Bermuda ranked thirteenth out of 20 Caribbean destinations in a recent visitor satisfaction survey.

But tourism chiefs pointed out that the survey, conducted by Conde Nast Traveler magazine, was done in April and May, when the island was under strict health restrictions because of the coronavirus.

Bermuda received a satisfaction rating of 91.16 in the poll.

St Barts topped the list with a score of 94.29, and Nevis, Anguilla, and Jamaica placed second, third and fourth respectively.

Antigua, the Cayman Islands, Aruba and Puerto Rico all finished ahead of Bermuda, as did St Lucia, the US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands and Turks & Caicos.

A spokeswoman for the Bermuda Tourism Authority insisted that Bermuda’s appearance on the list was a positive, despite its poor showing.

She said: “We’re delighted to be recognised among the top 15 of the CN Traveler’s Caribbean feature, as well as in the Travel & Leisure world’s best islands in the Caribbean.

“Being included in these surveys elevates our visibility and has directly translated to visitors expressing their desire to visit Bermuda.

“With the world of travel opening up slowly and navigating cautiously, Bermuda is welcoming guests who applaud the island’s robust protocols and how the Government handles the pandemic management. These surveys create excitement, and making the list is as important as the ranking.”

The spokeswoman added: “Visitors to our island have consistently acknowledged their positive on-island experiences in exit surveys, with most noting that the friendliness of the locals exceeded their expectations.

“Our team continues to offer the certified tourism ambassador programme for industry service providers, and to develop memorable, authentically Bermudian experiences through our experience investment programme.”

She said the BTA was “proud of our partnerships” in support of customer service development through a recent “learn to earn” programme.

The spokeswoman added: “The BTA tourism standards and training team has engaged industry stakeholders in the safe travels programme codifying Covid health and safety protocols for the industry – a process that has earned the island the World Travel and Tourism seal of approval.

“And we look forward to measuring the impact of our expansion into new markets and unveiling the research gleaned from our current brand study.”