News

In the first quarter of 2019, the Cayman Islands recorded the highest number of stayover visitors for any first quarter in previously recorded. The destination welcomed 145,804 stayover visitors, an increase of 11,634 visitors or 8.67 percent over the first quarter in 2018. This comes as the Cayman Islands welcomed a total of 59,563 stayover visitors in March, an increase of 8.37 percent over March 2018. This represents the best month for stayover visitation in recorded history. Based on preliminary estimates, total visitor spend for the period January – March 2019, inclusive of air and cruise, was approximately KY$235 million.
 
“The Cayman Islands should be proud of its record-breaking stayover performance in the first quarter of 2019,” commented Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism, the Honourable Moses Kirkconnell. “As a Ministry and Department of Tourism, we are committed to developing innovative and authentic strategies for attracting travellers from key source markets. The recent launch of the USA focused Dream in Cayman campaign pushes the boundaries of destination advertising and I look forward to evaluating the results of the campaign in the months to come.”
 
The introduction of Cayman Airway’s new Denver route has directly influenced growth in visitation from the Southwest region of the United States. In March 2019, 683 visitors departed Denver International Airport for the Cayman Islands. This comes on the heels of TripAdvisor’s 2019 Travellers’ Choice Awards which named Cayman Airways the “Best Airline in the Caribbean” and a top “Specialty and Leisure Airline” within the entire North America region.
 
Heading into the second quarter, the Department of Tourism will again roll out its successful summer promotion ‘Kids Culinary Capital of the Caribbean,’ which features hands-on culinary activities for children, along with exceptional offers for families to enjoy.  Additionally, the Cayman Islands can look forward to increased airlift to the destination with the announcement of Southwest Airlines’ new direct Saturday service from Baltimore/Washington starting June 15, 2019.
 
To learn more about Kids Culinary Capital of the Caribbean offers, please visit www.kidsculinarycapital.com. For more information and detailed arrival statistics, please visit the website www.caymanislands.ky/statistics.