Visitors to Bermuda shot up by more than 18 percent in the first five months of this year, compared to 2005. There were 5.8 percent more air passengers and 44 percent more cruise arrivals overall, according to statistics from Bermuda?s tourist office in New York.

Hotel occupancy rates were also up according to Bermuda Hotel Association figures-standing at 80 percent in May compared to 72 percent last year and 84 percent in June, up from 80. According to Glenn Bean, director of sales and marketing at the New York office ? the centre of operations for North America ? the success is down to budget air fares and aggressive marketing.

He is delighted with the results so far: ?This is a very exciting time for Bermuda. It?s not hit its full stride just yet but we are just taking off. I think the figures speak for themselves ? people are getting excited about the travel industry again,? he said.

The North America operation has undergone an extensive restructuring process in recent months. The marketing department has been moved from Bermuda to better integrate with the 40-strong sales department already based in NYC, said Mr. Bean.

In addition, satellite offices in Boston, Toronto and Atlanta have been phased out, with employees now working from home.

Firm visitor number targets have been set for all staff, with each responsible for a geographic/zip code area and held accountable for their results on a monthly basis.

As part of this, they identify SMERFs ? not the fictional blue cartoon characters but Social, Military, Educational, Religious and Fraternal organisations that might be persuaded to visit Bermuda.

Tactics including postcards, telephone sales calls, financial incentives and even old-fashioned door-knocking are combined by operatives to net the final sale. Travel agents are also targeted ? with mailings direct to their client bases wherever possible.

?We wanted our sales people to be not only goodwill ambassadors as they were before but to close on the sale,? said Mr. Bean, a Bermudian who has worked in the Tourism Department for 18 years. As for how the Island is being ?sold? to the North American market at the moment, Mr. Bean said: ?It?s about coming to Bermuda for a quality vacation and getting value for the dollar.

?Another core selling feature is the proximity, and we don?t look at people who come to the Island necessarily as visitors but as guests. It?s about coming to Bermuda to feel the love.?

The sales pitch involves radio television, magazine and newspaper advertisements in core areas including Boston, New York, Toronto, Miami and the UK. These are themed around overheard conversations about wonderful trips to the island.

?That?s absolutely brilliant. I don?t see any other destinations doing something so new and different and it?s showing in the numbers,? said Mr. Bean.

The figures for the first five months of 2006 show visitor numbers from Massachusetts up by nearly 22 percent on last year, New York up by almost 18 percent, and New Jersey by nearly 14 percent.

Key to this, said Mr. Bean, is the role of low-cost carriers such as USA 3000 and the most recent jewel in Bermuda?s tourism crown, JetBlue, which began flights on May 4 after a long-term effort on the part of Tourism Minister Ewart Brown.

The air figures for 2006 before JetBlue ? from January to March ? had seen a 1.3 percent drop in air arrivals year-on-year.

?Minister Brown has done a tremendous job in dealing with the airlines. The biggest obstacle to selling Bermuda was the cost of travel. Air travel is no longer seen as a luxury ? even the most affluent are not going to pay an arm and a leg. The brilliance in our approach has been to address the core problem and hit it right between the eyes,? said Mr. Bean.

?JetBlue was a coup. It shifted the paradigm. It?s a sexy brand and airline that fits in well with Bermuda. Not only do we have a sexy company but it?s a budget carrier and so that makes Bermuda sexy.?

He added that established carriers such as American and United have dropped their fares in response to the competition ? with American offering a special of $219 out of JFK airport New York and Miami for the July 4 weekend.

The power of the internet has not been forgotten either. Bermuda now boasts a revamped tourism website at bermudatourism.com complete with a booking facility and video welcome from Dr. Brown.

Key events such as the Bermuda International Film Festival and Music Festival are used to highlight what Mr. Bean terms the ?cachet? of the Island.

He revealed that one aspect of this will see celebrities drop in to enjoy Bermuda?s music festival from October 4-7 ? although he remained tightlipped on who the big names are until Dr. Brown is ready to make the big announcement.