Cruise visits boost summer tourism figures

FRIDAY, NOV. 25: Visitor numbers increased significantly during the summer months due to a major influx of cruise passengers.

Cruise visits for the third quarter increased by nearly 26 per cent compared to last year.

And the 187,487 cruise passengers that visited the island made up 70 per cent of total visitor arrivals during this period.

Tourism Minister Wayne Furbert said: “This is a direct result of spreading out the cruise season. 

“By doing so, an additional three ships sailed to the island in both July and August and an additional 10 cruise ships called in the month of September when the season usually begins to slow down.”

Despite the threat of hurricanes visitor numbers in September increased by nearly 57 per cent on last year thanks to the extra cruise calls.

Air arrivals remained fairly constant with nearly 80,000 people flying into Bermuda between July and September.

More than three quarters of the air visitors originated in the U.S.

The third quarter also saw the number of convention visitors soar by 266 per cent, while yacht  arrivals increased by just one per cent.

Mr Furbert told a press conference the latest statistics showed ‘encouraging gains in visitor arrivals’.

He added: “This is great news and shows tourism industry is holding its own.

“All segments of visitor arrivals - air, cruise and yacht arrivals to Bermuda were up for the third quarter of 2011. “

Hotel occupancy rates also saw three successive rises compared to last year, the biggest being in August when 84 per cent of rooms were occupied compared to 71 per cent in 2010.