By The Loren Group
A Bermuda holiday specialist has seen a big uptick in travel to the island as some Americans seek a quick escape from political tension.
鈥淢any Americans are very unsettled and don鈥檛 want to get involved in politics,鈥 said travel agent Buffy Alexander, of A Good Time 2 Travel in New Jersey. 鈥淭hey really do want to escape.鈥
Patrick Graham, managing director of Rosewood Bermuda, said the US is Bermuda鈥檚 top market, regardless of the political climate.
鈥淲e cannot directly correlate the recent increase in American travel to political events,鈥 he said. 鈥淢uch like during Covid-19, Bermuda served as a convenient meeting point for US and United Kingdom travellers, and acted as a bridge destination.鈥
The hotel in Hamilton Parish expects more than 90 per cent occupancy this summer.
鈥淭he breakdown of visitors is pretty much the same, with the exception of Canadian travellers,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e saw an increase of Canadians in the first quarter of the year, since they are not travelling to the US.鈥
Diarmaid O鈥橲ullivan, director of sales and marketing, Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, said bookings have remained steady for the summer season.
The Hamilton Princess has noticed a shrinking reservations window, with people booking closer to their travel dates. They are not alone.
Clarence Hofheins, general manager of Cambridge Beaches, said it was hard to tell if people were coming to Bermuda this summer specifically to escape stress in their own country.
鈥淲hat we can say is we are seeing a lot more guests booking at the last minute,鈥 Mr Hofheins said. 鈥淭he usual booking window is around 60 to 90 days, but for the past few months, we have been seeing the booking window shrink to between seven and 45 days.鈥
For the Sandys resort, summer bookings are pacing behind last year.
鈥淗owever, if this last-minute booking trend continues, we are hoping that the summer will end up as busy as it was last year,鈥 Mr Hofheins said.
A February report in Modern Health magazine found that out of a 1,000 Americans surveyed, 75 per cent reported feeling low, largely because of politics, while 74 per cent wanted mental health resources specifically to do with global political turmoil.
One couple about to arrive from Massachusetts told The Royal Gazette they were coming for a quick travel getaway.
鈥淭he world is verging on collapse, so we may as well live it up,鈥 the couple said.
The US State Department issued a global travel advisory last week warning Americans to exercise increased caution overseas because of the potential for demonstrations against US citizens.
鈥淪ome people are worried about travelling to certain destinations because they fear they will not be able to get back,鈥 Ms Alexander said.
Bermuda provides a relatively safe, easy to reach alternative.
鈥淚t is just a hop, skip and jump from New Jersey,鈥 Ms Alexander said.
She said in the past year, air connections to Bermuda have improved, particularly in her region.
鈥淏ermudAir has flights to New York, and United Airlines has opened flights to Bermuda from Newark, all year around,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hat makes a big difference. Bermuda is a nice, quick getaway for Americans, even if it is just for three nights.鈥
Events such as Cup Match and Harbour Nights are also increasing interest in the island, she said.
Ms Alexander has booked 100 people for trips to Bermuda in August this year and has also worked with several families who wanted to go to Bermuda for the weekend.
鈥淚 also have a few people going to Bermuda for Pride month,鈥 she said.
The Elbow Beach Hotel in Paget, recently bought by The Loren Group, is scheduled for redevelopment, beginning next year.
Ms Alexander was thrilled to hear about plans for the site.
鈥淭hat is wonderful news,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 am so excited. I wish Bermuda would do the same with Nine Beaches in Sandys. We are also missing the Southampton Princess Hotel. That was a big venue that many of my clients really loved.鈥
Ryan Babcock, co-owner of The Loren in Smith鈥檚, said global instability presents an opportunity for Bermuda.
鈥淧eople want to get away from that, even if it is just for a day,鈥 Mr Babcock said.
He thought billing itself as a luxury escape will be increasingly important for Bermuda over the next decade.