Ireland, according to travel agents from the long-troubled province.

Tired of the Caribbean and wary of escalating crime on some of its islands, Irish travellers are looking for alternative destinations in the sun, say the agents.

And having spent a week in Bermuda, they would not hesitate in selling the Island.

"I know my clients would come back happy,'' said Ms Nicola Rainey of Mayfair Travel.

The 10 travel agents were flown to Bermuda by Delta Air Lines as a reward for selling the carrier well this year. They left at the weekend having stayed at Grotto Bay Hotel.

Delta marketing director Mr. Mukesh Sharma said Bermuda was chosen because "there seemed to be a certain amount of potential for business for Bermuda from Ireland''.

Delta flies directly from Northern Ireland to Atlanta where Bermuda-bound passengers can overnight before catching a morning flight here.

Mr. Sharma said he believed the best way for an agent to sell a destination was to visit it. However, he added, it would help if Bermuda was better promoted in Ireland -- and in England.

The group of travel agents said they could hardly find any information on Bermuda before arriving.

And they said most of the travel brochures used by their agencies had only a page or two on Bermuda -- if they had anything at all.

The Caribbean is marketed on television, the radio and in newspapers and magazines in Ireland and England, they said. But Bermuda was scarcely heard of.

"That's why it's at the bottom of (clients') lists when they come in looking to book a holiday,'' said Mr. Sharma.

The travel agents were most impressed with the friendliness of Bermuda's people.

"As soon as you land you get a feeling of being very welcome,'' Mr. Pat Milliken of Bangor said.

Its cleanliness, quality shopping, favourable winter weather and low crime were also plus factors, according to others.

"I feel far safer on Front Street than the main street in Castries (St.

Lucia),'' said Mr. Sharma.

Only one complaint was voiced among the 10 agents. And that was the lack of facilities for the elderly and disabled at the Island's hotels and restaurants.

"The shopping is excellent, though the prices are a little high. But there are some very good buys and there are plenty of people with plenty of money back home,'' Mr. Milliken said.

Mr. Stuart Castles was "pleasantly surprised'', having thought the Island was an "annex'' of the Caribbean.

"But it's not just another Caribbean isle,'' he said. "It's got better infrastructure, the people are friendlier -- everything works. Although it has a very big American influence, it still has its own personality.''