Visitor spending dropped more than 17 percent during the last quarter of 2001 as the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US took their toll on the Bermudian economy, Government's Quarterly Bulletin of Statistics reveal.

Visitor spending in the first three quarters of 2001 was down $64.4 million or 17.4 percent compared to the same period in 2000, and down $83 million or 21.4 percent compared to the first three quarters of 1998.

Cruise visitors spent $19.6 million in the third quarter of 2001 compared to air visitors' $112 million during the same period or $216.90 in spending per cruise passenger and $1,272.70 per air arrival.

The total expenditure by air visitors, an estimated $112 million in the third quarter of 2001, showed a decline of 15.4 percent year-over-year. Expenditures on accommodation and food fell 15.1 percent from 89.7 million to $76.2 million, while non-accommodation spending contracted 16.2 percent from $42.7 million to $35.8 million.

Cruise visitor spending in the first three quarters of 2001 was $33.3 million compared to $37.7 million for the same period in 2000, a decline of 11.7 percent.

Meanwhile air visitor spending in the first three quarters of 2001 decreased by $53 million or 16.3 percent.

Air visitor spending in the first three quarters has decreased by $79 million or 22.6 percent from 1998 to 2001.

A total of 178,342 visitors came to Bermuda in the third quarter of 2001, compared to 202,884 in the same period in 2000, a 12.1 percent decrease.

And in the first three quarters of 2001, a total of 382,652 visitors came to Bermuda, a 13.7 drop percent compared to the same period in 2000.

While the number of cruise passengers increased in the first three quarters of 1998, 1999 and 2000, numbers took a dramatic dive in the first three quarters of 2001, down 14.2 percent from the same period in 2000.

And air visitors continued to drop from 264,545 in the first three quarters of 2000 to 229,110 in the same period in 2001, a 13.39 percent drop.

There has been a 21.27 percent drop in air arrivals from the first three quarters of 1998 compared to the same period in 2001.

The Statistics Department said air visitor arrivals for the third quarter of 2001 dropped 14.1 percent below the same period in 2000 and that the peak summer season ended with an unseasonal low of 87,997 stay-over guests, well below the 102,496 visitors from the previous year.

The months of July and August registered minor declines in air visitor arrivals, but the Statistics Department said: “However, in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the decline became more acute for the month of September. Air visitors plummeted 44.4 percent to 15,687, just under half the total recorded in September of the previous year.”

The cruise ships were the major carriers of visitors to the Island during the third quarter of 2001 and despite a dip of ten percent in the total number of cruise passengers compared to the third quarter of 2000, the 90,345 passengers surpassed the 87,997 visitors that came by air. Expenditures by cruise visitors was estimated at 19.6 million, 7.5 percent below the level reached in the third quarter of 2000.

Hotel occupancy levels were down for all tourist establishment types during the third quarter of 2001 with resort hotels hosting 10,128 fewer guests than in the same period in 2000.

The Statistics Department said: “The remaining accommodation types were also adversely affected by the events of September 11. Small hotels, cottage colonies and clubs recorded an absolute decline in guest arrivals of 3,391.”

Housekeeping accommodations catered to 1,045 fewer guests.

The hotel industry employment level at the end of July 2001 stood at 3,760 workers, an increase of 66 workers over July 2000.

The Statistics Department said: “Among the tourist establishment types, employment in the resort hotels increased by 71 workers or 2.5 percent year-over-year. In contrast, cottage colonies and housekeeping units reported a negligible loss in employees over the same period.”