An estimated 544,000 passenger will land on our shores as a result of the new schedule for the 2019 cruise ship season, which will see 192 calls to Bermuda.
The 68,000 extra visitors represent a 14 percent increase over the 2018 total.
Minister of Tourism and Transport, Zane DeSilva said the increase next year will generate $7.9 million in tax returns with an anticipated increase in spending.
“We have another growth year for cruise ship calls to Bermuda and we look forward to welcoming approximately 544,000 cruise ship passengers in 2019,” said the Minister.
“Be assured, though, that our Government is very mindful of the big picture: the increase in cruise passengers, year over year, the need to balance air and cruise arrivals, and the challenge of providing the necessary infrastructure to serve all of our visitors.
“My ministry is working diligently to attract more business for Hamilton and St George’s,” he added.
Bermuda Tourism Authority CEO, Kevin Dallas said efforts continue to increase the number of cruise ship calls during the winter month.
“The long lead time of the cruise ship industry means the Bermuda Tourism Authority has accounted for next year’s cruise passenger’s growth in the National Tourism Plan,” he said.
“Our focus between now and 2025 is better balance in Bermuda’s cruise business with more calls outside the summer months, increases in what cruise passengers spend on-island and, perhaps most importantly, growing the number of vacationers who arrive by air.”
The 2019 cruise ship schedule also includes five inaugural visits to Bermuda, the island, including calls by NCL Pearl, NCL Jade, Celebrity Edge, Spirit of Discovery and the Adventure of the Seas.
