Six new jobs will be created through a restructure at the island’s tourism authority.

Kevin Dallas, chief executive at the Bermuda Tourism Authority, said he hoped all the roles will be filled by Bermudians.

He said a director role as well as a couple of assistant manager positions are available, while some specialist appointments will also be made.

Mr Dallas said those specialist roles were “great opportunities” for people with a few years of experience who are interested in Bermuda tourism.

He added: “Our aspiration is that 100 per cent of those jobs should be filled by Bermudians.”

Mr Dallas said that two business development executive positions and two sports tourism posts were axed as part of last week’s restructure, but that “only three were permanent BTA employees”.

A source told The Royal Gazette this week that the BTA would get a human resources audit after the restructure.

Mr Dallas said that announcement was not a surprise.

He added: “It’s not news. It was announced on September 24 last year.”

Mr Dallas said: “The minister announced that Corey Butterfield had been retained as a special consultant by the ministry and that he would work with the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation and BTA on, among other things, making sure that our approach to hiring, development and promotion and advancement for Bermudians was as good as it possibly could be.”

He declined to comment on whether Jamahl Simmons, the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, knew about the restructuring exercise in advance.

Mr Dallas said: “You would have to ask the minister”. He added Mr Simmons had been kept “abreast” of progress at the BTA since the changes.

He said Mr Simmons and David Burt, the Premier and Minister of Finance, had been “abundantly clear” that results were expected of the quango and the BTA’s relationship with Mr Simmons and his ministry was strong.

He said: “I think it’s encouraging that our new government clearly recognises tourism is an important pillar of the economy and an opportunity for growth — particularly for entrepreneurial growth.

“One way that Bermudians will have a bigger share of the pie is by becoming entrepreneurs in tourism.”

News reports last week claimed a source at the Ministry of Economic Development and Tourism said Mr Simmons was opposed to the BTA changes.

Mr Simmons warned last November that legislation governing the BTA could be amended if a “mutually respectful relationship based on trust” between the agency and the Government was lost.

Mr Dallas said that he was not worried about possible changes to the law.

He explained: “I think it would be kind of strange if an independent authority, like ours, that receives government support didn’t strive for a productive and mutually respectful relationship with the ministry we’re attached to.”

Mr Dallas said the restructure was about efficiency “not about individuals”.

He said: “It’s about having a modern structure focused on the highest return on investment and to be talking about more jobs, and more Bermudian jobs feels like a good outcome to me and one which is very aligned with what we hear from both the Premier and the minister.”