Vacation air arrivals increased by 18 per cent in the third quarter, according to the latest Bermuda Tourism Authority statistics.

As September figures leapt 31 per cent compared to the same month last year, year-to-date statistics also marked the highest number of vacation and leisure air arrivals since 2008.

Describing the numbers as “nothing but phenomenal”, BTA chairman David Dodwell added that nine months of consecutive growth showed that Bermuda tourism was in recovery.

“This is not peaks and valleys we are going to worry about in future years, this is putting the foundation in place, getting the right people working with us — all of which takes time. When we started the Tourism Authority in 2014, really the first year was formative, setting it up, legislation, getting key people, getting the board set up.”

Adding that the BTA also changed every commercial relationship since it started, he said: “This is the first year that all of that could come together based on the foundation and the numbers are proving that all those changes were necessary and they paid off.

“We’ve had nine months of consecutive growth — it’s not just lift in one of the months — and we’re in recovery.”

September saw the greatest increase in visitor air arrivals with an additional 3,853 visitors — a 31 per cent rise compared to last year.

Bill Hanbury, CEO of the BTA, stated: “Third quarter numbers have exceeded our expectations. In the busiest quarter of the year we generated some of the strongest growth.

“Ten thousand additional vacation air arrivals in the third quarter is our biggest indication yet that the Bermuda tourism economy is into a sustained recovery after decades of decline.”

Hotel occupancy also rose by 12 per cent in the quarter (8 per cent year-to-date) and visitor leisure spending increased by 29 per cent as visitors, on average, spent more while on the island.

Visitor air arrivals from the United States rose by 23 per cent in the third quarter — enough to counteract declining visitor arrivals from Canada and Britain. Growth from the middle Atlantic region — particularly New York and New Jersey — was especially strong with a 26 per cent bump so far this year among leisure air travellers.

Mr Hanbury said: “Increased airlift from the New York metropolitan area, along with strategic marketing focused on the people who live in that area, have brought success for the destination. It’s a strategy we think has the potential for even more growth as we move into 2017 and beyond.”

The figures also showed a rise in younger visitors, with the largest increase in the 25 to 34 age bracket, which rose 44 per cent during the quarter. Mr Dodwell put this down to the BTA’s hard work going after people in the right feeder markets, such as New York.

He said the aim was to attract more younger visitors through marketing, but also the product and experiences, “everything from water to cliff-jumping, exploring to the cultural side of things”. “Experiential travel is hugely up and we’ve been able to convince those marketplaces to come here,” he said.

But he said “dramatically improved air service” had also played a role, adding that “the key is more available seats and then obviously competitive pricing from the airlines”. Mr Dodwell also hinted that the BTA would be unveiling “some exciting news soon” regarding air travel in the next year that will offset the loss of United Airlines’ autumn and winter service out of Newark.