Shadow Tourism Minister David Dodwell has attacked his Government counterpart for wasting money on marketing rather than trying to improve the product.

Speaking Friday night in the House of Assembly, the former Minister of Tourism said bed nights and hotel occupancy had declined under the first year of the Progressive Labour Party rule, after rising in the previous three years.

And Mr. Dodwell attacked the Government for boosting cruise business at the expense of airline visitors.

He said: "I think about 25 percent cruise arrivals and 75 percent air arrivals is the right mix. But now we are moving the mix to close to 35 percent and maybe even 40 percent (of cruise arrivals).

"In the old Bahamas they went down that road with 60 percent cruise arrivals and the numbers of people coming looked great, but they had 40 per cent unemployment. So they set about rebuilding a programme of adding to their air arrivals, now there's more employment.'' "The radio campaign failed because it insulted other countries,'' Mr. Dodwell added. "What happened to the TV ads? I suggested they are too expensive. I don't see the TV ads they proposed to do and I am glad they didn't come.'' And he attacked the upcoming roadshow planned for Strasbourg as unbudgeted and misdirected and predicted the Finance Minister would have to come back to the house for a supplementary to fund it.

He said the predicted cost of $100,000 was unrealistic with the true figure likely to top $350,000.

"The Minister said the phones are ringing off the hook, but I think he is a travelling salesman who went off selling but is coming home with his pockets empty.'' And he attacked the flashy style of the Strasbourg event which would feature gombey dancers and the Bermuda Regiment.

"Travel agents don't like this style,'' Mr. Dodwell said. "They want educational seminars.

"French business is minimal at best. They should spend the roadshow money on supporting the airlines.

"There is $300,000 spent on entertainment at Bermuda airport. What is the Minister doing to live up to his promise to get more entertainment in the hotels? "They promised tax incentives to release the duty on wines and spirits in hotels if hotels put in entertainment. Where has this taken place apart from cruise ships and the airport?'' He also brought up an old ghost from his ministerial past -- the notorious sex-and-sin ad campaign which had used risque themes to plug the Island.

He took a slap at a recent two-page magazine ad which boasted: "Bermudians have bigger dinghys''.

Referring to the PLP's first volley of ads comparing Bermuda to desitinations such as Scotland and Vienna, Mr. Dodwell remarked: "I call it the hex and bin campaign. They tried to hex other countries and it ended up in the bin.

"This is an expensive Island and we should focus on the product and make sure the service is good and people get entertainment. This is a painful process.'' "We don't support a sixth ship,'' he added. "If there is a strike or a storm we don't see them again for five months.'' And he said the plan to put interns on ships amounted to little more than a low paid summer job.

He also said the Opposition were willing to assist with contacts and experience to help close deals to benefit Bermuda's tourism industry.

However, Tourist Board chairman Delaey Robinson said the new Government did not need help from the UBP.

He interjected: "The people say no and we say no.'' Mr. Dodwell continued: "Why would they turn that down -- to give help with assisting with contacts? To turn down this offer is reprehensible.'' Mr. Robinson said the UBP were all over the place by saying the Government's approach to tourism was a triumph of style over substance.

He said: "Bermuda is repositioning its tourism product. We have a new product ready to be marketed. There is a very short time until we have ground broken in the West End. We have success in other areas. The new Government has added TWA service from the mid west, added a flight out of Atlanta and added airlift out of Canada.'' And on the Strasbourg project he said: "We aren't going to meet the French people. We don't get many French tourists. It will involve meeting American travel agents -- that is where they are meeting -- in France.'' David Dodwell Delaey Robinson