difficult times is fading as the Minister of Tourism alienates himself from those who would help and becomes more and more preoccupied with his personal image. The Minister is under great pressure to perform and to produce at Tourism and is angered by a primary in his Smith's South district and he takes well-intentioned suggestions from the public and the press as personal criticism. This newspaper has never had a problem with the way Bermuda is promoted by the Ministry of Tourism overseas but it has severe problems with local facilities and the way visitors are treated in Bermuda.

It is perfectly logical for all Bermudians to be concerned about falling tourism and indications that the best of the islands has priced itself too high in the market. Bermudians must also be concerned that Bermuda has not kept pace with competing resorts. There is nothing untoward about people being concerned about their very livelihood. Bermuda is a top product but it is getting a little old and weary and it needs some doses of Geritol.

Bermudians can't accept not being on top any more. The people want Bermuda's tourism better placed in the visitor market and they want to have a voice about what Bermuda is doing to better tourism and what Bermuda is planning for the future.

People want the Minister of Tourism and his remarkably silent Tourism Board to tell them the plans they have created to get Bermuda's tourism out of what is clearly a mess. The Board has a duty to the Government which appointed it to do just that in these questionable times. The public would like some reassurance that there is sense and sensibility taking place in Tourism and right now Tourism's image is one of acrimony, recrimination and future uncertainty while the system remains in idle. That is most unsettling when everyone's pay cheque is involved with tourism.

What Bermuda hears today from the Ministry of Tourism comes from the Minister who is constantly on television rebuking and even libelling those people who express concern about Bermuda's tourism or who make suggestions for progress in an embattled industry. A remarkably thin-skinned politician moans and whines over suggestions which might benefit visitors but makes none himself nor does he point to anything but the past.

When businessmen make suggestions for tourism the Minister accuses all businesses of being anti-Tourism which is like saying that a baby shop is anti-motherhood. The Minister says, "All the Department of Tourism gets is criticism from these people instead of working with us.'' The Minister clearly feels personally put upon because he says previous tourism ministers, "got the complete support of the Country''. The Minister says you are never going to "have people appreciate what tourism really means to us''. That, of course, is a self-fulfilling statement as long as the Minister does not tell the people his plans and gets on TV and rebukes anyone who makes a suggestion for tourism.

Bermuda, the resort which set the pace and the style and the standards which others followed, has tourism problems which must be faced. The Minister will not discuss tourism in any meaningful way but, instead, reprimands or rebuffs anyone who has any suggestion. He does it to members of the public, businessmen, the media and even to members of his own board. He has done that repeatedly for several years now without demonstrating that he has any plans or solutions for what is becoming an untended crisis. Tourism is in danger of being a sacred cow which died for need of nourishment.

People have a right to discuss tourism, the premier industry. Bermuda needs to discuss tourism and to find solutions. Not one person can do so with the Minister.