Bermuda Cruise Ship Visits Up, but Air Arrivals Dip in First Half of 2014

New visitor figures show a rise in cruise ship business but air arrivals to the island are down through the first six months of the year, according to the Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA).

Officials said Bermuda’s tourism business was still marked by “fragility” and showed only slight gains over the same period last year.

“It should be noted that external factors such as inaccurate information about beach pollution, air route shifts, public transportation disruptions, reductions in international business and fewer hotel beds at higher rates all could impede Bermuda’s fledgling economic revitalization,” the BTA said.

Visitor numbers went up by five percent in the second quarter of the year while overall total arrivals to the end of June rose by four percent. Total visitor arrivals to the end of the June rose by four percent.

Cruise ship arrivals were up nine percent for the second quarter and by nine percent for the year to date, but that was attributed to cruises being cancelled last year and repair work on Heritage Wharf in Dockyard.

Air arrivals — the more lucrative side of the industry — fell by three percent in the second quarter compared to the same period in 2013 — 2,176 fewer visitors — while year-to-date air arrivals were down two percent (2,509 people) compared to the previous year.

The number of hotel room nights booked in the second quarter also dropped — by four percent — and by two percent in the year to date compared to the same period in 2013.

“Despite the slight decline in hotel figures, BTA’s potential to effect positive economic results has increased, “said BTA chief executive officer Bill Hanbury.

He added that increased use of new technology meant that marketing could be targeted at “multiple areas on untapped opportunity ready to be exploited”.

“The speed at which our business intelligence reaches us provides an agility and responsiveness never before seen in the promotion of Bermuda to the world.

Additionally, the retooling of our marketing partnerships and brand messages are starting to show positive results.”

But Hanbury added, “importantly, we need time for these strategies and tactics to gain traction within an extraordinarily competitive global marketplace before Bermuda will see additional jobs and economic growth.”

Source: caribbean360.com