Airline visitors' spending habits topped estimates made by a Ministry of Tourism survey by $7 million.

After conducting an airport exit survey the Ministry estimated airline visitors would spend between $370 and $435 million in 2007. In reality they spent $442.7 million.

The number of visitors flying into the Island increased by 2.2 percent to 305,548 last year.

The majority of their spending was on accomidation and food, $347 million. But air visitors also spent $95 million on shopping, entertainment and transport, a jump of 17 percent.

When cruise visitors are taken into account visitor expenditure was $513 million an increase of 13 percent compared to 2006.

In total 353,024 cruise ship passengers visited the Island in 2007 and spent $70 million or $198 each. It was an increase of eight percent compared to 2006.

The increase in tourism arrivals translated to a boost in the number of guest staying in all tourist accommodations bar resort hotels.

While the larger hotels on the Island saw a two percent drop in the number of guests staying with them small hotels saw a 6.5 percent rise in occupancy and gust houses saw a 16 percent jump in occupancy.

Tourist accommodations also saw their gross receipts rise by 7.6 percent or $21 million in 2007. Small hotel saw the biggest jump in gross receipts, an increase of 19 percent or nearly six million.

The figures do not take into account whether or not costs rose for the tourism accommodations as well.

In total 75,151 people flew to the Island and stayed in private homes, accounting for 24.5 percent of visitors in 2007.