not 1992, as stated.

Tourism officials have admitted College Weeks cannot survive the competition from cheaper, warmer destinations.

The traditional promotion is being scrapped, and Tourism is hoping to attract American college students with sports packages instead.

College teams will be offered special events to compete in, plus free lunches, T-shirts, equipment and coaching.

Officials are hoping the new programme, Bermuda Spring Break Sports, will eventually match the success of College Weeks.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, College Weeks attracted up to 14,000 students.

But last year only about 2,000 came.

Trends in the tourism industry, and the emergence of new destinations, meant Bermuda had to be extremely flexible, said Tourism director Mr.

Gary Philips.

"We've done some research and found we're unable to compete for this particular market on weather and price.'' Other places also had "more relaxed standards of conduct and behaviour''.

Tourism was still anxious to attract young people, in the hope they would return to the Island when they were older.

"We felt we would never abandon this market, but maybe focus on some of the more special-interest type of groups.

"We're focusing a lot more this year on the sporting side, so people come down with their teams.

"This is the strategy that we're using and I think it has received a good response from the travel agents,'' he said. "We're just shifting gears -- talking to the same young people but talking to them about different things, hoping they will respond positively.

"We're very excited about this new approach, and hoping it will be as successful as the College Weeks programme was some years ago.

"I'm hoping that this will be able to generate the sorts of numbers in the long term that the College Weeks were able to generate at the earlier stages of its inception, when there was no competition.'' A new brochure has been produced for March which highlights lacrosse, golf, tennis and rugby.

It says: "Coaches, teams and athletes are invited to participate in our special Spring Break Sports Programme, developed and designed to your team's individual needs.

"You supply the players, we supply the playing fields, itinerary and programmes. We'll kick in free T-shirts, lunch, competition prizes, even free golf and tennis balls.

"We'll organise matches and tournaments between local and visiting teams, or supply the perfect practice field.'' Just released 1992 Tourism figures show the Island's traditional Northeast US market is bouncing back. Air arrivals from the region increased 18.9 percent compared to 1992.

Air arrivals generally were up 10.1 percent, and cruise arrivals were up 17.5 percent.

The total number of visitors went up 12 percent to 567,164, compared to 506,237 in 1992 and 514,812 in 1991.

Figures for December show arrivals were up 17.2 percent on the same month in 1992.

There were big jumps in the number of people coming from the southeastern US and Canada.

But the average length of stay dropped from 8.4 nights in December, 1992 to 7.9 nights in December, 1993.

In Bermuda Hotel Association properties, the length of stay rose from 4.2 nights to 4.4 nights.

Mr. Gary Phillips.