Tourism Arrivals Up 14.4% In 2026 Third Quarter
“Nearly 300,000 leisure visitors travelled to Bermuda in the third quarter of 2026, up 14.4% on the same period last year,” according to the latest data from the Bermuda Tourism Authority [BTA].
A spokesperson said, “Air visitors in Q3 increased by 9.2% while cruise visitors increased by 15.4%. In total nearly 300,000 leisure visitors travelled to Bermuda in the third quarter of 2026, up 14.4% on the same period last year, according to figures released today by the Bermuda Tourism Authority [BTA]. Air and cruise visitor arrivals also reached their highest levels in four years, in Q3 and year to date.
“Air visitor spending grew and hotel revenue per available room rose 11.7%, suggesting that growth may be reaching hotels, restaurants, attractions, transport providers and the many local businesses that serve visitors. As new hotel rooms come online, the priority is to carry this momentum into every season of the year.
Graphic extracted from the full report
Air Visitors & Spending
“Air arrivals increased 9.2% to 69,983 in Q3, with leisure air arrivals up 9.7%. Year-to-date air arrivals increased 5.2%. Estimated air visitor spending grew 11.0% to $156.6 million, while year-to-date spending reached $361.7 million [+9.2%]. Business visitor spending rose 31.6%.
Source Markets, Business Events & Weddings
“The United States remained Bermuda’s largest air visitor market, with 53,582 arrivals in Q3 [+9.1%]. US leisure arrivals increased 8.9%, led by New York [+23.1%] and Boston [+21.6%]. Canada was the standout growth market, with leisure arrivals up 25.3% in Q3 and 28.2% year-to-date.
“Business and group travel grew strongly. Conference and meeting visitors increased 30.8%, destination wedding visitors rose 30.5%, and business arrivals grew 13.4%. Group business typically helps fill rooms midweek and across the shoulder seasons, and can direct spending to hotels, restaurants, event venues and local suppliers.
Cruise & Total Leisure Visitation
“Cruise arrivals increased 15.4% to 247,471 passengers in Q3, with year-to-date growth of 11.9%.
“Combined leisure visitation reached 299,352 in Q3 [+14.4%], bringing the year-to-date total to 598,719 [+10.5%]. That growth can benefit businesses across the island, particularly in retail, attractions, watersports and transportation.
Accommodation Performance
“Hotel occupancy reached 78.0%, up five percentage points on the same quarter last year. Average Daily Rate [ADR] increased 4.6%, while Revenue Per Available Room [RevPAR], a key measure of hotel revenue performance, rose 11.7%. Occupancy and rates rose together, a sign of genuine demand.
“Bed nights in commercial accommodation increased 10.2%.
Yachting & Maritime Tourism
“Superyacht calls reached 107 year-to-date [+32.1%], including nine in Q3, up from three a year earlier. Estimated superyacht economic impact reached $4.5 million year-to-date [+30.9%], while total yachting economic impact increased 22.9% to $13.2 million.
“Maritime tourism is a growing contributor to Bermuda’s visitor economy, bringing high-spending visitors and business for local marine services, provisioning, hospitality and related businesses. The results reflect strong collaboration with Bermuda’s airline, cruise, hotel and industry partners.”
CEO Comments
Jan Hutton, CEO of the Bermuda Tourism Authority, said, “More people are choosing Bermuda, with estimated air visitor spending reaching $156.6 million in Q3. That is a credit to our hotels, our airline and cruise partners, and every Bermudian who makes a visitor feel welcome. Our job now is to build on this momentum and grow visitation across every season, so tourism delivers more jobs, more business and more opportunity for the people who call this island home.”
Full Report Link
The full Q3 2026 Tourism Measures report is available here [PDF]
