long weekend tourists.