Tourism numbers continued their freefall with the latest set of disappointing figures showing the Island has lost nearly 16,000 air visitors so far this year. The fall means in less than two years 30,000 tourists arriving by air have been lost. The Bermuda Department of Tourism visitor arrival statistics for August paint a gloomy picture with losses in air visitors and bednights sold -- despite a cash incentive scheme to boost numbers. And the decreases follow similar falls in July, following year to date drops in air arrivals and bednights, which have fallen every month bar January. Without a sudden increase, 2000 looks set to go down as the lowest in the last 21 years -- hitting Tourism Minister David Allen's aim of seeing numbers "bottom out'' and even increase by 2.5 percent this year. The year to date total of air arrivals now stands at 236,290, compared to last year which stood at 252,278.

Last year 354,026 air visitors came to the Island. The grand total of visitors to the Island in August was 73,260, down 8.87 on last year, bringing the year so far down 4.02 percent to 388,444. Of that total, air visitors fell by 6.48 percent to 35,935 -- continuing a yearly fall of 6.34 percent to 236,290. The US saw the greatest decrease in numbers of air visitors, down 7.36 percent to 29,778. Canada increased by 10.87 percent to 2,173 and the UK dropped by three percent to 2,513. The number of bednights sold by tourist accommodations during August fell by 12.47 percent, from 171,885 to 150,458. And overall, including people who stayed in private homes, it dropped by 5.94 percent to 221,687, contributing to a year to date fall of 6.89 percent. A statement issued with the numbers said that the "Island's commercial properties collectively recorded a near 80 percent occupancy for the month, up four percent over August 1999''. However, the claims are not backed up with a complete set of occupancy figures or where the numbers have been sourced from.

And must be taken in the context of the loss of 400 rooms at the closed Marriott Castle Harbour last year. Large hotels and guest houses suffered most, losing 21.84 percent and 10.64 percent of their bednights. Small hotels and private clubs had small losses, whilst cottage colonies and housekeeping cottages increased by 9.47 percent and 13.92 percent, respectively. Of the core US markets, the largest region, Mid Atlantic, lost 12.6 percent of its air visitors, from 18,859 to 16,483. Its year to date decrease now stands at 9.42 percent -- a loss of over 10,000 air visitors. The North Eastern region increased by 0.71 percent, from 6,024 to 6,067 people. Its year so far figure is 12.5 percent lower than last year -- a fall of nearly 6,000 tourists. The South East dropped by 9.72 percent, from 4,031 to 3,639 and its year to date is up by 0.84 percent. The Mid West rose by 13.29 percent, from 1,972 to 2,234 and the West region increased by 8 percent, up from 1,242 to 1,344. On the year so far, visitors from the UK and Canada are up by just over two percent, to 19,206 to 20,470. Cruise passengers in August dropped by 11 percent to 37,174, bringing the year to date total down by 0.51 percent to 151,447.

Airlines carried 52,000 people during the month, out of a combined load of 76,000 -- a load factor of 68 percent. PHOTO David Allen