performance for the month of August since the mid-1970s.

Government figures released this week show 1,598 fewer people passing through the Civil Air Terminal last week than the same week last year -- a 14.3 percent drop.

Total airport arrivals for the past four weeks are 40,782, a relatively poor performance for the normally busy period.

The four-week tally, which includes the last five days of July, indicates August will be well down.

August, 1991 saw the Island attract 48,124 regular visitors. August, 1990 attracted 48,349.

The average total for the month through the 1980s was 50,343.

The figures, which are released by the Finance Ministry, record all arrivals through the airport and thus are considered a rough guide to the health of the hotel and tourist industry.

Yesterday, Acting Tourism Director Mr. Randy Horton said the numbers were an indication that the Island remained "deeply embedded in this recession''.

He said he hoped the recently reduced airfares to Bermuda would boost arrivals in the coming months.

But Mr. David Dodwell, Bermuda Hotel Association president, questioned that hope. The new fares -- some 30 percent below regular Bermuda ticket prices -- require advanced bookings, something the market is increasingly reluctant to commit to.

"I'm concerned that these good rates will not mesh with the last-minute nature of bookings,'' he said. "If people are not thinking ahead, then they (the new rates) will not translate.'' Mr. Dodwell said last-minute bookings was a key recent development that the worldwide tourism industry had yet to come to grips with.

"The travel industry is going through a dramatic period of change,'' he said.

"The entire industry is unsettled. To forecast is extremely difficult right now. Even looking three months down the road is a 50/50 thing.'' Mr. Dodwell said Bermuda had to continue to selling its message in the market place and, at all costs, avoid discounting room rates.

He said the recession had made its first impact last year on large hotels.

This year it was beginning to also wear down smaller properties.

Collectively, the industry is heading toward an occupancy rate in the low 70 percentiles for May to October -- a period that normally finishes in the 80-90 percentile.

July occupancies this year were 74 percent. August in 1991 -- one of the worst tourism years ever -- finished with an 82 percent occupancy.

Mr. Dodwell said no-one could be sure when the uncertain and poor business climate would improve.

"The community must recognise we're in a differnt phase right now,'' he said.

"It will take a couple of years before business settles down to the growth patterns we had before.'' For Mr. Horton, the down period means Bermudians have to try harder to make sure the visitor experience was the best possible.

"The people of Bermuda must make sure that every visitor that comes here has the experience of his life,'' he said. "It's important for Bermuda.''