Travel Authorisation To Be Reduced To $40
[Updated] Changes to the arrival policies will be made including the “reduction of the Travel Authorisation fee from $75 to $40; the elimination of arrival and any on island testing for visitors who have their COVID vaccinations up to date, recognition of previous COVID infections and reduced quarantine for unvaccinated residents.”
This was from Minister of Transport Lawrence Scott who was speaking in the House of Assembly today [Feb 4], with the Minister saying “there is no tourism without transport” and the “future of Bermuda’s economic recovery depends on our air and sea visitation in 2022.”
Changes To Border Policies, TA Fee Dropped To $40
The Minister said, “We have listened to the community, our cruise, air and hotel partners and will amend Bermuda’s border policy framework, so it is similar to our major gateway cities. These intended changes will be implemented no later than the 1st of April, 2022 – and we are looking to bring some into place as early as March 7, 2020.
“Examples of border changes include the reduction of the Travel Authorisation fee from $75 to $40; the elimination of arrival and any on island testing for visitors who have their COVID vaccinations up to date, recognition of previous COVID infections, and reduced quarantine for unvaccinated residents. Additionally, cruise passenger and crew testing and quarantine procedures will now mirror CDC guidelines.
Skyport Implement 6.2% Increase In Regulated Airport Fees
The Minister said, “Covid is not the only challenge this Government faces for economic recovery, given that Skyport has decided that now is the best time to implement a 6.2% increase in regulated airport fees. This Government believes the premature announcement of such an increase has contributed to airlines relegating Bermuda to a seasonal destination. Industry experts have stated that this increase places Bermuda’s passenger fees amongst the highest in the world.”
Update: Government released the summary graphic below
The Minister’s full statement follows below:
Mr. Speaker, it has been said, “There is no tourism without transport”, and the future of Bermuda’s economic recovery depends on our air and sea visitation in 2022. Today I will share the estimated cruise and air passenger projections and highlight some of our intended Border Policies.
Mr. Speaker, it might be helpful to note that in 2019 our Cruise Strategy attracted 185 calls equating to 167 million dollars in economic impact. In 2021, during the height of the pandemic, Bermuda’s successful homeporting initiative with Viking Cruises and regular calls from Crystal Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Lines brought 36 calls and more than 18,000 visitors, translating to an economic impact of approximately 9.8 million dollars.
Mr. Speaker, our cruise projection for 2022 is 177 scheduled calls bringing approximately 280,000 cruise ship passengers and an estimated 103 million dollars in economic activity. Our cruise line partners and their passengers are eager to return to Bermuda, and industry analysts estimate a stronger comeback than our forecast.
Mr. Speaker, we have listened to the community, our cruise, air and hotel partners and will amend Bermuda’s border policy framework, so it is similar to our major gateway cities. These intended changes will be implemented no later than the 1st of April, 2022 – and we are looking to bring some into place as early as March 7, 2020.
Mr. Speaker, examples of border changes include the reduction of the Travel Authorisation fee from $75 to $40; the elimination of arrival and any on island testing for visitors who have their COVID vaccinations up to date, recognition of previous COVID infections, and reduced quarantine for unvaccinated residents. Additionally, cruise passenger and crew testing and quarantine procedures will now mirror CDC guidelines.
Mr. Speaker, our cruise line partners have diverse clientele; some focus on family vacations while others cater to adults. Our strategy allows Bermuda to remain agile so we can quickly respond to the seemly ever-changing landscape within the industry, thus allowing us to remain competitive.
Mr. Speaker, our Air Service Development Strategy positions Bermuda to welcome an estimated 500,000 to 650,000 travellers through the L.F. Wade International Airport over the 2022/2023 fiscal year.
Mr. Speaker, Covid is not the only challenge this Government faces for economic recovery, given that Skyport has decided that now is the best time to implement a 6.2% increase in regulated airport fees. This Government believes the premature announcement of such an increase has contributed to airlines relegating Bermuda to a seasonal destination. Industry experts have stated that this increase places Bermuda’s passenger fees amongst the highest in the world. It is a shame that we are locked into this contract with Skyport as it hinders our competitive advantage in addition to the millions of dollars paid for Minimum Regulated Revenue Guarantees and now increased cost for airlines doing business in Bermuda.
Mr. Speaker, the aforementioned cruise and air strategies have been formulated to allow us as a people and us as a country to use the recent setbacks and challenges as a set-up for a comeback!
Thank you, Mr. Speaker
Step in the right direction, but no need to wait to April 1st, or even March 7th. Do it now.
What step in the right direction?
Skyport has decided that now is the best time to implement a 6.2% increase in regulated airport fees. THANK YOU obaUBPoba for being a bunch of clowns who gave away the airport 30-6 next election.
Just imagine if the current govt where to build it like they intended, they couldn’t build a 50 ft wall on harbor road.
Where’s the unknown entertainer
Surely there are several errors in this statement.
1) we are looking to bring some into place as early as March 7, 2020. Retroactive change?
2) to welcome an estimated 500,000 to 650,000 travellers through the L.F. Wade International Airport over the 2022/2023 fiscal year. Clearly this is a joke? 10,000 a week? Where will they stay?
Ive got a spare room !!,
The clown show continues.
Say goodbye to the 2022 tourist season.
Mr. Speaker, we have listened to the community, our cruise, air and hotel partners and will amend Bermuda’s border policy framework, so it is similar to our major gateway cities. These intended changes will be implemented no later than the 1st of April, 2022 – and we are looking to bring some into place as early as March 7, 2020.
You clearly have NOT actually listened and are merely throwing out a bone of sorts by decreasing the fee for a TA and then ADDING to the uncertainty for travelers. They aren’t going to book anything until at least March 7th now….or will just book somewhere else. It’s like no thought has really been put into this announcement at all.
If vaccinated visitors do not need an arrival test or further on island testing what exactly is the $40 fee for?
Exactly my thoughts! Given Bermuda’s already high port fees (compared to the Caribbean), any other fee would make cruisers think twice about vacationing in Bermuda.
Reduction from $75 to $ 40 is basically back to head tax rate.
Act right away, not in March, and do away with the TA altogether. This should be immediate.
And as Ringmaster already observed, even the minister’s statement has the year completely wrong. We have 6,500 expensive civil servants, most of whom have just had a year off, and between them they can’t get a ministerial statement right.
This guy is always uniformly unimpressive.
Maybe take it away all together, im sure the sugar tax is booming.. OH NEVERMIND BUCNH OF PUPPETS
I hope this would also aplyt to returning residents, the testing as it says for visitors.
So vaxed visitors don’t need testing on arrival but vaxed locals do. Somebody explain the logic of this one to us.
I might be wrong but I thought all visitors needed to be vaxed to come here. No problem with that. Same as going to US. No vax, no go.
Somebody also needs to explain how a useless TAF that was $75 is now $40.
It’s nice to see some changes happening but I would like to know why the unvaccinated are still having to quarantine at all.
We now know that the vaccinated are getting Covid and transmitting it at a fast rate but this government still wants to punish us for not taking the jab.
We now know the vaccine in not safe or affective and has not had any safety data done it as to what is going to happen to those that took the vaccine long term.
Our government does not mention about the unvaccinated tourists that may want to come to Bermuda or are they still unwelcome to visit.
I think it is time to follow other countries that are just living with covid and getting on with life before we have no economy to move forward with.
Well I typed a response that disappeared. My husband and I travel yearly to Bermuda before Covid and we had a planned trip back in September pushed to Feb 23-Mar 9th 2022 but we are very concerned and anxious instead of happy and excited due to all the rules to get to Bermuda and be in Bermuda. We are both vaxxed and boostered and we stay home all the time. The last Covid test we took due to a dental visit was negative. We have already invested $5500 in the upcoming trip and that’s not including all expenses while In Bermuda. What’s upsetting us is the Government is implementing changes that goes into affect like April. So we are spending $75 each for travel authorizations which is $150 taken out of our fun money. Also upon hearing that changes are coming we tempted to push our trip again. By the way we have travelers insurance that also covered medical expenses. Bermuda depends on Tourist, and what you all have implemented is hurting the Bermudian economy. For the first time my husband and I are considering other places to travel. He’s 70 and I’m 51. We want to travel as much as we can while he still can, we lost 3 years of travel due to Covid
Ive got a spare room !!,
Vaccinated is Vaccinated, Unvaccinated is Unvaccinated. “We Must learn to live with the Virus”. Like any other virus.
OK, No arrival test , no TA. Otherwise , what in tarnations is the Travel Authorization for if no test results are required.? Mindless Ministers .What is so difficult about that. Simple? No thought how dumb this is coming from Gov’t. And these people are supposedly leading us? Unbelievable! C’mon, give us an answer. And please, an educated one. See how money and senselessness corrupts the mind?