Some 8,996 visitors flew here between October 16 and 22, compared to 8,494 over the same week in 1994.

But the overall tally of visitors, 14,452, went down by 3.9 percent because of a drop in cruise ship passengers.

Just 5,412 people came here by ship -- 16 percent down on last year's figure of 6,445.

Horizon had the highest occupancy rate of the ships with 98.6 percent.

The rates for the others were: Song of America , 97.38; Dreamward , 95.48; Meridian , 72.14; and Royal Majesty , 63.45.

So far this year, January 1-October 22, 496,538 visitors have come to the Island, a 6.3 percent fall on the same period last year.

The decline in air visitors has been 7.7 percent, from 362,064 to 334,072.