Investors in the troubled Televest company are "extremely unlikely'' to get all their money back, provisional liquidators said last night.

Provisional liquidators Mr. Charles Kempe and Mr. Gil Tucker, who now control the firm's affairs, hit out at lawyer Mr. Julian Hall for announcing "good news'' to investors on Wednesday.

Mr. Hall, lawyer for three Televest directors, was welcoming an order he won from the Chief Justice that liquidators Price Waterhouse should give an undertaking for damages.

He says that if the judge decides Televest and its owner Telecheck should not have been placed into provisional liquidation, then Price Waterhouse will be responsible for any damage done -- maybe millions of dollars.

Mr. Kempe and Mr. Tucker said yesterday the order did not require any actual money to be put up by Price Waterhouse.

"Investors should not be misled into believing that, as a result of the hearing on December 29, there will be funds returned to them other than in the course of a liquidation.

"Indeed the financial state of Televest and Telecheck is such that it is extremely unlikely investors will receive 100 cents on the dollar.

"It is clearly inappropriate to be holding out unproved claims against any party as `good news' in the present circumstances where the substantive issues are still before the court.'' The fate of the companies is expected to be decided at a hearing near the end of January.

The provisional liquidators' statement was "quite silly'', Mr. Hall said.

"These damages are only payable if it is ultimately shown that neither Televest or Telecheck should have been made the subject of even a provisional appointment of a liquidator.'' MINISTER HOPES FOR INCREASE IN VISITORS TOU Minister hopes for increase in visitors Tourism Minister the Hon. CV (Jim) Woolridge is hoping for at least a ten percent jump in tourist arrivals next year after a pleasing 12.1 percent increase this year.

Arrivals could be boosted by the addition of two new US gateway city flights a day to Bermuda, Mr. Woolridge revealed.

But it was too early to disclose the airlines that might offer the flights, he said.

"There seems to be a general improvement in the economy in the US and if that trend continues I'd like to set a target of 10 percent over this year,'' Mr.

Woolridge said.

As of last week, visitor arrivals were up 12.1 percent, he noted. "It was the best year we've had in four years,'' he said. "A total of 506,237 visitors arrived in Bermuda in 1992. That number is up 60,000 as of December 26.'' The latest figures showed that as many as 564,542 visitors poured into Bermuda this year, representing a 12.1 percent increase over the same period in 1992.

The figures were for January 1 to December 26 and marked a continuing tourism upswing for Bermuda.

The tally for 1991 was 514,812 visitors.

This year's arrivals have included 410,054 air passengers, 9.9 percent more than 1992.

Those coming by cruise ship have numbered 153,841, an 18.8 percent rise on last year.

Some 5,712 holidaymakers arrived here, compared to 5,976 for 1992.