HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC — Bermuda has recorded its best ever second-quarter total of cruise ship arrivals, Premier and Tourism Minister Ewart Brown said on Wednesday.

Brown told a news conference that 171,295 cruise passengers stepped ashore between April and June.

“Cruise arrivals soared over 37 per cent during this quarter, an increase from the 124,553 cruise arrivals in 2009,” he said, adding, “This represents the largest second-quarter total ever”.

Cruise visitors accounted for 67.7 per cent of overall arrivals for the three-month period.

The number of air visitors to the island was up three per cent — to 77,512 — during the quarter when compared to the corresponding period last year.

The air arrivals figure for 2009 was the worst on record in 30 years.

Hotel occupancy was up compared to 2009, due in part due to closure of hotels last year.

Bermuda Hotel Association (BHA) members recorded 88 per cent occupancy in major hotels, which is the highest recorded occupancy rate since 2007.

Overall, the BHA member hotels’ occupancy rate rose 11 percentage points, averaging 69 per cent

“The reduction of rooms, approximately 235 rooms or eight per cent in the past 12 months, clearly made business better for existing hotels,” said Premier Brown.