Minors: ‘Excited About Tourism’s Future’

February 17, 2011

Overall tourist arrivals were up by almost five percent in 2010 thanks to a surge in cruise ship visits and a near-record fleet participating in the Newport-Bermuda Yacht Race  – but air arrivals dipped by 1.5 percent.

Tourism Minister Patrice Minors revealed the statistics yesterday [Feb. 16] during an appearance at the Grotto Bay Beach Resort, saying despite the drop in air arrivals last year she was confident these numbers would rebound in 2011 — pointing to  a 5.5 percent increase in air visitors in January.

“While air visitation may have been down in 2010, these visitors stayed longer on island,” she said. “The average length of stay for the year increased to 6.21 nights up from 6.09 nights in 2009.”

“Visitors choosing to stay in commercial properties also increased to 4.94 nights from 4.84 nights. This increase in stay attributed to an increase in hotel occupancy. Figures supplied by the Bermuda Hotel Association show that hotel occupancy increased three percentage points, averaging out at 54 percent for the year for their member properties.”

The Minister said overall tourism arrival figures for 2010 totalled  585,266 — up from 559,048 visitors in 2009.

“As mentioned, cruise arrivals to the island increased for the year to the tune of just over nine percent,” she said “Exceeding projections, cruise visitors totaled 347,931 for 2010 a boost of over 29,000 visitors year over year. This is a direct result of the additional 14 cruise ship calls for the period. In 2011 cruise arrivals are projected to continue to rise.”

Grotto Bay Minister of Business Development and Tourism Patrice Minors Bermuda Feb 16th 2011-1-3

Ms Minors took the opportunity to congratulate Grotto Bay Beach Resort on recently being selected by Internet travel reservation website Expedia.com for a major honour [she is pictured above with the hotel's general manager J.P. Martens and resident manager Clyde Darrell displaying the award].

She said upcoming renovations at the East End property demonstrated its continuing commitment to providing quality accomodations for visitors and Grotto Bay’s faith in the future of Bermuda’s tourism product.

“I mentioned earlier that it’s not a coincidence that we find ourselves at the Grotto Bay Beach Resort,” she said. “In fact, today I am pleased to announce that just last month, the online travel conglomerate Expedia.com, awarded Grotto Bay the Top Partner of the Year Award for an Independent Hotel. Grotto Bay’s innovative, consistent promotional campaign and its flexible room rates and availability succeeded in catching the attention of the most popular online travel website in the world.

“This is a thrilling development and I want to extend my congratulations to the General Manager, Mr. JP Martens, and all of the management and staff at the hotel for this wonderful accomplishment.”

The Tourism Minister said with 189 yachts participating in the June, 2010 Newport-Bermuda Race — the third largest fleet in the event’s history — the number of visitors who arrived on private seacraft also saw a nine percent spike over 2009 figures.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am excited about the future of Bermuda tourism,” said the Minister. “We are being aggressive with our promotions and marketing efforts and we are keen to ensure that there is a great buzz about Bermuda.

“We are single-minded and focused to ensuring that this industry is a success. From our high-profile consumer events to our property developments – this is a very busy time for Bermuda tourism and we’re delighted about the possibilities.”

The full text of Minister Minors’ statement appears below:

Good afternoon, thank you for joining me.

It’s no coincidence why we’re here today at the Grotto Bay Beach Resort.

Ladies and gentlemen, when I assumed the role of Minister of Business Development and Tourism, one of my first acts was to meet with members of the Bermuda Hotel Association and our hotel owners.

Over the course of the last few months, we have engaged in several fruitful conversations.

Part of my message to them was reaffirming that this Government fully supports their efforts to bolster Bermuda’s tourism product.

Granted, of late, there has been fervent discussion about tourism, our hotels and the revitalisation of this industry.

And in the midst of the noise, it’s easy to miss the positive developments that are taking place in the industry.

So today, I thought that it was only fitting that we convened at Grotto Bay to not only share some good tourism news, but to also demonstrate in a tangible way this Government’s support for our hoteliers.

We have recently compiled the end of year visitor arrival statistics for 2010, and I am pleased to highlight some encouraging developments.

Cumulative visitor arrivals to Bermuda in 2010 were up 4.7 percent for the year.

A total of 585,266 visitors spent time on our shores during this period, up from 559,048 visitors in 2009.

This total was a direct result of an active year on cruise and yacht front.

The jump in total arrivals came despite a continuing decline in air arrivals, which saw a marginal drop of 1.5 percent in 2010.

The months May to August all showed increases year over year.

However September did not fare as well, declining 14 percent as the island was hit by a number of tropical systems, most notably Hurricane Igor.

Hurricane Igor impacted flights and reservations and ultimately affected visitor arrivals.

Air visitation by nationality remains dominated by the US with 72 percent of all visitors residing in this region.

Canadian visitor share increased two percentage points in 2010 to 13 percent, which is a result of the 22 percent increase in visitor arrivals from this area due to the additional air lift out of Toronto supplied by WestJet.

Visitation of visitors from the UK and European markets remained constant at 10 percent and 2 percent respectively while visitors from the rest of the world where down one percentage point at 3 percent.

While air visitation may have been down in 2010, these visitors stayed longer on island.

The average length of stay for the year increased to 6.21 nights up from 6.09 nights in 2009.

Visitors choosing to stay in commercial properties also increased to 4.94 nights from 4.84 nights.

This increase in stay attributed to an increase in hotel occupancy.

Figures supplied by the BHA show that hotel occupancy increased three percentage points, averaging out at 54 percent for the year for their member properties.

As mentioned, cruise arrivals to the island increased for the year to the tune of just over 9 percent.

Exceeding projections, cruise visitors totaled 347,931 for 2010 a boost of over 29,000 visitors year over year.

This is a direct result of the additional 14 cruise ship calls for the period.

In 2011 cruise arrivals are projected to continue to rise.

Meanwhile, the Newport to Bermuda Yacht race helped usher yacht visitation to an increase of 9 percent.

The race alone led to a total of 189 yachts to the island in the month of June.

The year ended with 5,073 yachtsmen sailing to the island an increase of 419 yacht visitors during this period.

Ladies and gentlemen, I’d also like to share with you some preliminary statistics from January 2011.

I am pleased to say that the upward trend in visitor arrivals continued. Overall there was a 5.5 percent increase in air visitors over 2010.

While we saw a slight decline in air arrivals from our traditional east coast markets such as New York and New Jersey, we did see an increase in arrivals from our gateways in Pennsylvania, with 15 percent, as well as a boost in arrivals from Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

We also had a boost in arrivals from Canada, with a 50 percent increase in visitors from the region, thanks to the additional Westjet flights.

The Bermuda Marathon Weekend was also a highlight for us in January 2011.

Race weekend was huge success, with the highest number of participants since 2004, arriving on our shores. We welcomed over 680 runners for this event, and we look forward to working with organisers to ensure that race weekend is an even bigger success next year.

Giving a preview to the upcoming months, I can report that hotel bookings for the second quarter of this year look promising, with an increase in group business expected to boost our occupancy levels.

Ladies and gentlemen, our tourism success hinges on so many factors.

A huge part of that is our hotel product. Having quality hotel accommodations and adequate beds are key to enticing visitors to our shores.

I mentioned earlier that it’s not a coincidence that we find ourselves at the Grotto Bay Beach Resort. In fact, today I am pleased to announce that just last month, the online travel conglomerate Expedia.com, awarded Grotto Bay the Top Partner of the Year Award for an Independent Hotel. Grotto Bay’s innovative, consistent promotional campaign and its flexible room rates and availability succeeded in catching the attention of the most popular online travel website in the world.

This is a thrilling development and I want to extend my congratulations to the General Manager, Mr. JP Martens, and all of the management and staff at the hotel for this wonderful accomplishment.

Also in Grotto Bay news, the resort has recently been approved under the Hotels Concessions Act to conduct a series of property upgrades, including the installation of a new energy management system and the renovation of their guest rooms.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am excited about the future of Bermuda tourism.

We are being aggressive with our promotions and marketing efforts and we are keen to ensure that there is a great buzz about Bermuda.

We are single-minded and focused to ensuring that this industry is a success.

From our high-profile consumer events to our property developments – this is a very busy time for Bermuda tourism and we’re delighted about the possibilities.

I want pause however and remind those here and those in the wider community that it will take the combined efforts of all involved to sustain this critical industry.

It will take the unified efforts of our hoteliers, our community partners, and all residents if this industry is to thrive.

For our part, we at the Ministry continue to champion this critical pillar of our economy and I look forward to reporting the positive results of our hard work during our next quarterly report.

Thank you.

Read More About

Category: All, News, Politics

Comments (24)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. just joking says:

    Please someone correct my math…and enlighten me
    So 29,000 extra cruise ship visitors…..each visitor gives (guessing) $70 per person to the government.(landing fee).
    So 29,000 * $70 = $2,030,000

    The new Pier cost 100 million…..so in 50 years we may break even…not including updating, maintaining e.t.c…

    was the new pier worth it???

    • Tony says:

      Yeah but look on the bright side, the dolphins are really happy and the guy that transports the cruis ship visitors (at the expense of our taxi drivers ) to South Shore beaches can’t hide his delight and Correira and Doc are simply over the moon about the Great Sea Wall At West Side..Maybe we can sell it as a tourist attraction..hold on, I sense a pay toll being established and the contract being given out to an insider.. yeah, hmmm, yeahh, let’s not do that.. What was I thinking???

    • Tony says:

      Yes, absolutely, depending on who are you asking?

    • Black Soil says:

      $70 is way too low. More like $200 per person (you need to include the landing tax). Does that help you with your math??

      • Tony says:

        Okay, assuming you are correct, it is not 50 but 16 years ( if all related expenses / monies collected remain constant0 that we should break even.. Very, very futuristic.. I like the long term planning, although we could be out of business as a country by then..

        I noticed the plans for expansion on Horshoe Beach.. I therefore add the owners of the facility at Horshoe beach to the very few that will prosper as a result of increased cruise ship visitors..

      • what a joke says:

        beg to differ..actually believe concessions have been made t0 get the cruise ships here and it is probably below $70 a person….

        • what a joke says:

          all I could find for now….http://www.bermuda-attractions.com/bermuda_000141.htm

          Feb 6, 2010
          passenger cabin tax is applicable while a cruise ship is docked at Bermuda port. The bill to waive the cabin tax has been passed by the Finance Ministry.

          This means a good news for the Cruise passengers. Benefits of savings should be passed on to the passengers by the cruise line.

          A cabin tax of $14 per night is levied when a ship is docked at the port during May to September. Otherwise it is $10 per night.
          However, this waiver is not applicable unconditionally to all cruise lines. The Ministry of tourism will now get into discussions with the various cruise lines to know their level of commitments to contribute to Bermuda’s tourism and economy before such benefits are extended.

          The waiver will be applicable for cruise ships planning to dock at St George and Hamilton ports in Bermuda. It will also be applicable for some of the cruise ship docking at Kings Wharf at Ireland Island in Sandys parish.

          This bill has been passed in recognition of the fact that Bermuda must promote its tourism further and attract more cruise visitors.

          In 2008, NCL was requested by the Bermuda Government to stay over for one extra night at Kings Wharf port since there was some infrastructure related logistics problems. NCL obliged and in return Bermuda Government had waived the passenger cabin tax for the extra (third) night. As a result the cruise line could save $263,472 which was eventually passed on to the passengers.

  2. Truth says:

    …it was to the people who built it and whomever in Govt benefitted from it. I do hope that the PLP will NEVER have credibility until they uncover and make public those individuals who robbed the public coffers. They need to recognize that they are not supposed to be a hindering veil to the public, protecting those in gheir ranks who were unethical and/or flat out stealing !!

    What a shame. These lot have turned Mr Wade’s and Mrs. Brown Evans’ dream into mess.

  3. One Love says:

    Madame Minister, i think that you are excited to be a Minister and that’s cool, however, I ask that you spare us the bubbly over the latest visitor arrival figures:
    1) Visitor arrival up by 5% vs which period? Up 5% compared to the past 12 years wouldn’t be much to get excited about, now would it.Stop the useless spin and please give us the details, however, dismal.
    2)347,931 cruise ship visitors representing 60% of total arrivals! If it is indeed accurate that a cruise ship visitor spends approximately 10% of the amount spent by a land based /hotel visitor,than we shouldn’t be doing any dancing at Global House.
    3)Newstead / Belmont on tne trash heap; Tuckers Point on life support; The Regis Developers being sued by the Corp of Hamilton—haven’t moved a piece of earth as yet; No sign of life at the old club med property in St.george’s, no sign of life in St.George’s at all; Ariel Sands purely residential; Tumble weeds at the old Sonesta property;Lantanna property up in the air now that the developers (Newstead/Belmont group) uncertain about their future; Elbow Beach resort, now a cottage colony with the closure of approxiately 66% of their guest rooms; Harmony Club now a BHC residential property;Horizons closed for business; Southlands group having to listen to lectures from the previous Minister/Premiere on who to use as developers / hotel management company–like anyone would want business advice from this group and the Beat goes on…”I’m so excited”

  4. 32n64w says:

    As is now the norm, the Tourism Minister conveniently forgets to split visitation numbers between tourist, business visitor and house guest. The Department of Tourism’s mandate and corresponding budget allocation is for the purpose of attracting tourists, yet they consistently fail to report on actual tourist arrivals.

    • Truth says:

      I don’t think it is fair to hammer Mrs Minors on tourism. She hasn’t been in the post long at all and she needs time to see the fruits of her efforts. No doubt, she has her hands full cleaning up the mess that Dr. Brown left behind. To her credit, she scrapped the overpaid Global Hue, although Government as a whole are still protecting Dr Brown. I am minded to give her time. In my opinion, she is one of the few bright sparks in the PLP.

      As a side, politics as a whole is suffering from a severe lack of talent, across all parties. I believe it is the reason why we see a regurgitation of the same old names and faces. Bermuda politics is having a very difficult time attracting talent because no one wants to be associated with the tiresome mess that is Bermuda politics.

      When we are fortunate enough to have someone like Mrs Minors, who is obviously intelligent and represents Bemuda well, I believe that she deserves our support. not that I support the PLP but I support her because a lot of Bermudian jobs are riding on her shoulders. The last thing she needs from us is additional weight.

      • sandgrownan says:

        She could try telling it as it is…rather than indulging us with her Brownesque spin.

      • Tony says:

        Get a grip Truth.. Mrs Minors is playing at this and her obvious intelligence is lost on me. She is the PLP, as is Paula and Jennifer, et el. They are all seasoned members of the PLP, since and before they took charge of government and as such, they must share the collective blame for the sorry state of affairs that we find ourselves in. In fact, they are the tiresome mess that is Bermuda Politics.

        I agree we need more talent and therefore refuse to settle for the lack of ideas, honesty, ethics and leadership that is part and parcel of that motley crew..

        Where is an Egyptian when you need one?

        Geez Louise!!

        • Truth says:

          Get a grip on what Tony? You agreed with half of my analysis. If you don’t agree that we need to give her time instead of blasting her with all of the venom that rightly belongs to Ewart, then it is you that needs to get a grip.

      • One Love says:

        Sorry “Truth Says” but Ms Minors assumed the reigns and as such she is responsible for not only getting it right but to provide the public with the truth, not spin. Geting it right is to first accept that she is an elected official that assumes this positon with little real knowledge of how the industry works.Not her fault but she raised her and said that she would take on this huge task. It is a task that is way beyond the grasp of a politician. Turning around tourism will never be done if left in the hands of the government, this one or any to follow. The PLP had it right, when the then Premiere, Jennifer Smith, commissioned the Monitor Group to assist Bermuda in creating a private sector / public sector authority but she /they never followed through on the B.A.T. Strtageic Plan. Read it before you respond.It was -is the only way forward!!!

        • Tony says:

          That’s what um talkin bout… Real intelligent byes that Monitor Group and the 3/4 million dollars ( yours and my money ) paid for their report needs to be dusted off and implemented. I know it is a super bold concept for a politician, however for the sake of the country, they need to get out of the game and let the pro’s take over..

        • Truth says:

          This is precisely the type of backward thinking that i am against. It is synonymous of planting a seed today and coming back to the field tomorrow and angry that the seed hasn’t grown yet. Your frustration needs to be vented in the right place and to the right people. D. brown is most likely who you are annoyed at. You need to push to get the PLP to stop hiding his dirt and defending him.

      • 32n64w says:

        Truth … I’m hammering the Tourism Minister (who at the moment happens to be Ms. Minors) & the Department of Tourism for their continued obfuscation of the real tourist visitation numbers.

        Unless and until the DoT reports these important facts for comparative purposes (over a number of years, preferably five by quarter) we’ll never really have a full grasp of their performance and the public’s corresponding return on the DoT’s taxpayer funded budget.

        Any “bright spark” could see the importance of this metric and it relevance to both industry and the electorate.

  5. My two cents says:

    I do believe the PLP, UBP, and BDA have all become the boys/gals that cried wolf! Now, what are the people that don’t trust any of them going to do in the next election? Go for lesser of two evils? That would be a tough call. The ONLY THING that gets a politician to play fair if the threat of a VOTE BOYCOTT! If you are not happy with any particular party, you could boycott your vote! If enough people at the very least threaten this, THEN WE COULD GET SOME STUFF DONE.

  6. crazytalk says:

    Ms Minors doesn’t mention it, but we are all looking forward to contruction work starting on the Hyatt hotel in November 2011. Dr Brown told us just before stepping down, that financing is in place, and contruction work will start in November 2011. We are all looking forward to seeing that happen, as I’m sure it will, because Dr Brown would not have said it unless it were absolutely true.

    I’m not sure why Ms Minors would not have mentioned such an important item, so I’m bring it up to be helpful.

  7. Triangle Drifter says:

    Somebody please tell us, just what experience does Miniset Minors have in the hospitality industry? Riding planes, checking in at front desks & occasionally having to sit near a restaurant kitchen does not count.

    Starting with David Allen we have had over 12 years of PLP Ministers, not one of them a hotel manager, or even a salesman for that matter, though I can easily picture Brown working in one of those cheap looking used car lots.

    Cruise ship numbers have doubled. Well…Whooop Deee Dooo! That is great for head tax & very few local vendors. Most attractions get nothing from the ships.

    It is business as usual with the DOT. Smoke & mirrors. A shell game to deceive the ignorant masses.

    • Tony says:

      Although the same can’t be said for the current DOT, what can be said is that he managed 2 hotels that are now currently out of business and another that will soon go that route..

      So we have a failed DOT holding the brief case for a Minister that has a Trust background..

      We shall overcome ah um, we shall over come, some day, ay ay ay ay..

  8. navin johnson says:

    lets see $70 x 29,000 = $2,030,000…wonder how much the merchants of Hamilton have lost with the terminal in Dockyard…to say nothing of the jobs lost…would have been cheaper to dredge the Harbour. Many people look around Dockyard and dont want to leave the ship….by the time they take that $50 cab ride into town and back the tee shirt they buy is now $120…