Canadian travelers are flocking to Bermuda in record numbers, reshaping flight schedules and putting new pressure and opportunity on the island’s tightly constrained hospitality sector. With the Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) reporting a roughly 30.6 per cent surge in Canadian leisure visitors over the most recent period, carriers such as Air Canada, WestJet and American Airlines are racing to adjust capacity, while hoteliers and villa owners confront a new era of demand that is more seasonal, more affluent and more Canada-centric than before.

A surge from the north: the Canadian boom by the numbers

For years, Bermuda’s tourism profile has been dominated by the United States, which still accounts for around three-quarters of all air arrivals. Yet recent data and industry commentary reveal that Canada is now the standout growth story. The BTA’s year-end measures for 2024 show Canada firmly in third place for total air arrivals, with more than 16,000 Canadian visitors by air in 2024 and an especially sharp pickup in leisure traffic in the latter part of the year. Internal breakdowns of quarterly data indicate that Canadian leisure arrivals in the final months of 2024 grew significantly faster than those from most other markets, pushing the annual growth rate for leisure travelers from Canada to approximately 30.6 per cent.

This acceleration follows a rocky period in early 2024, when Canadian arrivals temporarily slumped after WestJet pulled back from the market and overall capacity from Canada dropped. As new routes launched and frequencies improved later in the year, particularly to and from Toronto and Atlantic Canada, that downturn reversed dramatically. By late 2024 and into 2025, Canadian travel advisors and the BTA were describing the Canadian rebound as “exceptional,” with some individual city pairs such as Halifax and Montreal posting double- and even triple-digit percentage growth in inbound passengers to Bermuda compared with the previous year.

Behind the headline 30.6 per cent figure lies a structural shift in who is visiting. Average length-of-stay data show that Canadians tend to stay longer than their American counterparts and remain heavily represented among higher-spend segments such as extended leisure trips, multigenerational holidays and villa rentals. Even as global travelers shorten trips overall, Canadian visitors still average more than a week on the island, a crucial factor in the way their spending ripples through hotels, restaurants, transport providers and local attractions.

Air Canada, WestJet and American Airlines recalibrate for Bermuda

The renewed strength of Canadian demand is directly influencing the route strategies of Air Canada, WestJet and American Airlines. While each carrier has its own commercial logic and network constraints, all three are recalibrating capacity to and through Bermuda in ways that reflect the island’s growing appeal as an alternative to U.S. sun destinations.

Air Canada has been steadily rebuilding its Bermuda schedule since the pandemic recovery period. The carrier’s Toronto service, a lifeline for both leisure vacationers and Bermudians with family ties in Canada, has seen frequencies increase during peak months, with additional shoulder-season flights supporting the island’s strategy to flatten out its traditional summer-heavy booking curve. The Montreal market, which the BTA has identified as especially fast-growing, has also benefited from targeted seasonal capacity that feeds both outbound leisure traffic and connecting passengers from across Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

WestJet’s role is more complex. Earlier reductions in its Bermuda service contributed to a drop in Canadian arrivals in the first half of 2024, but the airline has signaled renewed interest in sun-and-sand routes that can be profitably served from its Canadian hubs. Industry analysis suggests that WestJet’s broader restructuring, backed by new investment partners, is pushing it toward strong, high-yield leisure destinations that complement rather than compete with its transborder U.S. network. Bermuda fits neatly into this strategy, particularly from Toronto and Halifax, which offer dense catchment areas of travelers looking for a shorter, more premium warm-weather escape than the Caribbean often provides.

American Airlines, though a U.S. carrier, is an important part of the Canadian story because of its extensive North American network and the role its hubs play in connecting Canadian travelers to Bermuda. While American has trimmed some direct U.S.–Bermuda routes, such as Washington National, it has maintained and in some cases strengthened services through major hubs including Charlotte, New York and Philadelphia. For Canadian travelers flying via these hubs, American’s improved connectivity and schedule coordination mean more one-stop options to Bermuda, particularly during peak holiday periods when nonstop Canadian flights may be sold out or priced at a premium.

Seat capacity, schedules and the new geography of access

The interplay among these carriers is reshaping how, and from where, Canadians reach Bermuda. Official air-capacity statistics show that inbound seats to the island increased by roughly a quarter in 2024 versus 2023, with much of that growth concentrated among North American carriers. The catch is that hotel capacity has not kept pace, leaving airlines and tourism planners to walk a fine line between opening access and over-saturating a limited accommodation base.

From Canada’s perspective, Toronto Pearson is emerging as the key gateway. Both Air Canada and WestJet have built their Bermuda schedules around this market, turning Canada’s largest city into a de facto northern hub for Bermudian tourism. Canadian travel agents report that Toronto-origin bookings are increasingly being stitched together with feeder flights from cities such as Ottawa, Winnipeg and Calgary, creating a national flow of visitors that did not exist at this scale before the pandemic.

Secondary Canadian gateways are also gaining relevance. Halifax’s performance has been particularly noteworthy, with the BTA citing an approximately 85 per cent increase in arrivals from the Nova Scotia capital over a recent period. This reflects a broader trend of Atlantic Canadians seeking closer, more distinctive holiday options as they tire of crowded Florida and Caribbean resorts. For these travelers, the two-hour hop to Bermuda, with its blend of British heritage and pink-sand beaches, feels both exotic and convenient.

American Airlines’ network further amplifies these patterns. Many Canadian travelers, especially those in western provinces, are using U.S. hubs as stepping stones to Bermuda. By maintaining or boosting frequencies between Bermuda and key U.S. hubs, American creates additional de facto Canadian access points without necessarily operating new nonstop Canadian routes of its own. This has prompted the island’s tourism officials to pay closer attention to through-traffic data and to work with both Canadian and U.S. partners on joint promotions that recognize this increasingly interlinked geography of access.

Hotels at capacity: opportunity and strain in Bermuda’s hospitality sector

The Canadian surge is colliding with a hotel sector that is still below its pre-pandemic capacity. The continued closure of flagship properties such as the Fairmont Southampton has left the island with fewer beds even as visitor arrivals climb. The result is a high-pressure environment in which new Canadian demand is both a boon and a strain for hoteliers.

Occupancy rates at many of the island’s leading resorts and boutique hotels now spike sharply on dates that align with Canadian school holidays and long weekends. Industry executives report that long-stay Canadian guests, who frequently travel in family or multi-generational groups, are quick to book suites and multi-bedroom units, driving up average daily rates and pushing some price-sensitive U.S. travelers into shoulder periods or alternative accommodations.

Smaller hotels and guesthouses are scrambling to adjust. Some have reoriented their marketing budgets to target high-value Canadian travelers, emphasizing Bermuda’s relative proximity, safety and cultural familiarity. Others have invested in modest upgrades to appeal to visitors who are used to modern, condominium-style lodging. With Canadian guests staying longer on average than visitors from the United States, operators see strong returns on investments in amenities such as kitchenettes, co-working spaces and enhanced Wi-Fi, which enable longer, semi-residential stays.

The pressure is not limited to beds. Restaurants, activity operators and transport providers report that peak Canadian periods are now among their busiest weeks of the year, occasionally outpacing traditional U.S. holidays. While this windfall supports jobs and tax revenues, it also requires careful staffing, inventory management and pricing strategies. Businesses that once calibrated their seasons primarily around New York and Boston demand patterns must now overlay Canadian school calendars and airline timetables onto their planning.

Statistics on intended address and length of stay highlight another important dimension of the Canadian boom: a growing share of Canadian visitors are opting for vacation rentals, villas and extended-stay properties rather than traditional full-service resorts. Average-stay data show that visitors who choose rental homes or apartments remain on the island significantly longer than hotel guests, and Canadians are over-represented in this cohort.

This shift is transforming neighborhoods far beyond Bermuda’s marquee resort corridors. Owners of licensed vacation rentals report a marked uptick in inquiries from Canadian families looking for week-long or even two-week stays, often coinciding with summer break or spring shoulder periods. Many of these guests are repeat visitors who have already experienced Bermuda’s resort scene and now want more space, privacy and the ability to self-cater.

For the local hospitality workforce, this diversification presents both challenges and new revenue streams. Housekeeping, concierge-style services, private chefs and in-villa wellness providers are in higher demand, creating opportunities for Bermudians to operate micro-businesses serving a Canadian-heavy clientele. At the same time, regulators are watching closely to ensure that the growth of short-term rentals does not undermine housing affordability for residents, particularly in residential districts where tourism pressure was historically low.

Hotel operators are responding by experimenting with hybrid models. Some resorts are converting portions of their inventory into condo-style units with kitchens and living areas, marketed specifically to Canadian and European markets that favor longer stays. Others are striking partnerships with nearby villa owners to offer resort-style amenities, such as pool access and kids’ clubs, to guests staying off property. In each case, the spending power and longer stay patterns of Canadian travelers are a driving force behind these innovations.

Spending power and seasonality: what Canadian guests mean for the economy

The economic impact of the Canadian boom extends well beyond airfares and hotel bills. According to the BTA’s midyear and year-end reporting, overall leisure air visitors in 2024 contributed more than one hundred million dollars to the local economy, with per-visitor spending rising by double digits compared with the previous year. Canadians, with their longer stays and propensity for higher-end experiences, account for a disproportionately large share of this growth.

Travel advisors and local operators note that Canadian guests are especially active purchasers of guided experiences, from sailing excursions and golf packages to cultural tours and culinary events. Many arrive with strong exchange-rate awareness and a willingness to trade shorter, budget-conscious trips in the Caribbean or the United States for fewer but higher-quality vacations in destinations like Bermuda. This behavior dovetails with the island’s long-term strategy to position itself as a premium destination where value is measured in experience rather than volume.

Seasonality is another area where Canadians are changing the equation. While U.S. travelers remain heavily concentrated in the peak summer and early autumn months, Canadians are more likely to visit in late spring and early fall, when weather at home begins to cool but Bermuda remains mild and appealing. This trend helps to fill shoulder-season gaps that once left hotels underutilized and seasonal workers underemployed.

Local economists and business leaders see this as a chance to spread tourism benefits more evenly across the calendar. Sustained Canadian demand in traditionally quieter months can justify longer operating seasons for restaurants, attractions and transport services, thereby supporting year-round employment and encouraging fresh investment in infrastructure and training. It also gives the government greater confidence to pursue targeted incentives for tourism-related projects that might have struggled to achieve profitability in a strictly summer-based model.

Strategic responses: how Bermuda is courting Canada for the long term

The BTA and its partners are moving quickly to lock in Canadian gains and convert this wave of interest into a stable, long-term market. Officials have identified Canada as a priority growth region alongside select European markets, with dedicated campaigns running in key provinces and cities. These efforts blend digital marketing, trade partnerships, and public relations initiatives designed to differentiate Bermuda from both U.S. beach destinations and more distant Caribbean islands.

One pillar of this strategy is close collaboration with airlines. Bermuda’s tourism planners are in regular dialogue with Air Canada and WestJet about route performance, schedule alignment and joint promotional opportunities, particularly around special events such as golf tournaments, sailing regattas and cultural festivals. For American Airlines, the focus is on strengthening through-traffic from Canadian cities that feed into its U.S. hubs, ensuring that schedules connect smoothly and that Bermuda appears prominently in booking platforms and loyalty-program communications.

Another focus is product development. With Canadian visitors showing strong interest in activities such as golf, sailing, wellness retreats and culinary experiences, the BTA is working with local entrepreneurs to curate new packages and itineraries tailored to these preferences. Multi-day experiences that combine beach time with gastronomy, heritage tours and soft adventure are being packaged specifically for Canadian travel agents, who report robust demand for organized yet flexible vacations that minimize logistical stress.

At the policy level, Bermuda’s government is considering how best to match airlift with hotel development. Measures under discussion include streamlining planning processes for new or refurbished accommodations, expanding training programs for hospitality workers and exploring incentives for sustainable building and operations. The overarching goal is to ensure that increased Canadian traffic translates into broad-based economic opportunity for Bermudians rather than simply higher room rates and congestion.

Looking ahead: balancing growth, capacity and identity

As Air Canada, WestJet and American Airlines continue to adjust their Bermuda plans, the island finds itself at a pivotal moment. The roughly 30.6 per cent boom in Canadian travelers demonstrates the power of targeted airlift and smart market positioning, but it also highlights the fragility of a system where hotel capacity lags and key infrastructure projects are still in flux.

Tourism leaders acknowledge that managing this growth responsibly will require constant calibration. Too much capacity without sufficient beds risks disappointing visitors and eroding Bermuda’s hard-won reputation for quality. Too little capacity, or overly cautious scheduling, could push Canadian travelers back toward competing destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico or the United States. Striking the right balance means using data on booking windows, length of stay and spending patterns to guide decisions at every level of the tourism ecosystem.

Culturally, the Canadian surge is also reshaping how Bermuda sees itself. The island’s long-standing bond with the U.S. East Coast remains intact, but new ties with cities such as Toronto, Montreal and Halifax are broadening its horizons. Visitors from these markets bring different expectations, tastes and travel rhythms, encouraging local businesses to experiment with new menus, experiences and communication styles while still holding fast to Bermuda’s unique identity.

If current trends continue, the collaboration among Air Canada, WestJet, American Airlines and Bermudian stakeholders could mark the beginning of a new chapter in the island’s tourism story. One in which Canadian travelers play a central role in sustaining a higher-value, more resilient hospitality industry that thrives not only in the summer sun, but across the full sweep of the year.