competitors, a public meeting was told.

The Monitor Company, charged with trying to find a cure to the Island's tourism ills, held the first of a series of open meetings earlier this week at Cathedral Hall, on Reid Street.

Joe Babiec, the man leading the Monitor study told the meeting: "We are starting the process of restoring Bermuda as a premier destination for tourism by taking a positive look.

"We want to think about what to do to make Bermuda's tourism as strong as possible and not just through some quick fix solutions.

"We are talking about creating a vision and then implementing that vision, bringing together the different groups to talk about how to put the vision into practice, replacing defensiveness with a sense of co-operation.'' About 50 people, as well as Tourism Minister David Dodwell and the Director of Tourism Gary Phillips, attended the meeting which gave an overall idea of Monitor's objectives.

Last month Government signed a $1 million contract with Boston-based Monitor, with half the cash put up by Bermuda's private businesses.

Over 16 weeks the company will work with groups and people involved in tourism with the aim of "turning findings into real benefits'' by drawing up an action plan.

Mr. Babiec said there would short-term goals that could be implemented over four, six and eight months and long-term goals such as investment and training.

Monitor has already talked to the airlines, the Bermuda Industrial Union, the hotels, international businesses and the tourist department about how to improve the tourist product and attract more visitors.

He added: "Some of the indications are that the main competitor is the US itself.'' To find out Monitor is doing research in four US cities as well as in Bermuda.

"In the space of the 16 weeks we will review the material already out, add material that needs to be added and fill in some gaps,'' added Mr. Babiec.

"At the end of the 16 weeks we will have a vision that has been arrived at by the groups we have been working with. Once that process is over we will begin the process of implementation.''