feb-2018c

13 n Hotel occupancyup 9.2% “Beginning in 2014,the BermudaTourismAuthority began amultiyear strategy to restore the island’s tour- ism industry to prominence.Last year was amajor stride forward on that journey,”said BTAChief Executive,Kevin Dallas. Further driving optimism is the number of visitors under 45 years old,which continues to power the Ber- muda tourism industrycomeback.About 83 percent of the growth in leisure air arrivals in 2017is fromvisitors younger than 45.It’s an audience that also had spend- ing power in 2017.The total estimated amount directly injected into the island’s economybyvisitors in 2017is $431million,which represents a sizeable 20 percent increase over the previous year. Bermuda’s tourism industryhas been resurging since 2015,particularlyover the past two years where the island has enjoyed eight consecutive quarters of leisure