Chairman of the Bermuda Tourism Board and Progressive Labour Party backbencher Delaey Robinson has voiced disappointment with Government's efforts to go after the African American tourist market.

"I am particularly displeased with the size of our efforts toward the African American market,'' he said.

"With the change of Government, and the renaissance type thinking that has emerged, I am surprised that people still do not want to talk about race. I think now would be a perfect time,'' he continued.

Mr. Robinson charged that Government was not "tapping that market as well as we could'' but pointed to "the source'' of marketing information for the Island as the reason for the lack of action.

"Our information is mostly from the northeast,'' he said. "We have had close ties with Boston, New York and Washington -- also Atlanta -- and we have kept them.'' Mr. Robinson claimed it would take an all out campaign specifically targetting the African American traveller to attract the business to Bermuda.

"We would have to go all out and market specifically to get them,'' he said.

"A simple adjunct to an already existing campaign would not work and this makes it difficult in light of the financial constraints in the Ministry of Tourism,'' he added.

"Government's feeling is that it cannot afford to launch a big campaign to attract African Americans,'' he said.

Mr. Robinson's comments came as he discussed the possible repercussions of St.

George's twinning with Charleston, South Carolina. See story on Page 5 .

The US state's tourism industry is estimated to have lost in excess of $100 million dollars since January when the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People instituted a boycott of their tourism industry.

And concern has emerged that the boycott would be extended to include Bermuda if a twinning of the cities were to take place now.

Several large conventions and groups who were slated to meet in Charleston pulled out on the issuance of the boycott. Among them were the National Association of Federal and Postal Employees, the New York Knickerbockers basketball team, the National Urban League and the American Bar Association.

But Mr. Robinson said he felt the twinning would not have much of a negative impact on Bermuda because the number of African American visitors is "already pitiful''.

"It certainly won't be a huge worry, but it would be another nail in the coffin,'' he said.

"I don't think it will hurt because our numbers of African American visitors are already pitiful -- but it is awkward,'' he added.

Mr. Robinson conceded: "There are African Americans with a lot of money who like to travel. We're just not going after them the way I would like to see.''