The Bermuda Tourism Authority has responded to criticism of its latest arrival figures, stating that it is working to diversify the island’s target market.

The BTA announced last week that holiday air arrivals had risen year-over-year, but the Free Democratic Movement countered by saying the figures showed a “stagnating” tourism industry and then calling for the quango to be replaced with a stakeholder council.

A BTA spokeswoman responded to the comment stating that stakeholders already have a say in the quango’s approach.

“Our efforts are not conceived in isolation,” she said. “We work in close collaboration with industry stakeholders — including hoteliers, local businesses, and government partners — to ensure our marketing strategies, product development and visitor experiences reflect the needs of both visitors and Bermudians.

“In fact, the National Tourism Plan, which was developed with the input of over 1,000 stakeholders, community members and visitors serves as the guardrail for our strategic decisions.

“Our success is intrinsically tied to the success of our partners."

The FDM argued that the BTA needed to diversify outside of the US East Coast, but the spokeswoman said that the Year-End Report itself highlighted that the quango was prioritising market diversification.

“While the US East Coast remains a crucial and high-performing market, the BTA has been actively targeting new markets, including Canada and the UK, and exploring opportunities to expand and nurture other regions.

“Diversification is not just an aspiration — it is an active part of our strategy.

“Although there remains work to be done, Bermuda’s tourism industry has made meaningful strides in the post-pandemic recovery period, as reflected in the 2024 Visitor Arrivals Report, which highlights a 9.6 per cent increase in air visitors, 15.2 per cent increase in air leisure visitors, the primary focus of our marketing efforts, and higher visitor spending.”

The spokeswoman also reiterated that efforts to bring the tourism market back to its historic peak was challenged by the reduction of hotel beds caused by the closure of the Fairmont Southampton and the Elbow Beach Hotel.

“Bermuda’s hotel room inventory stands at just 75 per cent of 2019 levels, a reality that naturally limits our ability to drive air arrivals back to pre-pandemic numbers,” the spokeswoman said.

“However, we are optimistic that the long-awaited reopening of the Fairmont Southampton property will serve as a critical catalyst for future growth.

“This major development, coupled with the incentives provided under the Government’s Tourism Investment Act, is a first step to attract further investment into Bermuda’s hotel sector.”