Glenn Jones, the new stakeholder relations advisor to the Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA), has called for the independent group to be left out of “political crossfire”.

The statement came as Shadow Tourism Minister Zane DeSilva charged that the organisation had “consistently failed to be open, transparent or accountable”.

Mr Jones, who was appointed this week to the post until mid-December, issued the statement today in response to “misperceptions” about the authority in public discourse.

He said that “the politics of the day” didn’t drive the BTA staff, adding: “We are focused on building the kind of sustainable tourism economy that can succeed no matter which party is elected to lead the country. The BTA believes the country deserves economic stability and job security from its tourism industry, and the people I work with are clearly focused every day with that goal in mind.”

Mr Jones added that his role entailed meeting with various stakeholders, including elected officials, with the goal of providing the information relevant to the recovery of tourism.

In return, he said, he asked them to keep the BTA “out of the political crossfire, because doing otherwise is counterproductive to the goals I know all of us want to achieve”.

The BTA has been “transparently releasing information”, Mr Jones said, posting details on its website each quarter as a carry-over from the former Department of Tourism.

Details now include “robust financial data”, he said, accessible via the www.gotobermuda website.

Mr Jones praised the BTA as an organisation of “talented industry professionals of which 90 percent are Bermudian”, and said tourism’s recovery depended on mainly home-grown talent.

“Additionally, each BTA team member’s job security is tied to his or her ability to meet performance objectives based on the goals of the National Tourism Plan,” he said.

“Performance-based management is a key component of successful private enterprises.”