A bill aimed at empowering the Tourism Board was approved in the Senate, despite concerns Opposition it does not go far enough.The Tourism Board Act 2012 details the make-up and statutory powers of the 16-member tourism board.Junior Tourism Minister Vince Ingham explained that the legislation gives the board the ability to carry out it’s goal of revitalising the tourism industry, Senators for the One Bermuda Alliance said the legislation still leaves the power in the hands of the Tourism Minister.Noting the repeated references to the Minister in the legislation, Senator Michael Fahy said: “The Minister is making the decisions. The Minister is the one saying what can or cannot happen. Notwithstanding that we have a team appointed for three years, if you change Ministers the new Minister can make entirely different decisions.”Progressive Labour Party Senator Jonathan Smith responded that the legislation ensures that someone, namely the Tourism Minister, can be accountable for the actions of the board.“In any organisation, the buck has to stop on some one’s desk,” Sen Smith said. “This is Bermuda’s board for tourism. This is our board this is our Island that we are trying to promote.“Responsibility clearly has to rest somewhere, particularly where public funds are being used. We cannot shy away from that.”He further criticised the OBA for opposing Government initiatives without proposing alternatives.Independent Senators James Jardine and Joan Dillas-Wright both noted the size of the tourism board, saying that in some cases larger boards can prove unwieldy.However, Sen Dillas Wright said the quality of members on the board left her confident about it’s future, saying: “If any group is going to be able to turn tourism around, then these are the people to do it.”OBA’s Michael Dunkley said that while it is a good thing that Government has put forward both this act and the Tourism plan, he explained that the proof of the pudding is in the eating.He asked for a clarification about the relationship between the Tourism Board and the Department of Tourism, noting that in some regards they are both tackling the same issues.Sen Ingham responded that there will be a Memorandum of understanding between the bodies.“It is intended that the Tourism Board will work in partnership with the Department of Tourism,” Sen Ingham explained. “The Department of Tourism will have it’s funding, as you are familiar with.“The Department will continue to play a role operationally in support of the Board but the overriding plan, the direction will come from the Board.”Asked by Sen Dunkley if the Memorandum of Understanding will be tabled, Sen Ingham said when it is finished the Minister will take it under advisement.He stressed that for Bermuda to truly return tourism to it’s former glory, the entire community needs to play a part and make their own contributions.“This is not intended to be a PLP plan, this in not intended to be an OBA plan, it’s intended to be a national plan,” Mr Ingham said.