Bermuda saw a promising boost in tourism in the second quarter as the island rebounds from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Bermuda Tourism Authority said.

Tracy Berkeley, the chief executive of the BTA, said that much of the revenue came as the result of a strong inter-agency media campaign, though revenue from yacht arrivals was on the decline.

She said: "We appreciate the sales and marketing efforts being made by the Bermuda Tourism Authority in the last quarter, which have positively contributed to repositioning Bermuda as a sought-after international travel destination.

“This progressive trend reflects a step in the right direction for our key industry.”

The second quarter saw 41,821 leisure air arrivals, a 25.7 per cent increase compared with last year’s second quarter.

Similarly, expenditure from air travel visitors stood at $113.4 million — a 20.6 per cent increase from 2022’s second quarter.

However, individual spending fell 6.1 per cent.

A BTA spokesman said that this drop in per-person expenditure was partly because of visitors spending 6.08 days on average on the island, as opposed to 6.47 at about the same time last year.

Hotel occupancy also saw a 12.1 per cent increase in this year’s second quarter, with hotel revenue per available room increasing 26 per cent with the demand.

Bermuda saw 186,303 cruise passengers visit the island through 66 calls.

Additionally, there were 553 yachts to visit the island, including 44 superyachts, which the BTA said reflected “a steady demand in the marine tourism segment”.

The presence of yachts is believed to have brought in about $6.17 million, which is a 21.4 per cent decline compared with the previous year.

The BTA spokesman said that this decline was because of the Newport Bermuda Race not taking place this year and the lack of a SailGP event on the island.

The Newport Bermuda Race is held every other year, with the Marion to Bermuda Race taking its place in the off years.

The BTA used the second quarter to enact several local and international initiatives, all achieving success.

Bermuda’s hospitality sector was highlighted in April after it was named Hospitality Month and used the banner “Elevate Bermuda Together”.

The second annual Dive Month, also hosted in April, put a spotlight on Bermuda’s maritime attractions, including its reefs and shipwrecks.

The BTA also hosted a VIP Bermuda Day event in Hamilton, which sold out.

The authority held a media campaign across several platforms, which generated $50 million worth of value in North America alone and had a potential reach of about 67 million people over social media.

The project also sent 17 articles to approximately 44 million people in Europe and Britain.

Collaborations with local content creators also spawned several videos that put Bermuda’s attractions on display.

The BTA worked with the Ministry of Transport and other groups to get involved in Bermuda’s National Tourism Plan and worked on its air connectivity.

The group also held programmes in the school system and launched the BTA+ online platform to help to further education and training within the tourism field.

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BTA Q2 2023 Corporate Report.pdf

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