Yacht crews to get easier access to Island

Published Feb 20, 2012 at 9:00 am (Updated Feb 20, 2012 at 9:00 am)

Photos

Photo by Kyle Hunter At anchor: Scores of visiting yachts moored in St George's Harbour.

A streamlined visa process should make it easier for visitors arriving on the Island by yacht.

National Security Minister Wayne Perinchief told the House of Assembly that as a result of meeting with private sector partners, the Department of Border Control will now be able to process visa waiver applications while vessels are en route to the Island.

The move is intended to address an issue in which some arriving visitors are unable to secure the Bermuda entry visa.

“Those individuals are often unable to disembark and the rigid application of the policy defeats the economic aims of Bermuda as a premium yachting port,” Mr Perinchief said.

“Some of our cruise passengers are also visa-controlled nationals and have encountered similar challenges having cruised to Bermuda to enjoy our Island. This policy change will also extend to them.

“We have created a specific e-mail address, supplied to cruise agents, and will receive visa waiver requests while the ship passes the Statue of Liberty.”

The minister said this initiative, along with the extension of the maximum period of time visiting yachts and crews can stay in Bermuda, will allow the $10 million put into the local economy by visiting yachts in 2010 to increase in the years to come.

Comments

You must be registered or signed-in to post comment or to vote.

Published Feb 20, 2012 at 9:00 am (Updated Feb 20, 2012 at 9:00 am)

Yacht crews to get easier access to Island

What you
Need to
Know

1. Please respect the use of this community forum and its users.
2. Any poster that insults, threatens or verbally abuses another member, uses defamatory language, or deliberately disrupts discussions will be banned.
3. Users who violate the Terms of Service or any commenting rules will be banned.
4. Please stay on topic. "Trolling" to incite emotional responses and disrupt conversations will be deleted.
5. To understand further what is and isn't allowed and the actions we may take, please read our Terms of Service

6. To report breaches of the Terms of Service use the report abuse button