New Tourism Minister Patrice Minors intends to review all of the contracts the Department of Tourism has with private companies — and she may scrap the Love Festival.

Ms Minors, whose new Ministry also takes in Business Development, told The Royal Gazette that she "most definitely" planned to look at the value for money being offered by contracts with outside firms, including advertising and marketing.

Last year, former Auditor General Larry Dennis released a special report focusing on the Department of Tourism's agreement with US advertising agency GlobalHue, which he said may have been paid $1.8 million too much of taxpayers' cash.

The House of Assembly's Public Accounts Committee later concluded that GlobalHue got its contract with Tourism without an open tender process and that the Department had failed to follow Government's financial rules.

Ms Minors said yesterday: "I sat within the House and on Public Accounts so I had more of a handle on the dialogue with regards to the various contracts.

"Now, having been appointed to the position of Minister responsible for Tourism, obviously we would want to review and assess all contracts, not just GlobalHue's but any that are in existence in this Ministry.

"It's expected that all Ministers will be doing so with their relevant Ministries."

Ms Minors said she would welcome two high-profile annual Tourism events continuing during her tenure: the PGA Grand Slam of Golf and Bermuda MusicFestival.

"I don't see that any Island such as us would refuse such an experience," she said of the Grand Slam, which has been held in Bermuda since 2007.

"If there is the opportunity then great; I think that is something that Government would pursue but this needs to be a joined-up initiative with [the Ministry responsible for] sports."

Of the Music Festival, which was substantially scaled-down this year following criticism that it was not attracting many overseas visitors, the Minister said: "I admit that I did not have the opportunity to attend the most recent event, [but] from what I had seen, it was quite successful.

"It seems to me that a downsized version was quite conducive to Bermuda and enjoyed. I can't speak to the numbers that came in from overseas to attend it, but I think there could be some value in continuing with it."

She said she would assess the feasibility of it continuing in order to make sure that "at the end of the day, it's profitable and puts Bermuda on the map as a location for such an annual music event".

But of the Valentine-themed Love Festival — previously reported to have cost taxpayers $150,000 but to have brought in less than 100 tourists — she said: "I'm not quite certain how successful that has been. I would say that's something I would be willing to look at to assess the feasibility [of it continuing]."

Ms Minors told this newspaper she had enjoyed her time out of Cabinet since she ceased being Health Minister in October 2006 but was ready for a new challenge.

"I have a young daughter. She's five and turns six in January. I have enjoyed and will continue to be a dutiful parent but at least, during those very much formative years, I got the opportunity to spend valuable time with her and prepare her for primary school. She's in her first term of attending St. David's Primary, so the timing is good."

She said she was still getting to grips with her Ministry on just her second day in the job — but was confident that Tourism and Business Development would complement one another.

"I think there is an obvious overlap that exists between international business and tourism. I think now there is more work to be done because we are now dealing with a greater picture."

Ms Minors will be a part-time Minister, remaining in her job in wealth management with Butterfield Trust.

l Minors aims to keep Bermuda attractive to international business – Business section, Page 23