HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) - A drop in cruise ship passengers saw Bermuda overall tourist arrivals fall by nearly 2.7 per cent in the third quarter of 2012.

According to the figures released by the Government, there were 260,129 visitors in the three-month period, compared to 267, 334 for the similar period in 2011.

In all there was a total of 80,852 air arrivals – a slight increase of one per cent compared to the third quarter of 2011 – and 179,124 cruise ship visitors, an eight per cent drop over the same period. There were 153 yacht visitors.

It was also revealed that the majority of visitors continue to be from the United States.

The number of tourists from Canada went up by 14 per cent, meaning they now make up a total of nine per cent of all visitors to the island.

However, the total number of visitors from the United Kingdom and Europe, declined by two per cent and 11 per cent respectively.

Visitors from the rest of the world remained a tiny percentage (2.5) of the total, although numbers in this sector increased by 11 per cent.