Bermuda's winter tourism because they mesh so well with suggestions made by this newspaper. Mr. Trimingham is really suggesting a kinder Bermuda which gives the visitor a break and continues to remember that it lives on the visitor's dollar. Mr. Trimingham has a merchant's approach but then merchants know how to sell and tourism is Bermuda's major business. It may well be that since Bermuda's tourism was developed by merchants who were quality salesmen, like Sir Henry Vesey and Mr. "Shorty'' Trimingham, there are now too few merchants involved.

The sad thing about Mr. Trimingham's suggestions is that not one person in a position to implement them appears to be willing to even look at them. This newspaper has made dozens of simple suggestions on how to encourage our visitors and how to provide due consideration for our customers and we have no indication that a single suggestion has fallen on anything but very stony ground. Mr. Trimingham, no matter how well intentioned or how good a merchandiser, will probably suffer the same fate. Major merchandisers know how to keep customers happy, that's the way they succeed, and Mr. Trimingham is a major merchandiser.

We think that somewhere in the wheels of Government there has been a firm decision to continue to operate Bermuda's tourism according to the successful formula of the 1960s and not to even admit that things change and it is now 1992. We are certainly not suggesting that anyone desecrate Bermuda in the way Elbow Beach proposes in the name of improved tourism but someone has to understand that even the most beautiful antique needs to be repaired and refurbished.

Tourism's Mr. Peter Smith has said that research shows that among the promotions we need to persuade visitors to choose Bermuda is "something which is appropriate to Bermuda''. We agree. Surely there is nothing inappropriate to Bermuda in Mr. Trimingham's suggested free ferry and bus passes during the winter months when the scheduled bus and ferry system will run with empty space. We find nothing inappropriate about warming up the Airport welcome with a drink and a little music as this newspaper has suggested to deaf ears. We can see no objection to promoting Bermuda's history and culture, especially in the off season, as both this newspaper and Mr. Trimingham have suggested. If the powers that be in tourism want to remain in the past surely they will adopt this newspaper's suggestion of promoting local entertainment because that is what we did in the 1960s. Surely, as Mr. Trimingham has suggested, we could forego getting the final buck from visitors in Airport head tax if we want them to come in the off-season.

Right now Bermuda does not do any of these things to be kind and helpful to visitors but the Minister of Tourism does promote palaces on the Elbow Beach dunes which today's visitor does not want and which will damage Bermuda for tomorrow. We just hope that Elbow Beach remembers to empty the palaces when Bermuda has its Hurricane Edward.

What concerns us is that tourism appears to be a great bleeding giant and no-one with the power seems interested in applying even a Band-Aid.