SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Vacationers flocked to the Caribbean final 12 months in numbers not seen because the pandemic started, with the Dutch Caribbean and U.S. territories like Puerto Rico surpassing even pre-pandemic customer arrivals, officers stated Tuesday.
Greater than 28 million folks visited the area in 2022, a greater than 50% soar in contrast with the earlier 12 months, in accordance with the Caribbean Tourism Group.
“It’s clearly obvious that even within the face of the devastating blows delivered by the pandemic, as a area, we’ve responded with hope, power and willpower to prevail,” Kenneth Bryan, the group’s chairman, stated throughout a information convention in Barbados.
The U.S. market drove greater than 50% of arrivals to the area final 12 months with 14.6 million U.S. vacationers visiting — three million greater than the earlier 12 months. In the meantime, the variety of European guests practically doubled to five.2 million. Visits from Canadians, although, didn’t rebound as anticipated, with some 2.1 million reported.
Governments, tourism officers and native companies in one of the crucial tourism dependent areas on the planet celebrated the rise in visits.
“The Caribbean area (had) one of many quickest restoration charges in 2022,” stated Neil Walters, the tourism group’s appearing secretary normal.
Six islands and international locations together with Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands surpassed complete pre-pandemic arrival numbers, Walters stated.
The variety of cruise ship guests additionally soared final 12 months, with 19.2 million visits reported, 5 instances in contrast with the earlier 12 months. Nevertheless, it fell in need of the report 30.4 million visits introduced in 2019.
Practically all locations reported a rise in guests apart from Haiti, which noticed a greater than 20% drop amid a spike in gang violence and political instability.
Bryan stated tourism officers anticipate total arrivals to the Caribbean to extend by as much as 15% this 12 months, presumably surpassing pre-pandemic ranges. A report 32 million folks visited the Caribbean in 2019, a quantity that dropped by 65% the next 12 months when the pandemic started.