A new digital marketing campaign has proven extremely successful for the Department of Tourism, Premier Ewart Brown said yesterday.

The Department released the second quarterly bulletin which showed that despite arrivals being down between April and June visits to BermudaTourism.com were up 81 percent compared to the same period in 2008. Dr. Brown, who is also Minister of Tourism, said several high impact promotions on the site in the second quarter attracted approximately 301,000 visits. Page views were also up 49.9 percent to 2.7 million.

The results mean potential tourists are now spending more time while viewing more pages and sections of BermudaTourism.com site.

Dr. Brown said he believes the increase is due to the website's new look as well as an increased amount of new information being posted. Data also shows that people are staying on the website longer as the "bounce rate" is down 48.5 percent.

"We believe this trend will continue which is important because search is a cost effective way of touching our target audience and we will continue to increase investment not only with our own website development but also with our online distribution partners," he said.

"Increased traffic to the website, despite fewer visitors, is an extremely encouraging indicator that our goal to increase destination awareness is definitely working and this augurs well for the future."

News is also good from online booking agencies. Dr. Brown said in 2007 they realised more effort needed to be put in online tourism sites as 57 percent of North American consumers booked vacations online.

Online bookings on Expedia were up 33 percent year to date, compared to the first six months of 2008, while Orbitz bookings were up 45 percent, Travelocity bookings up 35 percent and Purely Bermuda, a key UK online operator, up 36 percent. No actual numbers were provided.

He added that in key markets BermudaTourism.com is the first site located by a Google search, previously the site ranked third or fourth.

"These numbers are very encouraging," Dr. Brown said. "In fact they are exciting. I have supreme confidence we are moving in the right direction on our digital marketing strategy and I will be compelling our Internet group to keep their foot on the gas pedal."

By the numbers: Tourism stats for the second quarter of 2009

The 2009 second quarter bulletin, when compared to the same period last year, showed:

• Air arrivals were down 14.2 percent, brining 74,979 visitors to the Island this year

• Air arrivals for people coming on vacation were down 12.4 percent

• Air arrivals for people coming for business were down 16.4 percent

l Air arrivals for people coming for a convention were down 41.9 percent

l Air arrivals for people coming to visit friends or family were down 0.8 percent

• Air arrivals from the core US market were down 12 percent

l Air arrivals from the rest of the US market were down 13 percent

• Air arrivals from Canada were down 10.8 percent

• Air arrivals from the UK were down 19 percent

• Air arrivals from Europe were down 28 percent

• Cruise arrivals were down 3.7 percent, bringing 124,553 visitors to the Island this year

• Yacht arrivals were down 7.98 percent, bringing 3,529 visitors to the Island this year

For the year to date the number of total visitors was 235,525, down 11.28 percent. In the past 30 years the total visitor number has surpassed 200,000 only eight times. This year's total visitor number is the fifth best since the modern recording system was implemented.

• 201,565 visitors came to the Island in 1982

• 213,931 visitors came to the Island in 1987

• 200,607 visitors came to the Island in 1994

• 200,676 visitors came to the Island in 1996

• 228,768 visitors came to the Island in 2006

• 232,806 visitors came to the Island in 2007

• 220,634 visitors came to the Island in 2008

• 203,061 visitors came to the Island in 2009