Increase in air, cruise and yacht arrivals in Bermuda
There are more direct flights to Bermuda now than ever in the island’s history, the Bermuda Tourism Authority has revealed.
A spokeswoman said there were 16 flights arriving and departing Bermuda this season and that air capacity for the first half of 2024 increased by 28 per cent compared with the same period last year.
For several months, visitor numbers this year surpassed figures seen during the same period in 2019.
The BTA attributed this increase to traditional carriers such as American Airlines and Delta Air Lines restoring some routes to the island, as well as well as the debut of Bermuda’s first airline, BermudAir, which made its inaugural flight to Boston in September.
The carrier has since added routes to Baltimore, Maryland, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando in Florida and Westchester, New York, as well as Toronto and Halifax in Canada.
The spokeswoman explained: “Canadian visitor arrivals slumped 26.3 per cent in the first six months of 2024 due to the absence of WestJet and subsequent reduced air capacity.
“The good news is that with BermudAir’s entrance into the Canadian market in May, the island now enjoys airlift from both central and Atlantic Canada, with two carriers operating out of the populous Toronto market.”
Despite the decrease in Canadian air passengers, the BTA midyear tourism report showed that 61,619 travellers visited Bermuda by plane for leisure from January 1 to July 1, an 11.4 per cent increase from the same period last year.
These passengers contributed about $132.3 million to the local economy, a 31 per cent increase year-on-year, and spent an average of $2,147 per person.
The spokeswoman added: “Although air capacity has seen steady improvements, the industry is still challenged with the recovery of hotel capacity lagging behind, which causes availability issues, particularly during heavy travel days in the peak summer period.”
Business travel to the island grew 6.1 per cent, but travellers visiting friends and relatives in Bermuda decreased 10.3 per cent compared with the first half of 2023.
The average length of stay for air visitors also went down — from 6.4 days during the first half of 2023 to 6.13 days for same period in 2024 — and hotel occupancy fell by less than 1 per cent for the same period.
The spokeswoman added: “The island’s hotels saw a 9 per cent increase in revenue per available room.
“This is reflected in higher spending by visitors, which continues to support the local hospitality industry.”
Bermuda also saw 234,790 cruise ship visitors between January 1 and July 1, 12.3 per cent more than during the same period last year, and 725 yachts, including 61 superyachts, visiting the island.
The spokeswoman said: “[Yacht visitors] contributed an estimated $10.2 million to the economy, a 27.5 per cent increase over the previous year.
“The surge in yacht arrivals and spending was bolstered by major events like the Newport Bermuda Yacht Race and Annapolis Bermuda Race.
“Additionally, Bermuda’s hosting of the Apex SailGP event in May further elevated the island’s profile in the global yachting community, attracting high-net-worth visitors, generating global media coverage and contributing to sturdy growth in the maritime sector.”
Tracy Berkeley, the chief executive of the BTA, said the first half of 2024 has “shown promising growth across our key tourism measures”.
She added: “The increase in visitor spending, the rise in air, cruise and yacht arrivals and the rebound in leisure travel demonstrate the resilience and appeal of Bermuda as a premier destination.
“These results reflect the collaborative efforts of an industry guided by the Bermuda National Tourism Plan, which serves as the strategic guardrail for all our activations and the rule by which we measure success.”
Clarence Hofheins, the manager of Cambridge Beaches Resort and president of the Bermuda Hotel Association, said: “We at the BHA are encouraged by the collaborative relationship with the BTA.
“By leveraging the resources of our individual hotels and the expertise of the BTA, we have effectively worked together to boost Bermuda’s appeal as a destination for both group and leisure travellers.
“All our member hotels have seen an increase in leisure guests, and it’s encouraging to see more people choosing Bermuda over other destinations.
“As we look ahead, we are optimistic that this positive trend will continue throughout the rest of 2024, and early bookings suggest that 2025 could be another strong year for Bermuda tourism.”
• To read the BTA tourism report for the first half of 2024, see Related Media
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