Dodwell: Bermuda must make `bold and aggressive changes' "We have to become new,'' he said, "without spoiling what we had in the past.'' But new ideas, new products and the new competition would force new thinking so Bermuda had to get out of its little box and make bold and aggressive changes which the customer wanted while maintaining the Island's solid traditions.

"We have got to be competitive by anticipating the visitor's needs and meeting them but then we have to sustain that as well.'' Mr. Dodwell said there was a four part action plan which included tourism appreciation, marketing, product development and management of those three parts.

Everyone on the Island needed to get living, thinking and breathing tourism like they used to, he said.

The Visitor Industry Partnership and the Ministry of Education putting a tourism curriculum in the schools will encourage this, he said, as will the launch of the reward recognition programme.

In this visitors will vote for the people in the different categories of the hospitality industry that they felt were the best service providers.

Mr. Dodwell said the product had to be developed through a cooperative effort between Government and the private sector.

He said there would be changes in the future which the public would be kept abreast of that included a review of the liquor licensing laws.

A facilitator will also be brought in to the Island in two weeks time to help explain the importance of food in a resort location -- an area visitors were not happy about in Bermuda.

And by 1998 Mr. Dodwell said he hoped to hold a food and wine festival in Bermuda.

There was also the proposed development of Morgan's Point which would provide further activities that visitors wanted and the increased use of the water around the Island.

Steps had already been taken in this direction with the help of the Chamber of Commerce's water sports division which had being working together with the department to promote new ideas.

These included the possible new relationship with a renowned snorkelling programme.

The same scheme was planned with the Island's golf courses to get them working together to get more players out on the links.

The Jazz festival had been a success and another one was planned for next year, he continued.

The department would also be working in partnership with St. George's so they could contribute to cultural tourism and it was hoped that similar links could be forged with the National Trust.

Next year would also see an increased focus on service with the introduction of specific standards in the Island's hotels.

These standards would be provided by a US company and would be specific to the Island's individual hotels' needs.

Every hotel had joined the plan and those hotels with less than 20 beds would be put on the plan for free.

These performance standards would be measured by the visitors and would prove to be the most meaningful investment the department had made in the area of service.

At the end of the day the development of the product would create jobs and expand the economy which would in turn create more jobs and positions for Bermuda's youth.

A fully integrated marketing plan was being developed for the Island which would continue to evolve and change as the visitors' needs changed.

He added that he was committed to communicating to the public what the marketing plan was and show that it was fully integrated and not just sex and sin.

The "Let Yourself Go'' campaign was a necessary change for the Island, stressed Mr. Dodwell, as Bermuda had to be identified as being different and unique.

The new campaign's mission was to focus on first time visitors as Bermuda's loyal repeat visitors were "moving on and passing on''.

It also went after younger visitors hence the messages about the Island being a place for romance and activity.

Mr. Dodwell admitted his short term goal of 25,000 visitors would probably not be achieved but stressed it was not due to any failure by the campaign.

The campaign had created the new image it was intended to do, he said.

And a tracking study in the US had shown the campaign had built a base for the future without deteriorating the Island's image. The result would be that more people were likely to visit, he added.

The department was also going to ally itself with the Bermuda International Business Association and work with American Express in promoting the Island.

The upcoming year would also see the introduction of the Government Passenger Information System being put in place which would make it easier to collect visitor information.

Mr. Dodwell said the department's page on the Internet would be expanded as well.

Management of the three areas was the most critical task, he continued.

With the new partnerships the department hoped to form with the private sector would come more information and research to share.

Mr. Dodwell said he would also be looking into the department for ways to streamline its organisational structure and open it up to the public so it could see what was going on and be encouraged to buy into the process.

There was also the Monitor Company which was an opportunity tourism could not miss, said Mr. Dodwell.

A strategic action plan would be developed by the company which would aid all the organisations that got involved in it.

In closing, Mr. Dodwell said tourism had to become a national agenda like never before and when this happened it would benefit everybody.

"We must all be a part of the solution,'' he stressed.

Cox makes her maiden speech PLP newcomer Paula Cox , in her maiden speech in the House of Assembly, said the PLP's platform was to "revitalise, renew and restore lustre to Bermuda''.

She said she wished to discuss the children's future as new education opportunities were becoming available.

She said she wanted to see children unleashed and liberalised with opportunities across the board.

And Ms Cox added that she wanted to see "politics of inclusion'' enacted.

Education had to give people the skills and confidence to act in society.

Ms Cox said an agenda of action had to be put in place because there were children of promise who were not meeting their dreams and people had to be concerned when their children's opportunities were narrowed.

She said she wanted the door opened for them so all children could say their future was so bright that it was burning their eyes.

She added that she was concerned because there was disquiet in the teaching profession as they were concerned about the standard of the new education system especially the danger of streamlining students.

The expectations of schools being separate but equal was dangerous as children needed level playing fields and satisfactory facilities in which ever school they ended up in.

And while the children were being looked after, who was looking after the teachers, asked Ms Cox, as they had significant concerns with the restructuring of the education system.

Also there was the female agenda, said Ms Cox.

She said she wanted to see the end of female discrimination in the workplace and was looking forward to seeing the task force's report on the subject.

Shadow Environment Minister Leon (Jimmy) Williams said it was the UBP who were soft on drugs as drug use had escalated over the past ten years and drugs were still being sold openly around the Island.

"Who's in charge,'' he asked.

He said the community heard crime was down yet drugs were still a serious problem in the community.

And he said Government was trying to instill fear of the PLP in the public by saying they were soft on drugs.

Mr. Williams said the plans outlined in the Throne Speech to create new development application rules were good news.

But he warned the public to take a good look at their architectural heritage -- including Longbird House in St. George's -- before it was destroyed.

Rumours had it, he continued, that Longbird House was just the first historic building due to be destroyed on a long list.

Mr. Williams added that he would like to know what happened to the planned architectural preservation committee.

Those who did not care about Bermuda's architectural heritage, he added, would give the Island's children nothing to look back at.

And Mr. Williams said if the UBP would be cooperative then much could be achieved in the country.

Mr. Williams praised Bermuda's US Consul General Bob Farmer.

Here was the first Consul General who embraced the people of Bermuda, said Mr.

Williams.

Mr. Williams said the former US Base lands provided a great opportunity to Bermuda.

If asbestos was still buried at the US Annex, why could Bermuda not ask her American friends to take it away when they took their own asbestos.

Mr. Williams accused the UBP of ripping off the people of Bermuda and spending money like "drunken sailors''.

"The Country is in turmoil and people do not know where they are going.'' Mr. Williams also appealed for an end to the "destruction'' of the Island's underwater heritage.

It was important to preserve what was there for scuba divers.

Mr. Williams went on to call for attention to be paid to Bermudian industries relating to fishing, farming and taxis.

"Many people are nervous about where this Country is going.'' Mr. Williams added Bermudians were losing jobs and being laid off from hotels.