Increased funding to the Bermuda Tourism Authority will help to promote the island outside of summer peaks, the House of Assembly heard last night.

Owen Darrell, the Minister of Tourism, Transport, Culture and Sport, told MPs that the $4 million increase in the BTA’s grant — taking the total estimate to $19.5 million — was a “focused investment in the tourism sector” intended to help drive demand in the slower months.

He said: “This will aid in the expansion of sales and marketing activity to support the 617 new hotel rooms anticipated to come online later this year by growing sales efforts and investing in high profile sporting and other pinnacle events that attract visitors and global attention.

“This budget is intended to increase visitor arrivals, strengthen the economic impact across the island and deliver measurable returns for Bermuda.”

Mr Darrell said that one strong focus of the ministry was to build the events and entertainment landscape to make sure that the island remains “vibrant, culturally rich and attractive to residents and visitors”.

He said such measures help to stimulate economic activity and create opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Responding to questions from Dwayne Robinson, the Shadow Minister of Tourism, Culture and Transport, Mr Darrell said that the Air Service Development Committee continues work to bolster visitor air arrivals.

He noted that one airline had switched aircraft servicing flights between Bermuda and New York after discussions regarding the amount of available business class seats.

Mr Darrell added that he had recently been contacted by a major carrier interested in discussing a new route to Bermuda, and said: “Air capacity is expected to increase tremendously.”

Michael Fahy, the Shadow Minister for Municipalities and Housing, and Home Affairs, asked about how the BTA intended to attract visitors during the colder months.

Mr Darrell responded that the tourism authority intends to diversify its target markets, noting that Canadian and British visitors were spending more time on the island and enjoy the culture.

On cruise visits, he said that 193 cruise ship calls are included in the 2026 schedule but cancellations are expected to bring that down.

He said that the budget projects 174 calls with 561,859 passengers, almost 100,000 more than the 2025 season.

Under the heading of the Transport Control Department, Mr Darrell said that the Bermuda Road Safety Council would receive $125,000 — a $45,000 boost from last year — to help support its efforts to promote safe driving.

The minister said that, according to police statistics, 702 people have lost their lives on Bermuda’s roads since 1962.

He told MPs that, on average, a slight injury crash happens every 15 hours, a serious one takes place every 3½ days and there is a fatal crash every 31 days.

Mr Darrell stated that increased funding would lead to better “education, enforcement and engineering” to address the matter, adding: “Most collisions are avoidable.”

He added that the department was also looking to cut red tape, removing the need for drivers to provide a medical report every ten years to renew their licence and axing the need for a vehicle inspection after three years.

Mr Fahy questioned why it had taken the Government so long to implement the changes, noting that planned changes were announced in 2024.

Mr Darrell responded that the changes had to be done legislatively, but a Bill is expected to be tabled in the summer session.

On the subject of public transportation, Mr Darrell noted that 20 new electric buses are expected to be on the island in the first quarter of the 2026-27 fiscal year, bringing the island closer to its goal of full electrification by 2030.

In response to a request from Mr Robinson for an update on the road safety plan, Mr Darrell said that the five-year framework, titled “Operation Action”, will launch soon.

He said that the Department of Public Transportation intends to update how it dispatches and tracks vehicles to improve scheduling and roll out easier on-bus payment options.

However, Mr Robinson and Mr Fahy both raised questions about the number of bus operators included in the Budget and efforts to recruit more drivers.

While funding for 168 bus operators is covered in the fiscal plan, the same as in the 2025-26 Budget, only 137 posts were filled.

Mr Fahy said: “I’m just not sure where the staff are going to be recruited from. Why is it different this year? Where are these numbers coming from?”

Mr Darrell responded that the recruitment has started and the ministry had received 200 applications.

He added: “You can’t train 200 people at once, but as we train you will see a decrease in these gaps as far as operators go.”