United Bermuda Party leader Dr Grant Gibbons yesterday reiterated his party's call for an independent tourism authority to be set up to replace the Ministry of Tourism.

And he said that the "precipitous drop" in visitor arrivals was "one of the principle drivers behind Bermuda's current recession".

In a blistering attack on Tourism Minister David Allen's tenure at the helm, the UBP leader asked: "Can Tourism get any worse?"

"The Minister is incapable of filling even the lower numbers of rooms that we do have. In addition he has been incapable of closing hotel deals that could bring new excitement and new jobs to this beleaguered industry."

Dr. Gibbons called on the Minister to admit defeat after spending $110 million - almost $100,000 a day, since his appointment. Instead, he suggested the new authority which would replace the Ministry of Tourism, should draw up a five year recovery plan and produce and finance a private sector air strategy aimed at lowering fares and securing new routes.

It would get the bulk of the Tourism Ministry's budget, supplemented by investment from the private sector, and the organisation would be accountable to parliament through the Minister of Tourism.

"High expectations have turned into despair," Dr. Gibbons said in his Reply to the Budget Speech in the House of Assembly yesterday morning.

"Tourism results for 2001 - including air arrivals, hotel occupancy, bed nights, length of stay, total visitor spending and even cruise arrivals - have reached a shockingly new low in Bermuda's modern tourism industry."

Dr. Gibbons suggested that cruise ships should be limited to five and the "failed" cruise-and-stay policy should be scrapped.

The tourism authority should also fund on-Island enhancements, and start up a hotel development policy.

Short and long term marketing plans should be devised to sell the Island including extensive use of the internet.

And the authority should start a "tourism attitude development plan" in conjunction with the Visitor Industry Partnership to improve the tourist's experience of Bermuda.

Dr. Gibbons said: "What exactly did the Minister of Tourism do with the $110 million - or almost $100,000 a day - that he spent over the last three budgets? The public was told that he was putting Bermuda back on the radar screen and creating a buzz. He must have been creating a buzz in Argentina and South Africa, because the eastern seaboard of the United States has apparently forgotten us.

"Clearly the money spent on marketing schemes has been wasted, and we believe the people of Bermuda need an explanation."

"The 5.3 percent reduction in the tourism budget misses the point. If this is the best the PLP government can do spending $100,000 a day, they should admit defeat.

"The bulk of the Tourism budget should be redirected entirely to an independent tourism authority that can get back to basics and start the important process of reinventing and rebuilding tourism right now."

Mr. Allen hit back last night, saying that although he had spent $100,000 a day, his department was large and a lot of that was on wages.

And he said that when former Tourism Minister David Dodwell left office in 1998, he spent more than $110 million in just over three years and that air arrivals then were at their lowest since 1980.

And he said Mr. Dodwell was the $2 million a minute man, for spending $2 million on two thirty second television adverts for the United States which were pulled early.

He said there was no need for a tourism authority because Government and the private sector were already working arm in arm in the Bermuda Alliance for Tourism.

"This vision is working. Bermuda doesn't need a tourism authority because it is happening in BAT," he said.

In his Reply to the Budget Dr. Gibbons also pointed out that jobs held by Bermudians had declined by 877 positions while those held by non-Bermudians increased by 458 last year.

He criticised what he said was an "unsustainable pattern" of increased Government spending while revenue was declining.

And he characterised the Progressive Labour Party's Budget for the coming year as "politically inspired" and based on a gamble that the United States economy will come out of its recession and begin to recover this year.

But he gave the Government credit for its E-Government and teacher licensing initiatives, and applauded "apparent efficiencies" achieved through zero based budgeting in the Education Ministry.