Tourism Minister Renee Webb is to stop releasing quarterly visitor arrival figures because she claims they do not necessarily paint an accurate picture.

Former Tourism Minister David Allen unveiled the figures in quarterly press conferences held with the Bermuda Hotel Association. Since Ms Webb took over, the figures have been released more sporadically and yesterday she told The Royal Gazette she will not be releasing statistics until she has information about spending as well.

“I'm not going to release them every quarter, maybe twice a year or whatever, because it doesn't serve any purpose,” she said.

“Tourism will only give them out when there is the spending as well, because if you just give the numbers it skews the picture.

“Our idea is not about numbers but about spending and if you don't look at that context, the figures don't give a good story one way or the other.”