According to the
Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO), inbound tourism in the Caribbean
continued its upward rebound from the pandemic in 2023, with international
stay-over arrivals numbers growing by an impressive 14.3 percent.
The CTO’s Secretary-General,
Dona Regis-Prosper, presented the findings of the organization’s ‘Caribbean
Tourism Performance Review 2023’ this week, reporting that last year’s
increases aligned with the CTO’s projections for the year. She attributed the
growth to sustained demand from the United
States, improved tourism infrastructure, strategic marketing efforts and
increased airlift capacity, although the latter remains unevenly distributed
among the region’s many separate destinations.
Besides the U.S.,
the Caribbean’s largest source market, Regis-Prosper pointed out the resiliency
of inbound tourism from around the global, albeit with variable performances
across the region. Outstripping most of the world’s major regions in terms of
post-pandemic recovery, the Caribbean exceeded pre-pandemic arrival numbers by a
moderate 0.8%.
Regis-Prosper also
noted that each month in 2023 saw arrivals surpassing those of the previous
year, reinforcing a consistent growth pattern over the past 33 months. Among
all Caribbean destinations, arrival levels either saw considerable recovery or
surpassed 2019 benchmarks. Eleven of those— Anguilla, Aruba, Curaçao, Dominican
Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, and Turks and
Caicos— outpaced their 2019 arrival figures, with most recovering more than 50
percent of their pre-pandemic levels.
North American
Markets
Unsurprisingly, the
United States emerged as the foremost contributor to Caribbean tourism, with
the market having fully recovered from its pandemic-era slump. The U.S. contributed
an estimated 16.3 million stay-over arrivals, marking a 12.7 percent annual
growth rate and outstripping pre-pandemic levels by 4.2 percent.
Meanwhile, the recovery
rates of arrivals from Canada reached 88.1 percent and, from Europe,
88.2 percent. The Canadian market witnessed a remarkable 46.1 percent year-over-year
increase in tourist visits, totaling approximately 3 million arrivals. This
upsurge has been attributed to increased airlift from major Canadian origin
cities.
Signpost pointing the way to various Caribbean Islands. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/Reimar)
Other Key
Markets
Although arrivals
from Europe remained stagnant in 2023, domestic travel among Caribbean
residents within their own region increased by 3.6 percent for a total of 1.6
million trips. This represented 300,000 more than in 2022, and amounted to a
62.5 percent recovery from pre-pandemic levels. “Despite this positive outcome,
intra-regional travel remained expensive due to fragmented air service and
reduced air capacity,” said Regis-Prosper. Meanwhile, trips from South America surged by 14 percent by the end of the
year, reaching 1.7 million visits.
Kenneth Bryan, Chairman
of the CTO’s Council of Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism, hailed the
tourism sector's resilience and continued recovery in 2023. “Caribbean
destinations remain adaptable and responsive, and the region is still highly
desired by travelers for its safety and diversity of tourism products,” he remarked.
Remarkable
Resilience
Bryan emphasized
the region's adaptability and responsiveness, highlighting key developments,
such as increased air capacity throughout the year, strategic marketing
initiatives and the hosting of events like the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 as
opportunities to showcase the Caribbean's culture and heritage to a global
audience. However, he also
noted that the industry and the region still face such challenges as high
travel costs, ongoing geopolitical tensions and conflicts in 2024.
“Hence, the
Caribbean’s prospects appear highly promising, with more regional destinations
poised to either match or surpass the arrival figures recorded in 2019.
Anticipated growth is forecast to range between five percent and 10 percent,
potentially welcoming between 33.8 million and 35.4 million stay-over
tourists,” Chairman Bryan summarized.
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