Strong cruise ship arrivals helped the number of visitor to the island to rise by more than 9 per cent despite a decrease in air capacity in the second quarter.

The Bermuda Tourism Authority reported in its second quarter report that a total of 264,558 leisure visitors reached the island’s shores between the start of April and the end of June.

The figures brought the number of visitor arrivals for 2026 to 299,369, an increase of 9.2 per cent compared with the same period in 2025.

The increase was largely fuelled by cruise ship arrivals, with 217,485 visitors arrived on cruise ships in the second quarter — an increase of 19,906 or 10.1 per cent — and 235,179 in the first half of the year — an increase of 24,232 or 11.5 per cent.

The number of air visitor arrivals fell slightly in the quarter from 47,262 in 2025 to 47,073 this year; however, figures for the first half of the year show a 1.4 per cent increase from 63,281 to 64,188.

Meanwhile, an increase in business arrivals meant that overall air arrivals were up by 0.9 per cent in the second quarter of 2026 and up 2.5 per cent in the first half of the year.

The BTA noted that air arrivals from both the UK and Canada were up in 2026 with 9,884 visitors flying to the island from the UK — 13.7 per cent more than the first half of 2025 — while 11,896 visitors flew to Bermuda from Canada — an increase of 18.9 per cent.

The number of air visitor arrivals from the US, however, fell by 1,572 or 3.1 per cent, in the second quarter compared with the same period in 2025.

Air capacity was also down by 5.5 per cent in the second quarter with 8,409 fewer Bermuda-bound seats compared with 2025 figures.

However, stronger airlift in the first quarter meant that total air capacity for the first half of 2026 was up by 0.1 per cent compared with last year.

Air-visitor spending also increased, reaching $148.9 million in the second quarter and $204.6 million in the first six months of the year, raises of 5.9 per cent and 7.9 per cent respectively.

The report states that 68 per cent of air visitors in the second quarter stayed in a hotel or guesthouse, while 14 per cent stayed with friends or relatives and 11 per cent chose rental home or apartment.

Hotel occupancy was up slightly in the quarter, rising from 75.6 per cent to 76.2 per cent, but down overall in the first six months of the year, falling from 62.1 per cent to 61.4 per cent.

Hotel revenue per room, meanwhile, was up by $61.36 in the quarter and $29.89 for the first half of 2026.