Travel advisors are the tops with Bermuda

Advisors selling sun destinations got that familiar pink glow you immediately associate with Bermuda at a travel trade event atop the CN Tower this week (April 7).

The evening trade reception was an informal networking event hosted by the Bermuda Tourism Authority and BermudAir with PR agency Fever Pitch Marketing.

Guests gathered to toast the island nation with its growing success story in the Canadian market. A big chunk of the growth insiders reported is attributed to the launch of BermudAir in 2024.

This summer season, the homegrown airline will operate 36 weekly flights connecting the island with major cities in North America, including increased frequencies from Toronto and Montreal, and Halifax in the east.

Bermuda, often associated with luxury travel and golf, has so much more. Christopher Keane, Director of Sales for Bermuda Tourism Authority, told Baxter Media that safety is another trend Canadians are seeking.  “You can walk down the street, go for dinner, and in the evening, walk back passing the harbour and illuminated yachts,” he shares on the proximity of places and ease to enjoy experiences.

Clients can anticipate the long-awaited reopening of the Fairmont Southampton expected later in the year. While the official date hasn’t been released, Jessica Napier from Fever Pitch Marketing relayed that the prized property, which has been closed since 2020 for renovations, will increase room inventory, giving an additional product for event planners and advisors specializing in group travel and weddings. “It’s the biggest property for groups,” she noted, and speculated with the expanded room inventory “it could drive down (pricing) competition.”

On the calendar, Bermuda’s high season is around the corner, starting in May and concluding in September. For ‘best’ time to visit advisors could consider off-season from September until November when pricing is generally lower and crowds are fewer. “You can really come close to nature and sit back,” Keane adds about the idyllic atmosphere full of charm and local flair.

Members of BermudAir’s flight crew were also present, with the airline’s first female pilot and first officer available to share some island talk. BermudAir, an airline company forged by Adam Scott, a local Canadian originally from Oakville, who was not present, has what insiders describe as a curated experience the minute you arrive onboard. “We have you feeling like you are in Bermuda before you even get there,” remarked one tourism official. “The airline is a bridge,” continued BermudAir First Officer Tariq Lynch-Wade and added, “We help people connect to their story. You get off and continue the chapter of life.”

The Bermuda Tourist Authority and its partners on hand for the event included:

• Chris Keane, Director of Sales, Bermuda Tourism Authority
• Donna Douglas, Assistant Director of Sales, Bermuda Tourism Authority
• Chris Crumpler, Assistant Director of Business Development, Bermuda Tourism Authority
• Jamion Simmons, Sales and Events Manager, Bermuda Tourism Authority
• Nicole Conrad, Business Development Director, BermudAir
• Daniela D’Amato, North American Sales and Marketing Manager, Grotto Bay Beach Resort and Spa