The Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) has released its visitor metrics for the first half of 2024, revealing significant growth in both air and cruise arrivals, alongside increased visitor spending and notable shifts in travel trends.
Bermuda welcomed a total of 61,619 leisure air visitors during the first six months of 2024, marking a 11.4% increase over the same period in 2023. These visitors contributed an estimated $132.3 millionto the local economy representing a year-over-year increase of 31%, with an average spending of $2,147 per person.
While vacation travel saw marked gains, the Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) segment experienced a decline of 10.3% compared to the previous year. Despite this, other travel measures showed positive momentum. Business travel to Bermuda grew by 6.1%, highlighting Bermuda’s appeal as a destination for corporate meetings and incentive trips.
Although the average length of stay decreased slightly to 6.13 daysfrom 6.4 days in 2023, and hotel occupancy dipped by less than 1 percentage point compared to the previous year, the island’s hotelssaw a 9% increase in revenue per available room (RevPAR). This is reflected in higher spending by visitors, which continues to support the local hospitality industry.
Cruise tourism also experienced robust growth, with Bermuda welcoming 234,790 cruise passengers in the first half of 2024, an increase of 12.3% over 2023. This influx of cruise visitors has contributed to the island’s economy, particularly for local service providers, entertainment, and the transportation sector.
Bermuda nearly doubled its yacht arrivals year on year, with 725 yachts visiting the island, including 61 superyachts by the mid-year point of 2024. This segment contributed an estimated $10.2 million to the economy, a 27.5% 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 coverageand contributing to sturdy growth in the maritime sector. The Newport to Bermuda Yacht race takes place on alternate years, which means a boost over 2023 yacht numbers would be expected. However, the data shows that 2024 performance still exceeded 2022 numbers.
Nearly a year ago, BermudAir made its inaugural commercial flight out of LF Wade International Airport to Westchester, and Boston, injecting a much-needed boost in flight options for the island. Since then, the Bermuda-based airline has shown steady route expansion with new connectivity to Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Baltimore and then Toronto and Halifax. Meanwhile traditional carriers have restored and maintained routes with the noteworthy return of regular airlift out of Washington DC.
The island now boasts the highest number of direct routes in itshistory, with sixteen at the peak this summer. Air capacity to Bermuda for the first half of the year is up 28% and, for several months exceeded the numbers seen in 2019.
Canadian visitor arrivals slumped 26.3% 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 2024, the island now enjoys airlift from bothcentral and Atlantic Canada with two carriers operating out of the populous Toronto market.
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 daysin the peak summer period.
Tracy Berkeley, CEO, Bermuda Tourism Authority: Tracy Berkeley, CEO Bermuda Tourism Authority said, “The first half of 2024 has shown promising growth across our key tourism measures. 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. We do this in collaboration with stakeholder partners, ensuring sustainable tourism that benefits the island and its communities. Events like the Newport Bermuda Yacht Race and SailGP have been instrumental in driving yachting numbers and showcasing Bermuda’s world-class maritime heritage.”
Clarence Hofheins, President, BHA and General Manager, Cambridge Beaches:
“We at the Bermuda Hotel Association (BHA) are encouraged by our collaborative relationship with the Bermuda Tourism Authority (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 travelers.Overall, we’ve been pleased with the growing demand for Bermuda. All our member hotels have seen an increase in leisure guests, and it’sencouraging 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.”
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