The Bermuda Tourism Authority has won two top awards in recognition of its efforts to promote the island in the wake of Covid-19.

Two BTA campaigns, which targeted the Afro-American market and encouraged people to work in Bermuda, were recognised at the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s (HSMAI) Adrian Awards – the tourism industry’s equivalent of the Oscars.

It picked up a bronze award in Digital Marketing for its Power of Celebrity campaign, which featured actor Yara Shahidi and her family touring the island.

According to a BTA statement, the family posted content across all of their channels during and after the trip, attracting more than 24 million views and comments from African American celebrities such as Taraji Henson and Naomi Campbell.

The Work From Bermuda certificate campaign brought executives and students to work and study remotely from the island in a stunning and worry-free environment. It picked up a silver award in the Recovery Strategies category.

According to the BTA, the response to the campaign went beyond expectations, resulting in more than 160 articles about the programme and 1.8 billion impressions, generating a media value of $3.8 million.

Coverage included hits in top-tier publications such as The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, as well as an array of broadcast segments, and positioned Bermuda as one of the top destinations to consider for a remote working year.

Glenn Jones, BTA’s interim CEO, said: “I’m really excited about these two Adrian Awards because they show the immense talent of our public relations team.

“One award acknowledges our long-established strategy to connect with Black consumers and leverage the spending power of Black travellers.

“The other accolade exhibits our agility as a marketing organisation – pivoting towards opportunity, quickly and decisively. I couldn’t be prouder.”

The BTA has won five public relations Adrian Awards in the past five years, including a Best of Show accolade in 2016.