Caribbean Tourism Sets New Records with 35 Million Stay-Over Arrivals in 2025

The Caribbean tourism industry has officially surpassed its pre-pandemic benchmarks, recording a 2.5% increase in stay-over international arrivals for 2025.

According to the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) annual report released today, April 3, 2026, the region welcomed approximately 35 million visitors last year. This performance, representing an addition of 900,000 tourists compared to 2024, highlights the region's global competitiveness despite a volatile landscape of geopolitical tensions, economic fluctuations, and the impact of climate events such as Hurricane Melissa.

The growth was fueled by strategic infrastructure investment and incremental improvements in air connectivity. While the first quarter of 2025 saw a marginal 0.3% contraction due to early-year uncertainty, demand surged in the second and third quarters with increases of 5% and 5.6%, respectively. Tourism peaks were recorded in March, July, and December, during which the region's hospitality sector operated at maximum capacity to accommodate travelers primarily from North and South America.

2025 ArrivalsGrowth Rate

United States17 Million+0.5%

South America2.4 Million+23.7%

Canada—-5.3%

Europe—-3.3%

The most significant shift in 2025 was the extraordinary rise of the South American market, which grew by 23.7% thanks to new flight routes and targeted marketing campaigns. Conversely, traditional markets like Canada and Europe saw declines attributed to rising travel costs and aggressive competition from other global destinations seeking tourism investment. Despite these shifts, the U.S. remains the primary provider of visitors, contributing nearly half of the total arrivals.

The Caribbean hotel sector reported a value-driven strategy in 2025, prioritizing service quality over mass volume. While average occupancy dipped slightly to 63.7%, the Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) rose by 0.8% to $223.12, and the Average Daily Rate (ADR) climbed to $350.37. Leading the regional growth were destinations like Guyana, Curaçao, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which successfully diversified their tourism products to capture niche segments.

The cruise segment continued its record-breaking expansion, reaching 35.5 million port visits in 2025—a 5.2% annual increase and 16.7% above 2019 levels. The Bahamas solidified its status as the world's leading cruise hub, receiving a record 10.7 million passengers. This vitality in the maritime sector continues to attract significant capital flows for the modernization of piers and terminals across the basin, ensuring the Caribbean remains the global epicenter for nautical tourism.

Looking ahead to the remainder of 2026, the CTO maintains a "cautiously optimistic" outlook, projecting growth between 3% and 4% for stay-over arrivals. Secretary General Dona Regis-Prosper emphasized that the regional focus is now shifting toward sustainability and regenerative experiences. The priority for 2026 is to ensure that tourism prosperity translates into tangible benefits for local populations while strengthening intra-regional connectivity to protect against future international market shocks.