Bermuda’s reputation as an adventure sports destination has gained momentum after National Geographic photographer Jimmy Chin visited the Island for a feature in Conde Nast Traveler.

The extreme sportsman, who has climbed Pakistan’s precipitous K7 and skied from the summit of Everest, was photographed around the Island by Bermudian photographer Gavin Howarth. Blue marlin fishing, ship wreck diving and speedboating around the Island were all on the agenda for the action-fuelled feature.

The full-colour feature, organised through the Bermuda Tourism Authority, has been published in the international travel magazine and is now on the newsatands across North America.

Mr Howarth, who recently took photos for a similar feature in the magazine when fashion illustrator Meagan Morrison visited the Island, told The Royal Gazette: “It was fantastic to have the opportunity to work with Conde Nast Traveler and the Bermuda Tourism Authority again on another important project for Bermuda.

“This project was very similar to the Meagan Morrison feature in structure and layout but this time much more adrenaline-fuelled. We had two full days of shooting nonstop at around ten to 12 hours and only finishing when the sun went down. An exhausting but very fun project to be a part of, certainly a project that I was very proud of once complete.

“While it was intimidating at first to be tasked with shooting a world-class photographer I couldn’t have asked for a better subject. His experience actually really helped the process as he knew what I needed and was able to work with me very closely.”

Director of public and stakeholder relations at the BTA Glenn Jones said the next phase in the marketing strategy will be social media. He said: “After they were done I posted on my own Instagram account that Jimmy Chin tore through the Island like he was on a Red Bull I.V. drip! The BTA will now post some of the images to its followers, and perhaps more importantly, Jimmy Chin will engage his 730,000 Instagram followers, some who probably haven’t imagined Bermuda in the way he will show it to them. One of his Bermuda posts while he was here garnered 30,000 likes and more than 200 comments.”

Mr Jones said that next week, Bermuda will roll out its digital marketing campaign at cntraveler.com to “further advance the multi-platform strategy it began last November”.

He added: “With this Conde Nast article and Jimmy Chin’s throngs of followers, with the Wall Street Journal piece last month and the Outside Magazine designation as Best Island, Bermuda has been revealed to a wide cross-section of consumers in a whole new way.”