by Brian Major
Last updated: 10:00 AM ET, Fri December 9, 2016
PHOTO: Bermuda hotel occupancy is up seven percent year-after-year. (Photo by Brian Major).
After years of sliding visitor arrivals, Bermuda is close to ending 2016 with the territory's first significant tourism growth in the past 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, Bermuda government officials said this past week. The officials believe "the October example shows a resiliency to the tourism resurgence currently underway," singling Bermuda's 20 percent growth in air arrivals from the US in 2016.
"Vacation air arrivals is the metric the BTA focuses its marketing on the most because those vacationers have the biggest impact on the local economy," officials said in a statement.
"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 Michael Fahy, Bermuda's minister of Tourism, Transport and Municipalities.
"That's an addition of about 51,000 seats and an additional 18,000 vacationers," Fahy said. "And we believe that continuing efforts by the Bermuda Tourism Authority will ensure that more of the under-utilized capacity is utilized going forward."
Bermuda's hotel traffic is also showing improvement, Fahy said. "Hotel occupancy for the year is up seven percent after a really strong performance during the summer months," he said. "Now the focus is on raising occupancy further, particularly in the shoulder months."
"With that expected growth we can fill more of the increased airline capacity that came on line this year," Fahy added. "This is just one of the ways our air carrier and tourism strategies are effectively synchronized."
Bermuda tourism is poised to receive an additional boost in 2017 when the country hosts the America's Cup international yacht race in June. BTA is partnering with the America's Cup Event Authority to offer hotel packages that include airport transfers and spectator access.
"The BTA has a number of irons in the fire for 2017 and as a result of their work, coupled with the America's Cup, forward hotel bookings look very strong," said Fahy.
"As we look toward a strong America's Cup boost in May and June of 2017, we won't take our eye off the goal of making Bermuda a truly year-round destination," he added.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
