The Bermuda Tourism Authority’s CEO is confident the American’s Cup will be awarded to the Island.

Bill Hanbury believes the international sporting spectacle would also be a game changer for the Bermuda’s tourism industry.

He revealed that the BTA would pump more than $4 million into marketing the event if Bermuda gets the nod over San Diego to host the biggest race in sailing.

“I am confident we are going to win it,” Mr Hanbury told The Royal Gazette. “We are in really good shape relative to all the technical challenges they have thrown at us so far.

“The America’s Cup really would be a game changer for the country from an image perspective.

“We have really struggled with staying on people’s travel consideration list and the America’s Cup opens us up to a world audience.

“It gets people to consider us as a destination by associating Bermuda with a positive, powerful and uplifting global event.”

At present Bermuda and San Diego are battling it out for the honour of hosting the 2017 America’s Cup, with a decision expected before the end of the year.

But Mr Hanbury said that successfully reaching the final pairing had also helped to improve the island as a destination.

“It’s a great opportunity,” he said. “The economic potential is huge. The run up and the event itself will generate tens of millions of dollars.

“But most important is the after effects of being associated with such a high profile event.

“We would be able to use it to infinity to promote Bermuda as a premier destination.

“People will think, ‘if Bermuda can do this, then they will have no difficulty handling our event’.

“That is an incredibly powerful tool.”

Committing $4m to the marketing budget in the run up to the event, Mr Hanbury said he believed that just bidding to host the America’s Cup had improved the Island as a destination.

“The BTA will be contributing over $4 million over three years in the run up to the event should we get chosen,” he said.

“This will be for a combination of cash, advertising, social media, PR, promotions and other marketing initiatives.

“There is a lot of moving parts to this and it’s a very complicated decision. I am unbelievably proud we have got this far.

“I think we have improved as a destination by just going through this process.”

In the event that Bermuda ultimately comes up short in its bid to host the next America’s Cup the Island still stands to gain from being a part of the match racing spectacle.

Grant Gibbons, the Education and Economic Development Minister, who is spearheading the Island’s bid, recently confirmed that Bermuda is guaranteed to host an America’s Cup World Series to be contested for in the one-design AC45 catamaran.

The America’s Cup Event Authority is expected to confirm the winning host before the end of the year.