Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (25 April 2018) In the first quarter of 2018, the Cayman Islands welcomed 134,170 visitors, an increase of 22,933 visitors or 20.62 percent over the first quarter in 2017. This comes as the Cayman Islands welcomed 54,965 visitors by air in March, an increase of 24.76 percent over March 2017. This marks the first time in history arrivals surpassed 50,000 visitors in a single month and represents the tenth consecutive month (June 2017 through March 2018) air arrivals into the Cayman Islands have surpassed previously recorded statistics. March also saw an increase of 16.54 percent in cruise arrivals, with 232,902 passengers arriving to our shores.

“It is evident from our first quarter performance that there is demand for the Cayman Islands’ tourism product amongst travellers across the globe,” commented Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism, The Honourable Moses Kirkconnell. “This performance would not be possible without the partnership of local stakeholders who exemplify our Caymankind spirit, and the strategic leadership of the Department of Tourism, who continue to find innovative ways of marketing our brand and expanding our key markets.”

Visitation from all key markets was up in March. The United States saw a 25.9 percent increase, with growth being driven by the Northeast and Southeast regions which saw 31.88 and 28.83 percent growth respectively. The Midwest region recorded 1,823 additional visitors, marking an increase of 16.17 percent, while the Southwest region and West Coast recorded 14.22 and 10.64 percent growth respectively. Canada continued to show growth with 486 additional visitors, marking a 13.82 percent increase. Arrivals from Latin America and Europe also grew by 35.65 and 17.06 percent respectively.

“Heading into the second quarter, we are excited about our summer promotion ‘Kids Culinary Capital of the Caribbean,’ which features hands-on culinary activities for children, along with exceptional offers for families to enjoy,” commented Director of Tourism, Mrs. Rosa Harris. “We are also very pleased with the announcement of JetBlue’s new direct service from Ft. Lauderdale, which will see increased airlift to our destination towards the end of this year.”

To learn more about Kids Culinary Capital of the Caribbean offers, please visit www.caymanislands.ky/onlyincayman. For more information and detailed arrival statistics, please visit the website www.caymanislands.ky/statistics.

IMAGE: Caymankind