arrest the decline of its tourism industry, Chamber of Commerce president David Rowntree declared yeterday.

Commenting on the interim findings of the Boston-based consulting group, Monitor Company, Mr. Rowntree said their preliminary analysis held few surprises, but helped to bring some issues into focus and kick start the thinking process: "Various suggestions made a lot of sense and what really comes out (of the report) is the fact that we have to throw all the old mistrusts away and get on with rebuilding tourism,'' he said.

"We have to stop using tourism as a political football and get on with it. We can't, after 20 years of decline, sit back and watch it decline even further.'' Key to the rebuilding process is the need for labour and management to bury the hatchet, he said.

"That's where it started to fail; mistrust built-up from all the strikes and the political football it became,'' said Mr. Rowntree.

What Monitor has done, in this first phase, is bring home the fact that when Bermuda started out in tourism, "we had it right''.

"We were so damn good back then that people -- from as far away as Hawaii -- would come over to study us. Then they'd go home and do it too.'' Shadow Tourism Minister David Allen said Monitor has made it clear there was "plenty of room for everyone to pull up their socks''.

And while the party would be issuing a detailed comment on this first report in due course, said Mr. Allen, a preliminary assessment proved encouraging: "We've always known some of the solutions (to the tourism problem) are right here in Bermuda,'' he said. The PLP had been calling for years for the development of niche markets and cultural tourism, he said.

"Monitor makes clear there's a need to develop these markets, and it's good to have those gut feelings backed up by an objective third party. All that data has provided a real road map for Bermuda,'' he said.

The party also "unequivocally supports'' Monitor's recommendation to retrain and develop the human resources within the (tourism) industry, said Mr. Allen.

Front Street retailer Eldon Trimingham agreed.

"It's absolutely vital that we develop our people, but we've got to stop fighting each other and recognise that we all have the same objective,'' he yesterday told The Royal Gazette .

Years of political and ideological baggage remain to be overcome, and while that may be wishful thinking, the status quo is no alternative: "Just how bad does it have to get before we, as Bermudians, sit down and fix it,'' he said.

The initial report has provided a good snapshot of Monitor's findings and work so far, said Mr. Trimingham: "But I suspect much more analysis and discussion is to come.'' One area yet to be explored in detail is the cost of doing business on the Island, and Monitor representatives were "shocked'' to discover how costly overhead factors such as electricity could be, he said.

"I think now they have an underlying understanding that there is an expense problem on Bermuda, so we're all learning as we go.'' Mr. Trimingham also agreed with Monitor's assessment that tax incentives would not increase the Bermuda's overall competitiveness.

"There is no point in giving tax breaks to certain sectors of the industry, such as taxis. We have to look at the overall (tax) picture, and I think Monitor will have more to say on that as well,'' he said.

Bermuda Industrial Union president Derrick Burgess said Monitor had provided an "excellent'' profile of the state of the Island's tourism industry, the union backs "100 percent'' their recommendations for increased training and development of the labour force.

"We've been advocating that for years. No offence to Monitor. I think they've done a superb job; but why do we always have to bring someone in to tell us what to do?'' And the union has actively been trying to build trust with the business community, he said.

"We wish no harm on business. We want business to flourish and to be successful because in the end it's for the good of all Bermudians.

"We know the world is changing and the union is not opposed to change. But change can't be a one-sided affair. Business has to do its part as well.''