Visitor arrival figures for February fell by 0.2 percent and overall arrival numbers for the year to February have slipped two percent, according to official Government figures.

There were 11,047 visitors in the month, compared to 11,064 the year before.

And for the year to date at February, arrival figures are off two percent at 18,873.

But Tourism Minister Renee Webb said there was cause for optimism because there were increases from core market areas such as New York, New Jersey, Florida, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

And a slight increase in overall bednights ? a key indicator of visitor spending ? will give some cause for hope.

Total bednights per visitor in February rose to 72,294 from 70,029 a year earlier, while bednights for the year to date rose to 137,153 from 130,888 in 2003.

Average bednights per visitor rose to 6.5 from 6.3 for February and from 6.8 to 7.3 for the year to date.

Ms Webb and Premier Alex Scott are predicting the best summer in years due to an increase in flights, renovations of hotels after Hurricane Fabian, and the weakness of the dollar against the Euro and Pound.

And tourism consultant Cordell Riley of Profiles of Bermuda predicted that optimistically arrival figures this year could rise to 502,000.

A realistic forecast would see air arrivals increase by 7.8 percent to 276,500, he said.

But he sounded a note of caution.

Arrival figures for the year to February were down two percent yet, ?never in the past 24 years has there been an annual increase in air arrivals without there being an increase in the first quarter?, he said.