A CAMERA crew from US network the Gospel Music Channel has been on the island this week filming scenes for the latest incarnation of the Government's controversial 'faith-based tourism' scheme, which is currently under investigation by the Auditor General.

Larry Dennis is trying to track thousands of taxpayer dollars that were allocated to former 'faith-based tourism' head Andre Curtis last year and are allegedly still unaccounted for.

As part of this latest deal negotiated by the Department of Tourism's ad agency GlobalHue, 90-second clips of Bermuda's gospel attractions will be shown on the religious network from January through March next year. At least two of the three 90-second clips will feature Premier Ewart Brown prominently, according to industry magazine TV Week.

The first vignette will feature a Gospel Music Channel host interviewing Dr. Brown (pictured) on the impact of gospel on Bermuda and the 'faith-based tourism' initiative itself. The second spot will showcase Bermuda's music venues, while the third will be a televised "command performance" by gospel singer Melinda Watts, who will sing for Dr. Brown and his guests, according to the TV Week report.

Shadow Tourism Minister Michael Dunkley described the initiative as "another peg in getting Bermuda's name out there", adding: "I cannot see it as being a real driver of our tourism business."

Mr. Dunkley noted that there is still PR work to be done in Bermuda Tourism's traditional target markets in the Northeastern US, where the vast majority of our visitors hail from.

"Even in Boston and New York, there is still a great deal of promotion needed. There are people who think Bermuda's a five-hour flight away."

Mr. Dunkley questioned the decision to include Dr. Brown in two of the three planned vignettes.

"I haven't seen them and I'm sure they're tastefully done, but I can't for the life of me understand why they're giving Dr. Brown so much publicity," he said. "It should be focused on Bermuda, our people and what we have to offer. People don't come to Bermuda to see our Premier."

He added that the Andre Curtis controversy has caused the Bermuda public to question the 'faith-based tourism' programme.

"I think any examination will show faith-based tourism was handled poorly," he said.

"People are sceptical moving forward as the first number of steps taken were a sham. You'd think anything faith-based was above reproach but that was not the case. Cost versus benefit must be weighed, especially in light of past problems, the struggling tourism industry and the economy."

In June, in response to written questions from the Opposition United Bermuda Party, Dr. Brown revealed that Government had paid Mr. Curtis' company, Harvest Investments, $345,250 to run the controversial scheme in 2007-08.

The taxpayer also stumped up nearly $30,000 to cover Mr. Curtis' rent. In return, Mr. Curtis was supposed to put on ten 'faith-based' events to attract tourists.

UBP MP Wayne Furbert at the time questioned whether some events ever took place or if they were "a figment of [Curtis'] imagination".