bring thousands of visitors to the Island has pulled out of the event -- after receiving just 35 bookings.

And it has been confirmed that, with the World Conference of Mayors annual conference taking place in just over a week's time, the event has had to be dramatically scaled down.

The news could embarrass tourism bosses -- who lavished $100,000 of taxpayers money promoting the event.

Event organiser the Afro American Global Trade and Tourism Council originally block booked 265 rooms at the Southampton Princess Hotel for guests and also planned to hold several functions there during the week-long conference.

But last night Southampton Princess manager Allan Trew said the resort had decided to pull out of the event because "it just wasn't worth it''.

"We never saw an increase on the original 35 reservations that we had the other week and so a decision was made to release the rooms,'' Mr. Trew said.

Richard Calderon, sales and marketing director at the Elbow Beach Hotel, confirmed that the 35 Southampton bookings had been transferred to the hotel and added that he was hoping for about another 20 to be confirmed today.

Conference functions will now also be taking place at the hotel.

AAGTTC chairman Bonnie Marshall originally promised that about 3,000 visitors would attend the conference, claiming that she had secured more than $500,000 in sponsorship. She also said that a stack of celebrities would be flying in for guest appearances.

But the conference ran into trouble after the Department of Tourism, one of title sponsors, refused to come up with $100,000 until a detailed marketing plan had been produced. Eventually tourism bosses were forced to produce their own ad campaign.

Corin Smith, CEO of Bermuda Forum, the company which is liaising with the AAGTTC in organising the event, last night blamed the disappointing figures on the Department of Tourism.

"It's definitely been scaled down,'' he said.

"But the sponsorship money from other organisations was only going to be forthcoming one the Department of Tourism had provided their sponsorship - that was the arrangement.'' Neither Bonnie Marshall or World Conference of Mayors founder Johnny Ford could be contacted.

TOURISM TOU