GlobalHue, which recently won a $13 million Tourism contract, has hit back at Opposition criticism of the selection process.

?Agency representatives are at a loss to understand the recent attack by Sen. Kim Swan that suggested the account was awarded improperly,? Renee Prewitt, director, public relations, said in an e-mail yesterday.

GlobalHue said its client base contributes to annual billings of $470 million. The company said the success of its Miami to Bermuda campaign and the agency?s understanding of the Bermuda brand was key in landing the contract.

?We won this account fair and square,? said Donald A. Coleman, chairman and CEO of GlobalHue. ?And we plan to continue doing our best work to drive tourists to one of the most beautiful, inviting vacation destinations in the world.?

UBP Senator E.T. (Bob) Richards, however, remains unsatisfied with the Ministry of Tourism?s explanation as to how US advertising agency GlobalHue was chosen.

Sen. Richards questioned why Director of Tourism Cherie Whitter brought race into the issue and said further clarification as to why the agency was chosen was needed.

The debate over GlobalHue began in the Senate last week when two Opposition members said the tendering process which resulted in GlobalHue?s contract was questionable. Both Sen. Richards and Sen. Swan made comments about the dubious nature of how the advertising agency was chosen.

On Sunday Mrs. Whitter said: ?Agency reviews are conducted in a fairly standard way. The standard process involves an independent review committee that is comprised of both Government and private sector partners, regardless of the Government of the day.

?The best practice was applied in the selection of the right agency. GlobalHue demonstrated the right strategic thinking and more importantly, GlobalHue demonstrated an understanding of Bermuda?s brand challenge. It is unfortunate that Sen. Swan?s comments come at a time when others are celebrating the historical achievement of a black-owned agency.?

She added that the process was the same one which had been in place when the UBP was the Government.

But Sen. Richards took aim at the explanation.

?Bermuda should choose the advertising agency that best helps promote future visitor arrivals,? he said.

?In doing so the race of the ownership of the firm is a non-issue. The United Bermuda Party did not at any time inject the race of the owner as an issue. The Government did, but race remains a non-issue.

?In selecting the best agency, one would expect that relevant experience would be a key criterion.

?In view of the fact that GlobalHue, by its own admission, has no experience with holiday destinations, one questions how the firm beat out others that have the said relevant experience.?

Sen. Richards said the alleged friendship between Tourism Minister Dr. Ewart Brown and a principal member of GlobalHue raised more questions about the tendering process. He also added that it was totally inappropriate for civil servants, like Mrs. Whitter, to personally and publicly embroil themselves in a political debate. The Ministry of Tourism said it would make no further comment to make on the issue.