BTA Highlights Tourism Growth & Opportunities
Bermuda tourism is “building momentum, with visitor spending rising, hotels performing strongly and significant new investment creating an opportunity to grow the island’s visitor economy across more of the year,” the BTA said.
A spokesperson said, “”Bermuda Tourism Authority [BTA] CEO Jan Hutton outlined the destination’s performance and future opportunities at the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference [SOTIC] 2026, highlighting stronger visitor results, renewed investment and changing traveller preferences that increasingly play to Bermuda’s strengths.”
“Travel is changing quickly, and that creates a real opportunity for Bermuda,” said Hutton. “Travellers are increasingly looking for privacy, space, wellbeing, authenticity and a genuine connection to place. Those are strengths Bermuda already has. The opportunity now is to build on them — attracting visitors who value what makes our island distinctive, creating demand across more of the year and generating more value from every visit.”
The spokesperson said, “Bermuda is recording strong visitor satisfaction, with both air and cruise satisfaction scores exceeding 90 out of 100 for the second consecutive year. That positive response comes alongside stronger results. Leisure visitation increased approximately 12% from January through August, while air visitor spending reached $204.6 million in the first half of 2026, up 7.9% year over year. Hotels are also performing well, with revenue per available room up 7.3% over 2025 and 30% compared with 2023.
“There are encouraging signs that demand is extending beyond the summer peak. August leisure visitation increased 36%, while preliminary September figures indicate continued growth in air arrivals. Bermuda also recorded its busiest cruise month in more than a decade, welcoming 98,043 passengers in August.
“At the same time, significant investment is reshaping Bermuda’s tourism product. Hotel room supply is projected to increase by more than one-third by summer 2027, led by the $550 million redevelopment of the Fairmont Southampton, which is expected to reopen in 2027. Additional rooms at Grotto Bay and Azura, together with improvements across existing properties, are adding to the island’s offering.”
“Bermuda is building, and that creates an exciting opportunity,” said Hutton. “But adding rooms is only part of the equation. We need to give people compelling reasons to visit throughout the year, make the most of the investment coming into our island and ensure that growth creates opportunities for Bermuda’s people and businesses.”
The spokesperson said, “A year-round calendar of sporting, cultural and culinary events is central to that ambition. From SailGP and the Butterfield Bermuda Championship to Cup Match, Art Month and Restaurant Weeks, Bermuda continues to build reasons to visit across the seasons. BTA is also placing greater focus on business events, wellness and sport, supported by smarter use of data and technology to reach the right audiences.
“Looking ahead, Bermuda is developing Strategic Roadmap 2030, its new National Tourism Plan, to guide the next phase of tourism development. The strategy will focus on building a stronger, more competitive visitor economy that delivers lasting value for Bermuda’s people, businesses and communities.”
“Peak season is strong, and we have significant new capacity coming. The opportunity is what we do with it,” Hutton said. “This is the time to be deliberate about what comes next. The choices we make now will shape our visitor economy for years to come, and our National Tourism Plan gives us the opportunity to make those choices with the industry, with the evidence and with Bermuda’s own knowledge.”
The spokesperson said, “Speaking to tourism leaders from across the Caribbean, Hutton also highlighted the importance of collaboration among small-island destinations facing shared challenges, including access, seasonality, talent and resilience. She emphasised the value of exchanging knowledge and working together as the region adapts to a changing global tourism landscape.”
