With dozens of international travel restrictions, almost all Caribbean countries saw their tourism sectors collapse during the tough years of the pandemic.
Forecasters predicted a painfully slow recovery in 2026, but today’s incredible tourism figures show that the sector has not only fully recovered, but is thriving.
At least, that’s what leaders think reported at the latest annual Caribbean Travel Marketplace held in Jamaica from May 20 to 23.
Caribbean destinations managed to surpass pre-pandemic arrivals last year, when all destinations combined welcomed a whopping 33.2 million travelers. an increase of 14.3 percent compared to 2022, according to data revealed by Nicola Madden-Grieg, chairman of the event sponsor.
The region is also building 14,000 new hotel rooms and expects growth of 5 to 10 percent in the coming years. Let’s look at some country figures.
Jamaica
Between January and February 2024, Jamaica hosted more than 1 million travelers bringing $1 billion in tourism revenue to the island. “a record that has never happened in the history of Jamaica,said Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett.
The government expects to receive five million visitors and earn $5 billion by 2025.
To achieve such a milestone, Jamaica is adding 2,000 new hotel rooms to its portfolio, the most ambitious tourism growth plan in the Caribbean by 2024.
Saint Lucia
This is also a relaxed island experienced a booming tourism season, with overnight stays increasing by 11.3% in the first quarter compared to the same period in 2023, breaking all pre-pandemic records.
It wasn’t until March 2024 that the island received the largest number of visitors in history, said Guibion Ferdinand, parliamentary secretary of Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Tourism.
The country plans to add 2,000 additional hotel rooms next year. It will also expand its port facilities to accommodate 10,000 to 12,000 additional cruise passengers.
Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks & Caicos is another special study case. This small Caribbean island has recorded an increase in visitors of more than 227 percent since the pandemic.
From January to April, the destination welcomed 271,326 air travelers, an increase of 10.46 percent compared to the same period in 2023. Cruise passengers also experienced a small increase.
“Data shows that our aircraft arrival numbers are expected to remain high through August, indicating that our tourism sector will remain vibrant throughout the year.said Tourism Minister Josephine Connolly.
Belize
The analytics company ForwardKeys recently found that Belize is experiencing excellent tourism growth according to their data.
According to the latest report, the country has seen a 30 percent increase in the number of international travelers so far in 2024, “the fastest growth rate of any destination in the Caribbean,” beating traditional hotspots like the Dominican Republic and Curaçao.
From January to March, the country saw a 17.5 percent increase compared to the same period before the pandemic.
Cancun
According to Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR), Cancun received 8.21 million travelers between January and April 2024.
This number represents an increase of 6 percent compared to the same period last year. In this way, the destination sets a new arrival record.
Dominican Republic
From January to April, the Dominican Republic welcomed 3,039,302 air travelers, 10 percent more compared to the same period last year, and 1,139,381 cruise passengers, 15 percent more than in 2023, breaking all records in history.
According to Tourism Minister David Collado, the country is expected to surpass 11 million visitors by 2024, a figure never seen before.
