The Department of Tourism has refused to say how many tickets have been sold to next week's International Love Festival.

The Royal Gazette has asked the department about ticket sales for the Valentine's Day weekend event nine times over the last two months. The department has either said answers are coming but then failed to deliver them or ignored the request.

The Royal Gazette asked why the department was paying vendor Oxford Communications $150,000 for an event that brings less than 100 people to the Island; particularly during a year when Government ministries have been asked to tighten their belts. Again no answer was forthcoming. Last year the event attracted 98 tourists; the year before 72.

Yesterday, Bermuda Democratic Alliance founder Michael Fahy said taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent and if it is a wise investment. "These are questions the people have the right to have answered," he said. "This is the people's money. At a time when ministries are being asked to cut their budgets you have to question how sensible is this investment. The Alliance doesn't see how spending this type of money on an event with very little or no return is wise. We have seen very little return from previous events and questionable ways in which those who do come are counted as tourists. "It would be laughable, if it wasn't so sad, that everybody else seems to know but the Department of Tourism that [this event is not a good investment]. When is the waste going to stop?"

Oxford Communications has again been selected as the event vendor. Premier Ewart Brown has said he hopes 300 people will attend this year, the fifth Love Festival.

For $1,600, couples golf at Port Royal, receive VIP tickets for a performance by R&B singer Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds, brunch at the Masterworks Museum of Art and spend three nights in an exclusive Gold Room at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess.

The Love Festival is not the only initiative the Department of Tourism has failed to answer questions on. Since October The Royal Gazette has asked five times if the 'Feel the Love Whisper Campaign' actually happened.

Last April Ann Shutte, the head of Bermuda New York tourism office told the Bermuda Sun a competition on Twitter and Facebook would result in 400 tickets to the Island being given away and create a buzz about the Island. Nothing has been said about the initiative since then. This newspaper has been unable to discover if the campaign actually happened or how many tickets were given away. "This Whisper Campaign is obviously so quiet that no one has heard of it," Mr. Fahy said yesterday.