off by Tourism Minister David Allen .

Mr. Allen defended the one-year Progressive Labour Party Government's record on tourism -- and insisted a turn-around was underway after years of neglect under former administrations.

Opposition Leader Pamela Gordon's reply to last week's blueprint for Bermuda slammed the pre-election PLP 100-day tourism rescue plan -- and said it had failed to materialise.

But Mr. Allen said: "We said we would mount a rescue mission in the first 100 days. That rescue mission was mounted -- it may take longer to complete, but the troops are in the field.

"Eighteen years of decline will take time to reverse..but tourism is back in business.'' And he added that the Belmont hotel developers had agreed to include 60 hotel suites at the golf course club house, in addition to the 50 luxury town houses already planned.

Mr. Allen said, in addition, "a major international hotel group'' was close to signing a management deal for the development.

He added: "It's a world player and we're very glad they are coming on board.'' And he pointed out that the $168 million redevelopment of the Castle Harbour resort was the biggest-ever single investment in Bermuda tourism history.

Mr. Allen said Government had already eased suspicion between the hotels and cruise lines with cruise and fly deals.

He claimed: "We had the former Government leading the charge of dividing the hotel and cruise ship industries.

"The hotel industry and the cruise line industry have had a very discordant relationship over the years and bringing them together is no mean feat.'' And he added construction was due to start on the Daniel's Head eco-tourist resort, at the West End, in the new year -- the first major construction in the industry for 27 years, while archaeological tours for divers and eco-tours would also be promoted.

He said: "This is the sort of thing the previous Government didn't have imagination to see.'' Mr. Allen said, in addition to TWA flights from the mid-west of the US and Delta flights from Atlanta, new services from Frankfurt, Germany, and Miami could be expected soon -- the latter to tap into the "upscale Latin American business''.

Mr. Allen was the first Government speaker to react to the Opposition version of where the Country should be going in the coming year. Premier Jennifer Smith was not in the chamber as Ms Gordon delivered the United Bermuda Party reply to the Throne Speech and returned shortly before the House broke for lunch.

The Tourism Minister also attacked criticism of jobs created under the PLP -- including the Premier's personal staff, which includes Chief of Staff David Burch.

Mr. Allen said: "The leader of the Opposition has applied to have her staff extended in the Opposition Leader's office and she has the audacity to come here and suggest the Premier shouldn't have a Chief of Staff to accompany her and assist her when she travels overseas to put Bermuda on the agenda.'' Ms Gordon, however, stressed afterwards she had asked only for a part-time staffer for her office -- a total of ten hours a week.

Mr. Allen added that the PLP -- which has come under fire for trips abroad -- had pushed Bermuda back to prominence.

He said: "And make no mistake, Bermuda has been off the agenda in London, Washington and Ottawa for many years.

"I would like to be the first to commend the Premier for the trojan work she has done in moving Bermuda to the top of the agenda in London, Washington and Ottawa.'' And he said previous Governments had sent Ministers to Japan to look at incinerators and officials to New Zealand to examine its middle school system.

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