Spending by visitors dropped by more than $25 million while the number of people working in the hotel industry sunk by 289 staff in the second quarter of the year compared to the same period last year, new statistics released by the Government show.

And in stark contrast, Government spending increased by more than ten percent in the first six months of 2001 compared to the same period the year before.

Spending has gone up from $278.8 million for the first six months of 2000 to $306.7 million for the same period in 2001, according to figures released by the Government Information System on Central Government Expenditure.

And while spending has gone up by more than ten percent, revenue rose by only 8.5 percent during the same period compared to the year before.

The Quarterly Bulletin of Statistics revealed that during the second quarter of the year, Central Government Expenditure was $139.4 million compared to $122.7 million last year.

Government revenue for the second quarter of this year was $111.9 million compared to 103.4 million last year. During the quarter Government spent $27.5 million more than it earned.

The total expenditure of visitors was $135.8 million by both air and cruise visitors. Air visitors spent by far the largest slice of the total - $122.3 million.

In the same period last year air visitors spent $145.1 million while all visitors combined spent $161.5 million on accommodation, food, shopping, entertainment and transport.

This year 3,092 people were employed in the hotel industry compared to 3,381 people last year.

The bulletin reveals that 95 residential housing units were completed in the second quarter, compared to 54 last year

Continued on Page 6 Further analysis in Business, Page 23