Air arrivals continued to decrease in the second quarter of 2004 ? despite Transport Minister Ewart Brown?s success in increasing the number of flights and air carriers to the Island.

Locals, however, appeared to be taking advantage of the increase in flights, with a jump of 17.4 percent in resident travel, the vast majority of which was to the United States.

The Department of Statistics released its quarterly statistics bulletin on Monday, highlighting the steady decline in air arrivals for the past five years. Air arrivals for the second quarter of 2004 stood at 88,670 passengers, a five percent decline from the same period last year, where the total number of air arrivals was 93,399.

That decline included 5,371 air arrivals from the premium tourist market, as well as seven percent decreases in the number of travellers from the United States and the United Kingdom. Air travellers from Canada and other countries increased, however, by 3.5 percent and 23 percent respectively. Total expenditure by air arrivals also declined, however. Expenditure was estimated at $96.1 million for the second quarter of 2004, nearly one quarter ($28 million) below the level reached in the second quarter of 2003.

And visitors spent more on entertainment, transport and shopping ? $41.6 million ? than they did on accommodation and food ? $54.5 million ? in the second quarter this year. In the same period in 2003, they spent $68.7 million on room and board and $55.7 million on entertainment, transport and shopping.

Cruise arrivals were up by one percent, with cruise expenditure up by $2.6 million to $19.6 million. Cruise ship visitors accounted for 46 percent of visitors to the Island for the second quarter of 2004.

All types of commercial tourist accommodations ? save resort hotels ? reported higher occupancy levels for the second quarter 2004.

The lower occupancy for the larger resort properties in part reflected their late opening for business at the start of the tourist season, mainly attributable to damage from Hurricane Fabian.