Air arrivals from the US slumped by 4.4 percent between October and December last year, according to figures released by the Department of Statistics.

In the final quarter of 2007, 43,576 visitors flew in from the US, compared with 45,601 for the corresponding period the previous year. The fall — which comes amid fears of the impact a US recession could have on Bermuda — contributed to a minuscule drop in the number of air arrivals during the period, from 62,291 to 62,254, or 0.1 percent.

In contrast to the US, air visitors from Canada increased 9.1 percent to 6,986, while those from the UK went up 18.8 percent to 7,697. The Quarterly Bulletin of Statistics report states that the drop in air arrivals negatively impacted hotel occupancy rates, with resort hotels down 4.6 percent and housekeeping accommodations down 0.4 percent.

Smaller hotels, cottage colonies and clubs reported occupancy levels going up by 1.9 percent, with guest house properties up 11.6 percent. Spending by air visitors was $90.2 million during the quarter, an increase of 11.4 percent or $9.2 million on 2006.

For 2007 as a whole, air arrivals went up 2.2 percent to 305,548. Spending by air visitors throughout the year was $442 million, up from $388 in 2006.