by Brian Major
Last updated: 2:00 PM ET, Wed December 21, 2016
PHOTO: Robin Hayes, JetBlue president and CEO. (Photo by Brian Major).
Bermuda's tourist arrivals reversal in 2016 will apparently continue in the coming year following today's announcement that JetBlue will expand its service to the territory with two additional year-round daily flights and a new seasonal summer flight between Bermuda and New York.
One new year-around, daily flight will commence on May 17, 2017 and operate between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Bermuda's L.F. Wade International Airport. JetBlue will also add a second daily roundtrip during the summer travel period, with a morning departure from New York and an afternoon departure from Bermuda. The enhanced New York flight schedule will expand JetBlue's current once-daily year-round service, offering travelers more options in both destinations.
Beginning May 18, 2017, JetBlue will increase its current seasonal summer service between Boston Logan International Airport and Bermuda to year-round daily service. In addition to the new flights JetBlue will use 150-seat Airbus A320 aircraft in place of its current 100-seat Embraer 190 aircraft on all Bermuda routes going forward, said company officials.
"This announcement will provide further opportunities for our East Coast guests to visit our shores and help meet the increasing demand for airplane seats," said Michael Fahy, Bermuda's minister of tourism, transport and municipalities. "This has been a very positive year for tourism in Bermuda and I am thrilled for 2016 to conclude on such an encouraging note."
"With more flights, larger aircraft and a variety of flight times to accommodate customers' needs, JetBlue is positioning itself as the top choice for travel to and from Bermuda," said Robin Hayes, JetBlue's president and chief executive officer.
After years of sliding visitor arrivals, Bermuda will end 2016 with the territory's first significant tourism growth in a decade. Bermuda recorded its tenth consecutive month of visitor growth in October, and tourist arrivals are up 14 percent year-over-year, according to Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) data.
Bermuda's total leisure visitors [vacation air and cruise numbers combined] are up eight percent over 2015, and higher by nearly 13 percent from 2014. The territory recorded a 20 percent increase in US air arrivals this year.
"We have increased the number of airline seats by nearly 12 percent so far this year and vacation air arrivals are up 14 percent," said Fahy recently. "That's an addition of about 51,000 seats and an additional 18,000 vacationers."
"We have grown vacation air arrivals out of New York by 44 percent this year and we have also been successful at attracting a younger, more adventurous traveler to Bermuda," said Bill Hanbury, CEO of the Bermuda Tourism Authority.
"Additional capacity out of JFK puts us in an even stronger position for further growth in 2017," Hanbury said. "We are also thrilled with their decision to now fly year-round from Boston because inspiring travel to Bermuda throughout the seasons is an important mandate."
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