Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (27 April 2015) Demonstrating a 5.7% increase in air arrivals, the first quarter of 2015 has proven to be one of the best for tourism arrivals in the recorded history of the Cayman Islands and continues to meet the expectations of the Ministry and Department of Tourism. There were 115, 640 stay over visitors in the first quarter of this year compared to 109, 406 for the same period in 2014.

The success of the quarter was also demonstrated for the month of March, which recorded a total of 45,476 stay over visitors, a 2.88% increase over March 2014. These numbers represent the largest number of stay over visitors to arrive in the island in a one month period.

Deputy Premier and Minister of Tourism, the Hon Moses Kirkconnell, said: “The Cayman Islands is regarded as a destination of choice which is evidenced not just by our consistent arrivals growth but by the visitor acclaim we continue to receive, including being named as the Best Beach in the World by US News & World Report (date) and the number two island in the Caribbean for 2015 by Islands Magazine. This speaks to the efforts made by the Ministry and Department of Tourism in collaboration with our tourism partners to distinguish ourselves in ways that are welcoming and satisfying to our visitors.”

Echoing the sentiment of the Minister, Director of Tourism, Mrs Rosa Harris, commented: “It is another great, positive beginning to the year, and we couldn’t have asked for a better start to 2015. We are optimistic of the tourism performance which is measured by the growth in air arrivals. The Northeast region of the US continues to be our largest key market for visitation and our efforts to see wins from this market will continue throughout the year. We have excellent airline partners that service the Northeast and we feel there is more room for growth from this area.”

Cruise arrival numbers also increased for the first quarter of 2015. Cruise visitation reached 544, 073 in the first three months of this year compared to 543, 017 compared to the same period last year, an increase of .19%. For the month of March, 199, 245 cruise passengers visited, compared to 185, 167 in the same month last year, an increase of 7.60%.

As the next quarter progresses, sustained growth is expected as the destination begins its promotional marketing period with the Summer Only in Cayman. To learn more about the offer, please visit www.caymanislands.ky/onlyincayman.

IMAGES: ieyenews.com