the tourism industry except employment.

And despite a slip in air arrivals, air visitors' expenditure on accommodation, food and entertainment was up according to Government's Bulletin of Statistics for the final quarter of 1997.

This expenditure was estimated at $91 million for this period, an increase of 9.2 percent year-over-year. Total estimated expenditure for the entire year was also up by 0.7 percent to $436.9 million.

Meanwhile, the statistics show that air arrivals for the period increased 7.2 percent year-over-year to 82,344 although total arrivals for the year fell 2.6 percent.

And all types of commercial accommodations except for guest houses reported higher occupancy levels during this quarter. Guest houses were down 24.3 percent or 121 guests.

Elsewhere, the cruise ship industry closed with a final quarter decline. Some 18,203 passengers visited the Island over the final quarter, a decline of 25.6 percent year-over-year.

Cruise visitors for 1997 remained above 1996's level by 0.9 percent or 181,885 passengers despite this but overall spending for the year was down 1.7 percent to $40.8 million.

However, at the end of October, 3,964 workers were employed in the hotel industry, 3.6 percent less than the level reached over the same period in 1996.

Major hotel and cottage colony employment slipped by 3.4 and 4.4 percent respectively while the number of employees in guest houses and micro-units remained relatively the same.