January – June: 85% Drop In Leisure Air Arrivals
COVID-19 and Bermuda’s strict measures to manage the pandemic acutely curtailed airlift and visitor numbers in the second quarter of 2020, according to data released by the Bermuda Tourism Authority [BTA].
A spokesperson said, “With cruise calls halted out of US ports and Bermuda’s airport closed to regularly scheduled commercial service for nearly 15 weeks from March 21, visitor arrivals and spending estimates for April, May and June were severely impacted. Q2 data reflected a handful of private-jet arrivals, including business travellers—plus transit sailboats and superyacht traffic.
“This quarter’s unprecedented numbers were expected given our island’s lockdown to protect community health, but, regardless, these statistics are tough to consider when combined in a single report,” said the BTA’s Interim CEO Glenn Jones.
“Third-quarter data will be better, thanks to the gradual resumption of commercial flights in July, August and September. We still expect a difficult slog, though, and the return to normalcy will be a slow and long climb.”
“Commercial air capacity fell 99.4 percent year over year in the second quarter, with 918 total seats [available to returning residents only during this period], compared to more than 158,000 in 2019.
“Compared to 89,620 total air visitors in Q2 2019, the period this year saw just 42—more than half of those [57 percent] business travellers, along with 10 [24 percent] vacation & leisure arrivals and eight others, mostly visiting friends and relatives. Half of arriving air travellers stayed in a hotel, with another 43 percent in other accommodations, including aboard yachts, and seven percent hosted by friends and relatives.
“Spending by leisure visitors fell from a total $98 million in the second quarter last year to an estimated $70,000 in Q2 2020. This year’s visitors were estimated to spend more per person—the increase attributable to longer stays due to quarantine protocols. Average length of stay in Q2 2020 was just over 24 days, compared to 5.6- or 5.7-day averages in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
“Some 369 travellers arrived by yacht during the three-month period, down 83 percent from the year before. Total traffic of 99 vessels making port included eight superyachts.
“Half-year data tallies incorporating the Q2 results reveal an 85-percent overall drop in leisure air arrivals January through June 2020, along with a 66-percent decline in air capacity. Total spending by leisure visitors arriving by air fell 85 percent to an estimated $20 million over the first six months of the year. Cruise arrivals, accounting for a single ship call in February, went down 96 percent.”
The full Q2 2020 Tourism Measures Report follows below [PDF here]
No brainer
This isn’t the place for your autobiography.
You should be more concerned about helping your obaubp find out why all the voters left them Come Last.
You should be more concerned to find out why confidence in Bda went in the toilet 2 weeks after the last election.
And please don’t try to deny it.
You should be more concerned about helping Jet gate write his resignation speech. Oh and please don’t deny your whitewash attitude that will help drive more nails in the RIP UBP experimental oba circus. This will help you get voted out.
Your lies are the very reason you have JETGATE as the leader now. I smell desperation. With so many bright and trust worthy people you selected him of all people.
a) I didn’t select anyone
b) The ‘real’ PLP jetgate ? Still no response on that
c) 2 responses to my comment and total avoidance of the fact about the economy/confidence/last election.
Not my OBA, I don’t support political parties like some sort of sheep and I want the PLP back in. I don’t think they lost votes so much unless it was all a big lie that PLP voters abstained from voting because they were unhappy with the party. Numbers don’t lie so theres a good chance that is in fact the truth. Theres many reasons they could have lost the last election. Let’s face it, they are out of touch with the people. Another reason, maybe you forgot this one, was the strategy they used, suggested to them by a former Premier in an email. Something to the effect of “a sustained program of disinformation and criticism”.
Disinformation: false information which is intended to mislead, especially propaganda issued by a government organization to a rival power or the media.
Sounds like lying to their voter base with extra steps.
Very confusing. You seem to be confirming the PLP ran a disinformation campaign, and lying to their voter base and are out of touch with the people. I wouldn’t disagree.
You voted UBP and OBA. Now run along like a pawn and continue.
Why the need to comment under different names, Paul’? You have absolutely no idea how I voted so that’s out the window.
You should ask CC about the $350k that was from a hotelier for the OBA. You know the money that they never received to see who’s lying! It wasn’t public money but was that called hmmm
The supporters in the OBA said it was ok because it wasn’t money from the public purse. What crazy type of response is that???
Not as crazy as PLPers defending and voting back in individuals who have engaged in shall we say interesting government contracts involving taxpayer monies. If you need a reminder there are numerous auditor general reports and a commission of inquiry fo you to read.
Now that’s crazy
Same commission of enquiry that talked about Vic Ball, but jetgate CC placed him right back in the obaubperr camp.
Ahhhh deflection. Now go and read the umpteen AG reports and commission’s findings.
It’s definitely not ok but it wasn’t illegal either. I seem to remember someone saying something like “unethical but not illegal”. Right, that was the PLP. Why don’t PLP supporters ever talk about Dr. Brown’s jetgate that cost the taxpayers millions for nothing?
It must be ok since you and the rest of the oba have Craig as LEADER lololol.
Do you smoke crack? One more time. I do not support political parties like a sheep. When you pick a team to support you forfeit your ability to hold them accountable through blind loyalty. when we don’t hold our politicians to a higher standard, all of them, we suffer for it. Now back to your pipe.
You and your partners around here stick with your infantile responses but refuse to acknowledge the REAL jetgate .
You probably don’t even know about it , huh ?
(and the tanking of the economy right after the last election ? Won’t even go there , eh ?)
You all foolishly carry on like this is some team sports event driven by divisive racist ideals but it’s really about the future of this island and anyone else who doesn’t harbour the same hate in their hearts that you do is automatically branded as oba/ubp bloggers.
The most hilarious part about this is that ?they? (One person,multiple accounts:see Paul’ and horseraddish) made this political because I cracked a joke at OJ. You would have to be paid to look that foolish, right?
I should proof read better before hitting send. When I say the strategy they used, I’m talking about the PLP and the email they recieved from a former PLP premier.
English isn’t your first language so let’s start with abcde F. That’s what you and the UBP akaoba will receive October 1st.
This made no sense. I assume you’re a child?
That’s funny.
I don’t get the joke. What’s the punchline?
You will have to explain that to OJ…no big words.
Not as crazy as PLPers defending and voting back in individuals who have engaged in shall we say interesting government contracts involving taxpayer monies. If you need a reminder there are numerous auditor general reports and a commission of inquiry fo you to read.
Now that’s crazy
Soon all you bloggers can help the oba change the name again. It’s safe to assume Cannonier already wrote is resignation speech.
Stop worrying about silly accusations of name changes and worry about how we’re going to get out of this $240,000 per person debt we’re in that your beloved party is the catalyst for .
I bet that went right over your head though .
Changing the name from UBP to OBA was your parties fault now own it UBPEER. It was your party the signed off on the 185 mill Morgan’s point deal guarantee. Another dumb move to match the name change.
Deflect to a ‘name change’ all you like but it wasn’t responsible for your (massive) share of the debt and the collapse in confidence 2 weeks after the last election.
Real talk !