Statistics show increase in air arrivals

This increase has been attributed primarily to an influx of tourists from Canada, according to the Bermuda Department of Statistics which released its findings this week for the second quarter of 2010.

A total of 77,512 tourists arrived by plane to the island during the second quarter of the year, up from 74,985 in 2009. Air arrivals from Canada climbed to 10,368 passengers compared to 7,308 as reported in the same quarter of 2009.

The introduction of a new low cost carrier offering daily flights from Canada was the main reason for the growth in arrivals from that market.

The visitor count from the U.S. increased to 57,243 air passengers from 56,766 last year.

In contrast, the number of air travellers from the U.K. and the rest of the world decreased nine per cent and ten per cent respectively.

In turn, the increase in air arrivals translated into higher bookings at tourist properties.

The number of visitors staying at resort hotels during the second quarter of 2010 rose three per cent over the same period in 2009.

A total of 35,182 tourists stayed at resort hotels this quarter compared to 34,142 visitors in the same quarter of the previous year.

Smaller accommodations such as small hotels, cottage colonies and clubs experienced a 28 per cent increase in visitors, while visitors staying at guesthouses advanced 15 per cent. In contrast, visitors staying in private homes and housekeeping accommodations fell nine per cent and 40 per cent, respectively.

The level of employment in the hotel industry represented an overall decline of 3 per cent compared to the same period in 2009.

Visitor spending totalled $117 million during the quarter and this level of spending was 35 per cent more than in 2009.

All categories of expenditure were higher, with spending on accommodation and food accounting for the largest portion of the increase with growth of $28.4 million.

Visitor spending on shopping, entertainment and transportation rose by nine per cent.

A total of 171,295 cruise passengers travelled to Bermuda during the second quarter of 2010.

This represented a 38 per cent increase year-over-year and marked the highest cruise passenger total since the third quarter of 2007.

Cruise ship passengers spent an estimated $30 million while visiting the island this quarter, or about five million dollars more than in the previous year.