Yet-to-be-released tourism figures show more visitors came to Bermuda in the first nine months of this year than during the whole of 2005.

At some point during September, the Island's total visitor numbers for the year-to-date eclipsed the 2005 total and by the end of the month stood at 529,633.

Tourism industry commentators have welcomed the achievement and stressed that the momentum that brought the best second quarter visitor numbers on record must be maintained.

Beating the achievements of 2005 with three months still to go was not a total surprise to Tourism Board chairman Andre Curtis who cited the lower price airfares achieved this year, particularly with the arrival of JetBlue Airways to the Island, and the work of the Global Hue advertising agency promoting Bermuda in North America as two initiatives that have made a positive impact in the past year.

Mr. Curtis said: "Tourism is working hard and has become a streamlined section of Government with people asked to reach new quarterly targets. With Minister (Dr. Ewart) Brown at the head, he pushed this and that is recognised in these figures.

"I knew something like this was coming because hard work and commitment always pays off. The tourism department people have made every effort."

The third quarter figures relate to the months of July, August and September and show 261,325 visitors came to Island, a 33.3 percent upswing for those months compared to the corresponding months of 2005. That works out at as a 27.9 percent year-to-date increase on last year.

Even with the disruption caused by Hurricane Florence in September cruise arrivals are up 46.4 percent, while air visitor numbers have risen 15.8 percent year-on-year.

John Harvey, CEO of the Bermuda Hotel Association, said: "We're very pleased that this is happening and no doubt a lot is due to the lower airfares.

"But we can't take our eye of the ball. These airfare price challenges are ongoing and we have to develop attractive price packaging of hotel accommodation and airfare ? that's what we are looking at for 2007, that is what we have to encourage. The price of accommodation has to come in line with these airfare deals."

The third quarter tourism arrival figures come only two months after it was revealed that during April, May and June of this year the number of visitors to the Island was the highest single, second quarter total since records began.

The total number of visitors to Bermuda in 2005 was 521,043, representing a five-year high.