The contribution of tourism to Bermuda’s economy and aggressively promoting the island as a business and leisure destination were expected to be highlighted when the tourism minister attended a gathering in the Cayman Islands.

Owen Darrell travelled this week to take part in the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference.

The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport was to provide an overview of Bermuda's tourism performance and share visitor statistics.

He said: “I am pleased to be representing Bermuda once again at the CTO's gathering and equally excited to be joining key industry leaders at this year’s conference.

“Bermuda has had a brisk tourism season so far. During the SOTIC there is a comprehensive briefing for all member countries.

“I look forward to updating on our progress by sharing such performance-led contributions as:

• An 11.4 per cent increase in air arrivals and a 6.1 per cent increase in business travel for the first half of the year;

• Bermuda welcomed 234,790 cruise passengers, up 12.3 per cent from last year for the first half of the year;

• Bermuda's yacht arrivals almost doubled, with 725 yachts visiting between January and June; and

• The fact that this latest quarter saw tourism contribute $132.3 million to the local economy.“

The conference started on Monday and will run until Friday, with the theme “Caribbean Tourism: Fuelling our Lifeblood”.

A government statement said: “The SOTIC is the Caribbean’s foremost platform for addressing critical issues shaping the region’s tourism sector.

“It gathers a diverse array of regional and global leaders, thought leaders, decision-makers and influencers to discuss competitiveness and sustainable growth within the industry.”

It added that Mr Darrell would meet other regional tourism ministers, including Kenneth Bryan, the Minister of Tourism and Ports of the Cayman Islands and the outgoing CTO chairman.

The statement said: “The public will note that Mr Bryan recently visited the island for the Bermuda Day festivities in May of this year for a regional cultural exchange.

“Minister Bryan is completing his term as CTO chair, and the membership will elect a new chairman during this week's meeting.”

Mr Darrell added: “Valuable insights on the future of tourism investment, leveraging innovation, economic development and sustainability in the region will be discussed at these meetings and it's beneficial that Bermuda is present.

“This is a great opportunity for all stakeholders to share ideas and network to find common solutions to ensure that we all thrive.”

He will return to Bermuda on Thursday.