Air & Cruise Arrivals Up, Employment Down
The Department of Statistics released the 2010 second quarter statistics, which show tourism numbers to be encouraging, while hotel employment numbers are down 3%. The statistics also show that locals are spending less, with overseas purchases down $1 million, and retail down 3%.
Air arrivals during the second quarter of 2010 rebounded 3.4% compared to the same quarter in 2009. A total of 77,512 tourists flew in during the second quarter of the year, up from 74,985 in 2009. Visitor spending totalled $117 million during the quarter. A total of 171,295 cruise passengers travelled to Bermuda during the second quarter of 2010, a 38% increase year-over-year. The cruise visitors spent an estimated $30 million, about $5 million more than in the previous year.
There were 2,475 employees in the hotel accommodation industry at the end of April 2010, an overall decline of 3% compared to the same period in 2009.
Locals declared a total value of $18.1 million on overseas goods during the quarter, 1 million less than the same quarter of 2009. Clothing & footwear continued to represent the largest portion of resident purchases overseas. Consumers spent 3% less on retail goods during the second quarter of 2010 compared with the same quarter of 2009.
The full 8-page document is below, click ‘Fullscreen’ for greater clarity:
Yet more propaganda from the Department of BS – a 3% increase over the levels of 2009, a year with without any doubt the poorest arrivals figures since modern record keeping began is nothing to gloat about. More meaningful would be analysis as to how these figures compare to two years ago, five years ago and even ten years ago.
Sorry to burst your bubble guys, but I suspect the new owners of this journal have a vested interest in making themselves look good for legacy’s sake if nothing more. Speaking of whom…But my guess is that it’s already way past that, what with the Fat Turd and the Bank Robber already wondering how they will pay their bills come November.