In late summer of 2022, the BTA launched a new campaign titled “Lost Yet Found”. The campaign that has continued into 2023 encourages our island visitors to dive into the Bermuda that prospective travellers may not have seen before. The campaign is still in the initial release stage, however, media impressions across the US East Coast have surpassed 50 million for the year, an early indication of the effectiveness of “Lost Yet Found”. With the growing importance of social media as a marketing platform, the BTA invested significant resources in social media as part of the media mix; as a result, key metrics, including social engagement saw material uplift across all channels.

In 2022, Bermuda earned global accolades celebrating its value as a destination, its unique assets as well as industry nods for the innovative marketing campaign launched late in the year. The Bermuda Triangle also got love with a profile on Bermuda’s most talked about legend in the award-winning Travel & Leisure platform. Bermuda Tourism Authority’s Lost Yet Found campaign beat out over 2,000 submissions from over 21 countries to snag three Platinum Viddy Awards for the innovative digital video campaign. Bermuda was also named to the “50 Best Places to Visit” in Travel and Leisure’s World’s Best list. 

The BTA actively sought out additional opportunities, nurturing the market for 2023 growth. Despite Bermuda’s lack of high-volume convention facilities, BTA continued to gain ground in the group sales space, closing gaps in group business volumes while winning business from affinity, incentives, and corporate groups. 

Of course, sporting events were the segment that rebounded more quickly during the first two years of the pandemic and continued to play a solid role in the island’s tourism recovery efforts. The Bermuda Tourism Authority focused on stimulating business from groups via high-profile sporting events such as SailGP, Butterfield Bermuda Championship, World Triathlon Series to name a few.  We also hosted dozens of conferences, meetings, and social groups. Marquee events are a core part of the BTA’s strategic plan, but in 2022, the industry welcomed a roster of smaller year-round events, associations, and social group bookings that the sales team negotiated.

The BTA proceeded with efforts of inspiring visitors to consider Bermuda year-round with an exciting calendar of signature events. In partnership with the Government of Bermuda, the Great Sound Entertainment Series was launched as an initiative to promote a diverse line-up of local entertainment in unexpected venues around the island. After more than two years of pandemic-related disruptions to Bermuda’s entertainers, party planners, and promotors, this series curated weekly live performances on-the-water and at outdoor locations.

The series included a summer roster of memorable first-time events for visitors to experience the island alongside residents in uniquely Bermudian fashion. The events offered a unique array of entertainment-fueled moments that introduced thousands to Bermuda’s culinary and cocktail culture, the authentically Bermudian raft-up experiences, and Bermuda’s most talented performers. The series included the St. George’s Seafood Festival that welcomed over 3K visitors to the historic Towne of St. George, the Bermuda Swizzle Festival, and a partnership with St. Regis that served to elevate the dining experience for hundreds of guests with live jazz performances during the summer. The Series also included Made in Bermuda.

In addition, Camp Bermudaful delivered an elevated Cup Match offering for visitors looking for an immersive experience at our signature Cup Match Cricket Classic. Taking place over the two-day match, BTA hosted over 240 guests who mingled with tourism ambassadors.  Bermuda Tourism Authority also partnered with the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce to support the 2022 Harbour Nights series, which saw foot traffic exceeding 61K residents and guests. The BTA supported the introduction of weekly live performances.