"Meanwhile,'' a local hotel's managing director said, "we are struggling with dismal occupancies and projections don't appear to be improving dramatically.'' Mr. W.A. (Toppy) Cowen added: "We must now ask ourselves, is the Let Yourself Go campaign working? Is there any research being done to determine the results?'' Both the Bahamas and Barbados reported increased arrivals and higher hotel revenues and occupancy rates in the Latin America Monitor article.

In the Bahamas, stopover arrivals rose nine percent to 466,470 and cruise passenger numbers climbed 11 percent to 473,446 over the same quarter in 1995.

Meanwhile occupancy rates increased to 79 percent from 70 percent in the year before.

The upturn is being attributed to new investments by foreign companies which are attracting a new wave of high-spending customers.

Next door in Barbados, arrivals increased by seven percent as the two year decline in the US market recovered to climb 10 percent and UK arrivals were "exceptional''.

The article reported that both luxury and budget sectors of the tourism market expanded, largely as a result of improved air links from both charters and scheduled services.

Tourism officials declined to comment on the news and said Minister David Dodwell would prefer to respond himself when he returned to the Island on Monday from department business in America's mid-west states.