Senator Walter Roban has heralded the 12.4 percent jump in first quarter air arrivals as ?incredibly exciting figures? ? arguing that Bermuda?s tourism industry is on the cusp of a dramatic recovery.

Ongoing discussions with airlines would mean yet more increases over the coming months and years he said, while he pointed to widespread international media coverage of the Island of late as proof that Bermuda?s global profile is also improving.

But Shadow Tourism Minister Kim Swan said Government was ?jumping up and down? about figures which were entirely expected given the adverse effect of Hurricane Fabian on the 2004 tourism statistics.

And he renewed the call for the formation of an independent, non-governmental Tourism Authority to run the industry in Bermuda, arguing that excessive bureaucracy was ?getting in the way? of efforts to enhance the overall product.

Not enough was being done, he added, to persuade the likes of Virgin Atlantic to fly from the UK to Bermuda, meaning a large number of potential British tourists continue to be alienated by British Airways? extortionate prices.

But Government Senate Leader Larry Mussenden fired back, suggesting that ?everybody? would admit that the tourism sector is going through ?exciting times?.

Senator Reginald Burrows concluded the brief exchange by pointing out that the first quarter tourism statistics of this year actually compare well with those of 2000 ? suggesting that a meaningful revival in the sector is taking place, despite Senator Swan?s protestations to the contrary.