Former Tourism Minister Renee Webb says Premier Ewart Brown was right to shake up the overseas Tourism office — but warns the way he went about it could return to haunt him.

Ms Webb told The Royal Gazette apathy among Tourism staff was rampant, with only a few good enough to meet international standards, during her time as Minister from 2002 to 2004.

She said she tried to overhaul the office herself but ended up with a staff revolt and an investigation into her managerial style by then Premier Alex Scott.

And she applauded Dr. Brown for trying to make major changes to save tourism by outsourcing to American firm Sales Focus — a move which means long-serving Bermudians are now facing redundancy.

However, Ms Webb said the Premier's habit of making big decisions without care for the correct process could be his undoing as a leader.

"I compliment the current Minister and Premier for his fortitude in trying to save a dying tourism industry for which drastic change is necessary," said Ms Webb.

"Failure to rescue tourism will not bode well for Bermuda's economic future. For this stance, although unfortunate for some of the workers, Premier Brown should be supported not undermined."

A judge last week put the Sales Focus plan on hold while Bermuda Public Services' Union seeks a judicial review because Government broke its contractual agreement by failing to hold consultation.

Permanent Secretary Cherie Whitter has told workers the proposal had been in the pipeline for up to five months — but that Dr. Brown reserved the right not to tell anybody because: "Unfortunately, that is the way Government works."

Ms Webb said: "Regarding the current upheaval around the Minister's decisions, sometimes it is not what you do, but how you do it.

"Unfortunately for the current Premier, he is prone to make great decisions without due regard to process and procedure. He lets the chips fall where they may, and hopes his decision works out in his favour.

"Sometimes this is exactly what it takes to make a great leader, and at other times will take the leader down."

Regarding her time as Minister, she said: "I, like the current Minister, inherited a tourism governmental structure which was extremely inefficient. Apathy among the workers was rampant, most of whom could not be motivated by change and innovation.

"There were only a small few who met the bar of what would be expected of tourism professionals in the world of marketing and sales. Drastic change has to be made both locally and overseas for the survival of the tourism industry in Bermuda.

"The private sector count on the Government to enhance their efforts in making Bermuda a premier jurisdiction of travel choice.

"My attempt at change was met with a staff revolt against my management style when I made it clear that change was necessary. The former Premier had me investigated for management style rather than call for what really needed to be done: that is, an investigation and audit of the operations of the departments, both local and overseas.

"The problem was left to fester while I myself made it publicly known that I supported the establishment of a tourism authority."

Previously, overseas staff have vehemently denied accusations they have been living a party at the taxpayers' expense in an environment likened by one former civil servant to the Wild Wild West.

Government this week revealed 31 employees have left the North American offices since Dr. Brown took over from Ms Webb in the summer of 2004.

Of these, 22 resigned, three were fired and six made redundant when their offices closed.

Asked how this compared to her time as Minister, Ms Webb replied: "First of all what is being called 'turnover' is actually people being asked to leave and being paid off for some, very few left on their own accord.

"Some were asked to resign or be fired. Then there were the forced-out redundancies whether through office closures or people being told they had the option of being made redundant or being fired. Most of the former overseas managers were forced out."