Premier Ewart Brown's successor should "seriously consider" a Tourism Authority to take the industry forward, said opposition leader Kim Swan.

The United Bermuda Party leader said this kind of statutory body would give industry professionals, rather than Government, the ability to shape the hospitality industry.

Members of the public and private sector, including transport and accommodation suppliers, would decide how to promote and develop the Island into a top-class tourist destination. They would also be able to determine how to spend taxpayers dollars.

According to Mr. Swan, his party has made the suggestion in the past three general elections and included the idea in their platform speech in 2003.

He believes an authority would not only take the politics out of tourism, but also increase the speed of decision making and reduce bureaucracy.

Last night Dr. Ewart Brown, who steps down as leader and Minister of Transport and Tourism next month, said the Progressive Labour Party had found other ways to work effectively with the hospitality industry.

The Premier said: "I understand the idea of a Tourism Authority well. I believe the UBP has wanted a Tourism Authority ever since they lost control of the Government. One must wonder why they didn't establish an authority when they were in charge.

"I have always suspected that they wanted an authority in order to shift the decision-making role totally from Government to the private sector.

"If a Tourism Authority is a future consideration, it will be up to the new PLP administration. We have found ways, without an authority, to work effectively with the private sector as we have seen in the airline aspect of our work."

Mr. Swan said there was no better time to develop an authority than "right now".

"With the imminent retirement of Tourism Minster Premier Ewart Brown, the opportunity presents itself for the successful PLP Leader to seriously consider the merits of truly empowering the industry stakeholders (hoteliers, utility providers, bankers, wholesalers, transportation providers, retailers, hospitality service providers, restaurant owners, entertainers, sports industry etc.) and form a Tourism Authority.

"Few would argue that Bermuda has far too many serious issues to contend with simultaneously (economic woes, murders, gangs, serous social issues etc) and that this proposed solution would galvanise the industry to rebuild itself.

'The United Bermuda Party have repeatedly expressed the need to take the politics out of the hospitality industry; through legislation that would empower the entrepreneurial professionals to reconstruct Bermuda's hospitality industry going forward and with a Tourism Authority we would achieve that."

Mr. Swan said the main difference between an authority and the system in place now, would be the ability to be more "self reliant and self sufficient".

He said the initiative would be "in the best interest of our country" and claimed it would give the Island a chance to redirect and change the way it addressed tourism.