October air arrivals reach 86% of pre COVID levels
(CNS): The trend towards a full recovery of the Cayman Islands’ visitor numbers in the wake of the border closures continued in October with 20,568 stay-over visitors representing roughly 86% of 2019’s record breaking year and 16 percentage points higher than this year’s target of 70% of pre-pandemic numbers. During the ten months of 2023 so far a total of 343,606 stay-over visitors have arrived in Cayman which compares well to 2019 the pre-Covid year, which was a record breaking 12 months for the destination.
At the moment 2023 visitor numbers represent around 84% of 2019 and Rosa Harris, Director of Tourism, is confident Cayman is on track to continue that success throughout the remaining two months. “We are pleased that our stay-over arrivals to-date continue to trend above our targets, and this is indicative of a healthy and measured return to tourism,” she said.
While the majority of visitors are still coming to Cayman from the United States. Arrivals from the UK & Ireland in October 2023 were up 2.9 % on last year, some 94% of 2019’s numbers. Across the year so far visitors from the British Isles are up 3.1%. The Department of Tourism has implemented a strategy to increase awareness of the destination in the UK & Ireland via an in-flight video advertising campaign on British Airways flights.
According to the travel industry press Cayman is currently trending as a top destination for American travellers. A survey by Skyscanner, which examined user travel searches over the course of a year, had the Cayman Islands coming out on top with a 483 percent increase in the number of searches between July 2022, and July 2023 compared tot he previous twelve month period.
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Category: Local News, Tourism
Must be this totally legit promotion that is saving us!
https://www.caymancompass.com/2023/11/06/controversial-sports-tourism-strategy-targeted-prawn-sandwich-soccer-fans/
Is anyone actually looking into this? Who went to the Rugby and Racing events?
In 2022, didn’t tourists need to be vaccinated to fly in and also pay for covid tests every other day? They also needed to be tested one day before arrival and one day before departure? If so, that was a huge deterrent when other islands were completely open and running welcome back specials.
JetBlue just cancelled my flights for February. The explanation was that they no longer are offering nonstop service, but they aren’t offering connecting service on my dates either. Due to my job, I do not have flexibility. This is the second time my flights have been cancelled before traveling. If I did not have hotel, car, and airport transfers booked, I would just cancel the entire trip. Cayman is no longer an enjoyable destination to fly to since covid. I have flown to many other places without any issues. Now, I will have to spend more time and more money to find alternative flights which will not be nonstop.
JetBlue/ Cayman route needs some help!
Sorry to hear but Cayman isn’t responsible for the Jet Blue cancellations though. Where are you flying from? Try Cayman Airways if from or near NYC.
I did check cayman airways. They are not traveling on my dates, either. I did get tickets, but it wasn’t easy or cheap. It has been very difficult to fly to GC since covid.
This is a failure of the Cayman government and Kenneth Bryan.
Most destinations in the Caribbean have tourism arrivals above pre-covid levels. Cayman is not doing well.
Many long time visitors are dismayed with all of the construction, traffic, diminishing beach, and experience for the dollar now.
How could anyone thumb this comment down? (8:57) Even the locals complain about the construction, traffic, diminishing beaches and the price of everything.
Shows in all the entitled rental car drivers driving like idiots and clogging the roads and not using roundabouts correctly
If you’re thinking of Super Slick and many, many more small rental agencies and their Honda Fits, they ain’t tourists.
Stop blaming tourists for the traffic problems which are due to over construction. Most serious accidents are late nights when tourists are not on the roads.
billionaire’s and politicians laughing all the way to the bank…meanwhile average joe on edge of losing homes etc…ZZZZZ
Yep, well, CIG and Civil Service retirement, full coverage health care, COL increases and other sundry wage increases aren’t going to fund themselves. That’s what the public sector is for, to fund those causes; glad we have some help from tourism again.