Tourism was identified as one of Bermuda's major problems by former Government Senator Walton Brown yesterday.

Mr. Brown — who was a Senator until the latest Government reshuffle in the wake of Paula Cox becoming Premier last month — represented the Progressive Labour Party at a meeting for young professionals.

The group, BEPRO, asked each political party what they thought the biggest issues facing Bermuda were.

Mr. Brown named crime, tourism's decline and external forces, such as people claiming Bermuda is a tax haven, as the biggest problems.

Regarding tourism he said: "We allowed our tourism product to slip when money came from the international business sector. It has slipped so much that you can hardly call it a leg of our economy.

"It behoves us to make improvements and revitalise the tourism industry.

"A strong, relative marketing strategy, that is not currently in place and we need it."

He added that offering cheap flights and discounted rooms was counterproductive because the guests who come for those deals won't spend money.

"They won't want to spend $300 on dinner and they won't be ordering that bottle of wine," he said. "We are an expensive Island."

Former Premier and Tourism Minister Ewart Brown repeatedly stated he was ushering in a "platinum period" for tourism during the last four years.

As late as October this year he said "Bermuda Tourism consistently stuck with its plan to heighten awareness for the Island".

Previously he complained tourism statistics often had a "negative slant in print".

Air arrivals have continued to drop this year compared to 2009, which was the worst on record in the last three decades.

Last year 235,860 visitors flew to Bermuda in 2009, a 10.53 percent drop compared to 2008. The most recent annual figure was also a 33 percent decline compared to the number of people who flew in a decade earlier and a 43 percent decline compared to 1989.

United Bermuda Party Senate Leader Jeanne Atherden said Bermuda's mounting debt, spiralling crime and poor tourism product were big problems.

Bermuda Democratic Alliance leader Craig Cannonier said Bermuda's biggest problems were its inability to try a new political way and break free from stagnant systems such as the one currently in place at the Department of Education.