Bermuda tourism officials recorded the second highest number of visitors in its history last year, and a 12 per cent increase over 2010 figures. 655,236 visitors went to Bermuda last year. Of that number, 236,038 were air passengers and 415,711 were cruise passengers giving cruise line arguments to allow gambling on cruise ship in port a significant amount of influence.
Tourism statistics also showed that visitors from the US and Europe increased, while those from Canada and the UK declined, reports Caribbean360.
Allowing casinos to be open while in port when calling in Bermuda seems to be a deal-breaker for cruise lines. Bermuda government officials are getting that message and casinos on cruise ships could soon be operating in Bermuda ports.
“Bermuda is one of the few ports in the world where ships routinely have multiple night stays and currently the requirement is that the casinos and shops must remain closed while the ships are in port. This has a huge effect on onboard revenue ”Minister of Transport Derrick Burgess said today.
Burgess told the Bermuda Sun that a series of meetings with top-level executives of six cruise lines in the US last month. Almost all raised the issue of on-board revenue.
“The possibility of opening the casinos in port is an option that I will explore with my Cabinet colleagues – perhaps a late-night option from 10pm to 5am” added Burgess.
…and of course no reference to Bermuda would be complete without a reference to the Bermuda Triangle where things go to disappear. Hopefully not Bermuda’s tourism industry if cruise ships stop calling.
Flickr photo by NOAA’s National Ocean Service
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