Visitor numbers in 2024 edged closer to 2019 record
(CNS): Almost 438,000 people visited the Cayman Islands in 2024 as overnight guests, even though the airport was closed on several occasions because of bad weather and storm warnings. While this fell short of 2019’s record-breaking number of stayover tourists, the figure was the third-highest since records began and 2% more than in 2023.
A new record was set in March when over 57,000 people visited, the highest number not just for that month but any calendar month. December 2024 was the second highest on record, with over 52,000 people staying on the islands, reflecting an increase of 4.3% year over year.
Inflation has helped the government’s tourism revenue, with the public purse collecting CI$38.5 million by the end of November, an 8% increase over the same period in 2023 and likely to reach well over $40 million once December’s revenue is collected. A 9% rise in the average daily rate of hotel rooms across the year didn’t deter holidaymakers, and demand remained buoyant throughout the year despite the challenges of the hurricane season, heavy rain and storm warnings.
Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan said it was gratifying to see such positive growth when globally the tourism sector faces economic, geopolitical and climate challenges.
“As an industry, locally we are not immune to these global shocks,” he said. “We weathered a challenging hurricane season which saw the closure of Owen Roberts International Airport due to hurricane Beryl during one of our busiest travel periods in July.”
The challenges provided an opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of Cayman’s emergency response capabilities, the minister said, as Cayman was able to rapidly restore hotel accommodation and product after the storm.
“It also highlighted our strong relationships with airline partners who worked with us to include additional evacuation flights pre-storm and immediately resumed their regular flight schedule post-storm. We look forward to working together with both on-island and international partners to make 2025 as successful a year for tourism as 2024,” Bryan added.
Cayman’s visitors are still coming overwhelmingly from the United States, with a 1.4% growth in last year’s American headcount. Visitors from Canada were up 5.3% and set new monthly records in June, July, August, October, November and December, which tourism officials said was due to “a robust PR strategy”.
There were more beds available on the islands in 2024 than ever before as the room inventory increased by 578 bedrooms to 8,356 with the addition of VIDA Cayman Islands and Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman to the islands’ hotel portfolio.
Tourism Director Rosa Harris said that 2024 was a standout year for the destination from a visitation perspective, business development and marketing efforts, which saw the department secure one of its biggest budgets ever.
“The first quarter of the year saw CIDOT undertake significant global travel as part of our tourism recovery strategy, and it has paid dividends in our visitation for 2024,” she claimed, even though the headcount still has some more room to grow and has not yet returned to the pre-pandemic numbers of 2018 and 2019.
“We deepened our relationships with airline partners like United Airlines by being the first Caribbean destination to market on their Kinective media platform and British Airways by undertaking a multi-channel marketing campaign including in-flight video, digital ads and print advertorials.”
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I’m a long time tourist ( over 20 years). Honestly, Cayman has lost a lot of its “ island charm “ for me a few years back. The over development, high rise buildings, closing of Royal Palms, Calicos,etc and traffic congestion everywhere. There isn’t anything to do at night anymore as I do not feel the night scene is that safe and after having dinner and a drink there is not much entertainment. I no longer stay at hotels as they went up in price around 2017/2018 and I can no longer justify paying those prices. I stay in Airbnb.
Why do I continue to come to Cayman? Airfare has dropped in price significantly, so combined with an Airbnb, Cayman is now a relatively inexpensive holiday. Was just there over Christmas and spent less than $2,000 all in for flights, room and car. No other warm destination was offering that price.
Will I continue to come to Cayman? Yes, if the deal is right. Although, the island charm has almost disappeared…& 7mb is not what it used to be, the people are wonderful, it’s still warm and the sea beautiful and a place to unwind for a week.
W
yawn and what waffle. cayman has lost its charm?? but is setting tourist arrival records?????
maybe you should go to the brac?….bet you will be back on a plane to gc within 3 days.
You can’t deny that Cayman has lost its “ island charm “ when you look around at all the high rise cement construction along with the traffic congestion.
It is not setting arrival records. Many other Caribbean locations have far exceeded pre-Covid levels. The poster is correct about everything
I’m guessing you were not here before 2000. Cayman may still be a destination location, but it is nowhere close to the friendly, safe, tropical paradise it’s reputation was built on. I first visited in 1984 and fell in love with Cayman. If my first visit was in 2025 (I was here 1/4/25-1/18/25) I would not be as impressed; many other island locations are what Cayman was in the 1980’s. But with all true loves – I ignore the warts and wrinkles and will keep coming back. But if you deny what has been lost, you are just ignorant of history.
My first visit was Feb. 2000. & I’ve been twice a year ever since except during the Covid closure.
I am Caymanian and love living here of course. But why would tourists want to come? There’s nothing to see and little to do, the roads are crowded and the place has been/is being concreted over and on cruise ship days George Town, home of jewelry and tee shirt shops, and what remains of Seven Mile Beach is a nightmare. We are even getting the beggars that other islands have though it’s not so bad as most of these yet and fortunately our criminals are tending…so far…to knock each off rather than tourists. But still, why come here?
The weather, the blue waters, great people and great food are 4 things that immediately come to mind. Most stayover tourists rarely venture into George Town but explore the beauty all round the island.
Profound question @9:33. It would be good to hear some answers from our tourism bosses. One wonders if they have ever thought about it.
why go anywhere? what has miami got that cayman does not? (apart from huge malls…aka your concrete jungle)
tourists vote with their feet…and accordingly cayman is doing fine.
I’m sure the numbers are actually significantly higher. There are many rouge airbnb hosts who don’t submit the accommodation taxes or report what their unit’s occupancy is.
For some unknown reason, there is no appetite to go after these rogues.
Quite similar to the rozzers giving a pass to illegal window tint, no front plates or yellow plates, illegal lighting, tailgating, illegal parking, etc, etc, etc.
100% Public Beach is the clear case for non enforcement.