4.5 percent more than 1995, Government figures show.

The tally of holidaymakers who arrived by air rose by 3.9 percent to 280,386.

And those coming by cruise ship went up by 5.2 percent to 130,907.

The United States remained firmly the greatest source of visitors, with 230,523 coming here by air. Up to 122,077 arrived on cruise ship.

According to the Bermuda Department of Tourism -- which released the statistics -- Government's "Let Yourself Go'' campaign was paying off.

Nine out of ten visitors agreed Bermuda inspired romance -- a strong theme of the ad campaign, the department stated.

The department added four in five visitors this summer -- 81 percent -- suggested they were "very likely'' to return to Bermuda.

About half of the visitors -- 48 percent -- claimed they were "very likely'' to come back with the next year or two.

Less encouraging for the department were figures showing visitors are spending shorter holidays.

After increasing last year, the length of stay declined in summer 1996.

Stays of about a week -- six-eight nights -- went down from 36 to 30 percent.

But short stays of between one and three nights increased from 12 to 20 percent.

Meanwhile, the age profile of summer visitors has not changed much over the last nine years.

About 55 percent of this summer's visitors continued to be 30-49, while some 29 percent were 50 years or older.