BELLEVUE, Wash. – While the Caribbean has long been a celebrated destination among U.S. and European travelers, new data from the Expedia group, one of the world’s leading travel companies, reveals a rising demand for intra-Caribbean travel.

Based on data for flights occurring between January 1, 2017 – December 31, 2017 compared to the same timeframe in 2016, Expedia group reports a 15 percent increase in ticket demand for travel from Caribbean origins to a Caribbean destination, approximately three times the growth rate of international inbound travel.

Based on flight data, the top volume destinations that received the most travelers from the Caribbean in 2017 year over year included:

Dominican Republic, with nearly 20 percent share of ticket sales
Bahamas, with 10 percent share of ticket sales
Trinidad and Tobago, with nearly 10 percent share of ticket sales
Expedia Reports Growth in Intra-Caribbean Travel offered by airlines such as LIAT

Leading volume outbound markets from the Caribbean during this time were:

Puerto Rico, with nearly 30 percent share of ticket sales
Trinidad and Tobago, with nearly 15 percent share of ticket sales
Bahamas, with 10 percent share of ticket sales
“We’re excited to report overall growth in intra-Caribbean travel, as our goal in the region is to support our hotel partners to meet and exceed their business objectives. Our marketing and technology capabilities allow us to offer hotel partners access to customers on both a global and local scale, which help boost the regional economy,” said Rafael de Castillo, Senior Director, Resorts, the Expedia group.

“Hoteliers in the Caribbean have a unique opportunity to meet their sales goals by capturing the attention of a growing segment of travelers in their own backyard. We believe this substantial growth in intra-Caribbean travel can be attributed to a range of factors including increase in connectivity as well as hoteliers who are generating demand via Expedia’s latest technologies, powerful marketing platforms and valuable market intelligence.”

Additional data results from this study report that although intra-Caribbean travel was stable throughout 2017, there were slightly higher volumes of travel during the summer months of July and August based on flight and hotel data.

The Expedia group also reported that Punta Cana and San Juan were top destinations that received Caribbean travelers that booked via mobile devices and through packages.