Faith Based Tourism will continue said Premier Ewart Brown after it was revealed controversial head Andre Curtis is stepping down

Dr. Brown said the plans for Faith Based Tourism for 2008/09 will probably be announced in the next month or so. Asked if the initiative under which Mr. Curtis is contracted to receive $400,000 taxpayers' money this financial year represented good value for money, the Premier said: "Yes, it's a billion dollar industry. And we have been in it for three years. I think and we are just scratching the surface.

"It's like anything else, we tried the food festival for more than five or six years before we realised that the investment wasn't worth it. But I believe the future looks good. We will have to tweak it and make some changes as we have done with every venture and it will work out.

"Mr. Curtis is stepping down as of April 1 saying it was in the best interests of all concerned.

He wrote to pastors:"What was intended to be a source of strength and assist the smaller churches financially has been used in my opinion as a weapon to do just the opposite. That was never my original intent. But...

"Yesterday Mr. Curtis told The Royal Gazette:"My time is up. It's all in the letter.

"Asked if he was satisfied with his efforts he said:"Of course, Ijust think that every time something comes up the churches get pulled into the situation. It doesn't help the community any.

"Iwant to help the community. I don't want to hurt the community in any way or be a part of someone else's game because it is really not me.

"Mr. Curtis runs Dr. Brown's Progressive Labour Party constituency in Warwick South Central. Both have denied former Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert's claim that Faith Based Tourism has been used as a method for the Premier to get cash to Mr. Curtis as a thank you gesture.

Under the terms of his contract, Mr. Curtis must host ten events this financial year, attracting 2,200 visitors.

Both he and the Premier have repeatedly refused to say how many tourists have come so far, although when this newspaper reported Mr. Curtis was claiming the figure was 1,500, we were inundated with calls from members of the church community saying this could not possibly be true.

Mr. Furbert, one of Mr. Curtis' most vocal critics, recently predicted the number stands at 100 at the most. Mr. Curtis' has also given variable accounts of the number of events which have taken place, and despite repeated requests neither the Department of Tourism nor Dr. Brown has clarified.

Harvest Investments of which Mr. Curtis is chairman has been paid $324,250 in 2007/08 so far, with a further $24,750 paid to Bermuda Hotel Association on behalf of Harvest Investments.

Asked if enough people had been lured to Bermuda to justify the outlay, Mr. Curtis said yesterday: "We still have two more events to go and once those events are complete I will give you the numbers. You can decide.

"He said Yolanda Adams was performing on Easter Sunday at the Southampton Princess but was unaware of the numbers of tickets sold as the advert had yet to go out. He added that College Week for Christians would also be happening this month.

Asked how many people were booked for that he said:"Stop asking about people. The answer to that question will come. I am not going to be drawn into that type of fight.

"And he said there had just been an event with Joseph Jennings involving 30 children.

"It was a packed house 30 children from all over.

"Asked if they had come from overseas, Mr. Curtis said: "I am going to leave it at that from all over, Bermuda as well. It was a fantastic event 30! (It was) 21 the first night. Six the second night.

"Dr. Brown, who is also Tourism Minister, finally broke his silence on Faith BasedTourism in the House of Assembly on Monday, February 25.

Under the existing Parliamentary process, only then was Dr. Brown required to answer Parliamentary Questions on the subject initially posed by then Opposition Leader Michael Dunkley last June.

For several months, the Premier has consistently said his refusal to answer questions about Faith Based Tourism was because he wanted to answer Mr.Dunkley's questions first.

Giving his answers to Mr. Dunkley's questions, the Premier also included a list of programmes that have received funding as part of Faith Based Tourism in 2007-08.

They included "Weekend Fit For AKing", which Mr.Curtis says took place in September last year but has refused to provide any other details about. The only reference we have been able to find for an event of that name is from 2006.

Other events Dr. Brown said received funding include Revival Now; 2nd Annual Joint Worship Service; Nation At Risk; CeCeWinans; Taking It To The Next Level; Revival In The Land; and College Weeks For Christmas.

Missing from the list was Women of Vision: Empowering A Nation an event originally on Mr.Curtis' list about which he said last month:"We didn't do too much organising other than hotels.

"Dr. Brown also said $259,960 had been spent on seven Faith Based Tourism projects in 2006-07.