Others come by plane, or having acquired a taste for Bermuda on a cruise visit, come back by plane. Direct flights operate daily to Bermuda in season (check with your travel agent) from Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia and Toronto. Connections into Bermuda can be made from any of these cities.

British Airways operates four flights a week directly to and from London's Gatwick Airport. Connecting flights to other European and longer-haul destinations are available from London.

As you'd expect, prices of flights vary depending on the day of the week and the time of the year, so check with your travel agent.

There's a place in Bermuda too for those looking for a quiet, inexpensive getaway. Some of our smaller properties have self-catering facilities. In between, Bermuda offers a host of choices of accommodations to satisfy every budget.

We do not have rental cars, but we have efficient public taxi, bus and ferry services which will get you where you need to go anywhere in Bermuda. We even have horse-drawn carriages and vessels you can charter for deep-sea fishing. If you choose, you can rent a moped and get around like most Bermudians do, enjoying the breeze, or “Bermuda air-conditioning,” as it is known locally.

Of course, Bermuda is best seen on foot. Whether you simply choose to walk along our 150 kilometres of road, or follow the path of what was once the Bermuda Railway, now a lovely walking trail, or just go for a stroll in one of our National Parks, what the British call “Shanks's Pony” gives you time to see what's going on, and stop and smell the oleanders.

Some come to Bermuda to shop, and for them we have an interesting range of retail possibilities, with goods from all over the world. Those looking for night life will find it in Bermuda, with discotheques, clubs, live music and more.

The vogue word in travel these days is “cultural tourism.” Bermuda has been in the business for so long, we didn't even know it had a special name. The town of St. George's, for example, is the oldest continuously-populated place in the Western hemisphere.

As you'd expect on an Island which is rarely more than a mile wide, the ocean features heavily in our attractions. The Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo, the Bermuda Underwater Institute, the Bermuda Maritime Museum – you get the idea.

The second largest category of Bermuda exempted companies are insurance companies, representing about 15% of the total. Bermuda insurers and reinsurers cover a complete variety of risks, with specialisations in the areas of property and catastrophe, excess liability, professional insurance and “captive” companies. More than 200 additional Bermuda-based companies are insurance brokers and insurance management companies.

Other types of companies well represented on the register include:

• Commercial Trading companies;
• Management companies and consultants;
• Mutual Funds;
• Natural resources; and
• Shipping.

We have destination management companies and convention and tour planners who will help you plan every detail of your Bermuda meeting down to the sun tan lotion. They've been doing it for a long time, and routinely assist many of the largest companies in the world to make their conventions and meetings a success.

In more detail:
The regulatory framework: The regulation of international business in Bermuda is both fair and reasonable. Bermuda remains convinced that its regulatory framework should be minimal and flexible, while still conforming to international standards.

The legal and fiscal framework: The current legal and fiscal system is uncomplicated. It is based on English law. The absence of burdensome restraints imposed by complex legal and regulatory frameworks sometimes found in other centres allows for a streamlined and speedy application process when new companies are being formed.

Infrastructure: An excellent telecommunications network and transportation facilities link Bermuda directly with countries around the world. The network comprises telephone, facsimile, satellites, telexes and other similar services.

Location: Being one hour ahead of the North American Eastern Seaboard, four hours behind the United Kingdom, and 7 to 12 hours behind the Middle East and Far East countries enables Bermuda to offer itself as an excellent location for operating international businesses. With its easy access by air to most international centres, and its appeal as a sub-tropical paradise where its people are well-used to catering to overseas visitors, Bermuda is the place to hold business meetings.

Support Services: The banking, trust, accounting, custodial and legal services necessary to support international business are of a high international standard. These are supplemented by local management, financial and corporate service companies. Bermuda's people are among the most literate in the world. Bermuda has an intelligent, well-educated and talented labour pool to assist in the day-to-day operation of Bermuda business.

Political Stability: Bermuda is politically, economically and socially stable, ensuring a favourable environment in which to conduct business. Bermuda is committed to maintaining its integrity as an international offshore financial centre, and to maintaining its reputation of providing exceptionally high standards.

Taxes: There are no income taxes, withholding tax, capital gains tax, capital transfer tax, estate duty or inheritance taxes payable in Bermuda. A Bermuda exempted company may, under current policy, apply to the Bermuda Government for an exemption from paying any taxes until 2016, should taxes be imposed on corporate activities after the company is incorporated.

The assistance of the Bermuda Monetary Authority in the preparation of the foregoing is gratefully acknowledged.