Thirty-one employees have left the North American Tourism Offices in the past four years, according to information released by Government.

Since Premier Ewart Brown became Tourism Minister in the summer of 2004, 22 have resigned, three have been fired and six made redundant when their offices closed.

Settlement packages were awarded to almost all, with 14 receiving extra cash on their departure. Of these, 12 received an extra three or four months' salary, with New York Business Development Manager Patti Pitt getting a bonus six months' pay when she resigned last September and New York Director of Sales and Marketing Glenn Bean a bonus 18 months when his contract was terminated last November.

The only person not yet to receive a settlement package is New York Senior Manager Raymond Cassidy, whose contract was terminated this month. His settlement is yet to be determined.

Redundancies have been brought by closures in Georgia, Toronto and Massachusetts.

According to a staff member who spoke to The Royal Gazette about the controversial plan to outsource sales to US firm Sales Focus, there are currently 20 employees in the overseas offices.

That proposal has been blocked by a judge after Bermuda Public Services Union launched a bid for a judicial review because of Government's failure to hold formal talks before announcing the move.

Staff have also told this newspaper about poor morale in the overseas offices.

Yesterday's statistics were released by the Ministry of Tourism in response to Parliamentary questions by the Opposition United Bermuda Party.

Opposition Senate Leader Michael Dunkley questioned what the working environment must be like in the overseas offices.

He told this newspaper: "I was shocked to see the number of people who had for one reason or another finished work in the office since June 2004, when the Premier became Minister of Tourism.

"There needs to be an audit on what's going on. Something like this, based on what staff are telling us, suggests it's been a difficult working environment. Normally you don't get that type of turnover in Government."

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