aimed at drumming up tourism business for the beleaguered region.

The $15 million campaign brings together 23 nations in an unprecedented effort to heighten awareness of the Caribbean across the United States.

The push has been organised by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation to counter business declines and the apparent loss of regional identity.

For the Bermuda Government, which has always declined membership in the organisation, the campaign represents a serious challenge to its own efforts to improve weak off-season business results.

Tourism Minister the Hon. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge, who rejects membership in the CTO, said the campaign underscores Bermuda's reasons for staying out of the CTO.

"They are our competition,'' he said. "They are targeting the same audience.

They're pitting their high season against our low season, with a guarantee of sunshine year round. They put their reduced rates against our high season, and they have inexpensive labour.

"I am aware of this money being spent and I think it would be inappropriate at this time for Bermuda to be a part of the CTO.'' Bermuda has declined CTO membership for reasons stemming from its unique history, the fact that it is not geographically part of the region and a general desire to stand alone.

But Progressive Labour Party spokesman Mr. David Allen MP said the Island should join the CTO, particularly because the organisation is making inroads into European markets.

"My feeling is that if Bermuda were part of the CTO we would have a presence in Europe,'' he said. "The CTO is interfacing with the European Economic Community in Brussels. They have a collective presence in the market. We're really being left out on the periphery.'' Mr. Allen said the CTO was the avenue through which the Island could develop European business and possibly new air connections.

The PLP MP said he would watch the CTO's US campaign to see if he would advocate Bermuda joining in. But he had no qualms about giving up the Island's long-held assertion that it was not part of the Caribbean.

"Let's face it,'' he said. "The Europeans consider Bermuda as part of the Caribbean whether we like it or not.'' The CTO campaign will highlight the diversity of the region and aims to complement the advertising campaigns of individual countries, CTO marketing director Mr. Michael Youngman said.

"The Caribbean as an entity has been invisible while other areas have gained awareness with joint advertising programmes.'' The effort follows a disappointing year for tourism in the Caribbean. Tourist arrivals fell eight percent for the first ten months of 1991 and will show a decrease for the entire year.

The number of tourists from the United States, the bread and butter for the Caribbean industry, has levelled off during the past five years.

"We can't blame this on the recession,'' Youngman said. ''People are still travelling and they are choosing other destinations.'' The advertising programme, using television, radio and print media, is being funded by CTO member nations and private companies, including airlines and hotels.

The Hon. C.V. Woolridge.