By Tim Greenfield Tourism-orientated businesses have reacted positively to a rallying call to join a charge in the American West.

Retailers and activity outfitters have signalled their intention to support tourism roadshows forging new ground in the US Midwest and West Coast next year.

Tourism Minister David Allen wants retailers, restaurants, sports companies and other industries related to the holiday experience to join hoteliers as they mount two promotional trade shows to support new flights out of Atlanta and St. Louis.

Events last year featured hotel general managers and tourism officials, but the Minister sees the expansion as vital, to show travel agents the full range of what the Island has to offer.

Trimingham's president Eldon Trimingham backed the idea but stressed it was important that a candidate was found who could act as representative for the whole retail industry.

"I think it is very important to present the whole of Bermuda to the potential visitor,'' he said. "Hotels are places where people stay when they come. They really don't come here to stay in a hotel, they come to experience the whole Island.

"We tend to look at the tourism industry as the hotels. But it is important that they represent the Bermuda product, of which shopping is a prominent part of.'' The Chamber of Commerce has been a part of past roadshows and president Cris Dapena said the upcoming tours would form part of a more coordinated marketing effort between all sectors of the industry.

And she stressed the importance of finding people who could accurately communicate the message from all sectors of the retail and service divisions.

Mr. Allen is hoping some of the Island's other properties will join the tours, in addition to the larger, more well known hotels that already attend.

Concessionary rates have been negotiated to make it more viable for smaller accommodations to go.

Larry Lamb, of Pompano Beach Club, said he believed, from a travel agent's perspective, it was more encouraging to meet several representatives than just a few.

And, he added, the exercise would show some elements of the community, who have complained about the tourism revitalisation effort, exactly what Bermuda is up against in the marketplace.

But he stressed it was vital that delegates paid their own way and the burden was not passed on to the taxpayer.

Of the two regions for the trips, California and the Midwest, he said the latter tour, based around the new TWA flight from St. Louis, could really prove beneficial.

"This gives the Midwest the opportunity to get here in a shorter amount of time,'' he said. "If you had a non-stop service from Los Angeles, you would find that was really popular.

"I think TWA will be pleasantly surprised.'' Several Island dive companies already attend shows in the US, but Michael Peers of Fantasea Diving said reaching further than the East Coast was not a viable option because of the huge number of alternatives available to vacationers.

"We have never thought of the Midwest as a really good market to target, it is too cheap to go elsewhere,'' he said.

Dive information is passed out at the shows but, like Blue Water Divers, Fantasea attend more specific, dive-related events to reach their niche market.

John Rhodes, of Blue Water, said the time and cost factor would weigh heavily, although they were keen to support tourism in their overseas efforts.