Tourism Minister David Allen and his shadow David Dodwell clashed in the House of Assembly on Friday over the number of senior staff who have left the Department of Tourism under the current Government.

Mr. Dodwell questioned whether the “incredible” turnover of 12 key people leaving since Mr. Allen took over was because of the Minister.

He said the Department had gone through three directors of tourism and three directors of marketing since the PLP took over, and Michelle Burrows, the project manager for the African Dispora Project had resigned just after the project was happening.

But Mr. Allen accused Mr. Dodwell of “shamelessly misleading” the House by claiming Pat Phillip-Basett had resigned under the PLP. She had resigned months before the PLP was voted into office.

He said Mr. Dodwell had unleashed an “avalanche of distortion. Does he have Alzheimers about Pat Phillip-Basset?”

Mr. Dodwell said: “It is an incredible turnover in this most important of ministries of 12 people. Does it start at the top?

“We hear it directly and we hear it indirectly about frustration (within the department) about the Minister's interference and agendas.”

Mr. Allen said three people in the marketing department left while Mr. Dodwell was tourism minister.

The recent departure of assistant director marketing Cherie Whitter had been completely amicable, he said.

“We've had the best relationship with Cherie and we wish her well.”

Mr. Allen brandished Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) figures released earlier in the week showing Bermuda had notched a 2.9 percent increase in visitors for the first quarter of this year, while Caribbean islands had all seen a slump.

“This is not hokum, this is not a distortion of the facts. After 20 years of decline, we have a lot of work to do and a long way to go, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

He said the Compliments of Bermuda programme, allowing a free flight for a partner, was paying dividends, especially in Europe (where there was a 44 percent increase in visitors in the first quarter) and Britain (up 36 percent).

And he reminded the Opposition that they warned against advertising heavily in Europe, instead urging Government to concentrate on the US east coast. “We are close to getting our first quarter figures back for the US. No other island can say that. This is no spin, the government strategy is working,” said Mr. Allen.