Despite dropping visitor numbers, tourism officials are hoping to secure extra air service from Canada.

And more Charter flights and the possibility of a winter service from the Maritimes are high on the agenda.

But any new ventures will face tough challenges, with a lower Canadian dollar translating into falling visitor arrivals for the last seven months.

And the spectre of the failed Conquest Tours/Canada 3000 Airlines programme could also overshadow any plans.

Tourism director Gary Phillips said he believes there is an untapped potential in the Canadian Maritimes, but providing reliable flights throughout the winter season was key to developing that market.

Currently Air Canada flies from Halifax to Bermuda once a week, between February and September. But Mr. Phillips is hoping the airline can be persuaded to make it a year-round service.

And in other provinces outside of the Toronto gateway, tourism officials have identified potential customers. But any promotion outside Ontario is likely to need a gateway other than Toronto.

Over half the Island's Canadian visitors come between November and March, a period which has seen a drop in numbers every month. And last year the total from Canada fell around five per cent to 33,000 visitors.

"There are significant opportunities outside of Toronto. Like Halifax for example, we would hope Air Canada would keep the flight on through the winter,'' Mr. Phillips said. "We keep talking to them about it.

"There are also openings in Montreal, but you need a direct Bermuda flight.

We are exploring how we can attract air service. That is the key.'' Apart from people living in the Toronto area, vacationers thinking about Bermuda would have to hop another flight to Ontario or a US east coast gateway, before making the final haul.

And while many Canadian city airports provide direct flights to Florida or the Caribbean, Bermuda does not.

"Nobody wants to go through another gateway to get to Bermuda, unless of course they want to take advantage of their mileage,'' he said.

"Bermuda is especially challenging for Canada because we only have one flight out, and there is a strong charter market to Cuba and the Caribbean,'' he further explained.

Although visitor figures have been down, Canadian vacationers on the whole have been staying at home, with statistics for many destinations low.

"Canada has been very shaky for the past year,'' said Mr. Phil-lips.

Although the economy is likely to be responsible for the decline, tourism officials are still keeping a watching brief on the situation.

"I have to say that we are a little bit concerned because the November to March period is usually pretty strong out of Canada,'' he said, "but I am sure that the economy is still having an impact.''