lack of success in halting the decline of the industry.

Shadow Tourism Minister David Dodwell described his opposite number as the "Minister of Blaming'' after he blamed the weak single European currency for plummeting air arrivals this summer.

Mr. Dodwell said the comments that the weak Euro were attracting Bermuda's potential visitors to Europe were way off the mark -- slamming him for two years of "failure''.

"We no longer have a Minister of Tourism but a Minister of Blaming, he seems to be unwilling to accept even a little bit of responsibility for our current woes,'' he said.

"What will the next excuse be? We have had a litany to date.'' Mr. Dodwell said that tourism sources were now indicating that any recovery was going to take five years.

"Five full years to show results over a 20 year decline, that is nonsense,'' he said.

"You can't put the blame on the past for the past two years, he has had two years and he has been a complete failure. What chief executive would keep a manager in place who has been a failure for two years? Nobody.'' Mr. Dodwell said claims made by the Mr. Allen that the whole Caribbean was complaining about the lack of business were not true, adding that pockets of the region were very successful.

And he said he was pleased that Mr. Allen had finally recognised that it was not about mass markets but about getting the right people to Bermuda.

"I think the public see through the excuses, they are smart enough to be able to see what he is doing,'' he said.

David Dodwell