The Caribbean region has had another record year for tourist arrivals as well as earnings. This information was presented by Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), Richard Sealy, and the secretary general, Hugh Riley, along with the CTO’s director of research, Winfield Griffith during a conference call earlier today. Below are some of the key facts:
FACT ONE: 26.3 million tourists visited the Caribbean region in 2014. This represented 1.3million more than in 2013, itself a record year for the region.
FACT TWO: These tourists spent US$29.5 billion, up five per cent over 2013. This represented an increase in US$1.5 billion dollars being spent in the Caribbean.
FACT THREE: The Dominican Republic welcomed over 5.1 million tourists during 2014; this represents a 9.6% growth over 2013. In total 6 Caribbean Destinations each welcomed more than 1 million tourists. This includes:
*Figures for The Bahamas will increase as only January to July are reported. Figures for Puerto Rico will also increase as only January to October are reported. All others are for the full calendar year.
FACT FOUR: The United States continues to be the region’s primary market, with nearly 13 million Americans – or just under half of the total arrivals – to the region. Canada rallied from a flat performance in 2013 to post a 5.7 per cent increase, while Europe topped five million visitors for the first time since 2008, registering a 4.6 per cent increase over 2013.
FACT FIVE: The 5.3 per cent rise which the Region recorded was above the global growth rate of 4.7 per cent announced by the UN body, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and nearly twice the predicted two per cent to three per cent growth.
Note: Tourists are defined as visitors who stay at least 24 hours in the country visited but less than a year. The tally does not include cruise passengers who are regarded as a special type of same-day visitor and counted separately.
Top photo: Dominican Republic – Carnival in Santo Domingo. Photo credit: ©Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism.
