The Cayman Islands ended 2024 on a high note welcoming 437,842 stayover visitors between January and December 2024 representing a 2% increase over 2023’s numbers. Canadian visitation played a significant role in year over year results thanks to six months of record arrivals from the source market. 2025 stands to see the the continuation of this trend thanks to an increased flight schedule from WestJet and Air Canada. Canadians can enjoy up to seven non-stop flights per week this winter. 

March 2024 saw the second highest number of arrivals ever for the destination with 57,040 stayover visitors. December was also a standout month with 52,046 stayover visitors – the second highest number of visitors for December in recorded history and an increase of 4.3% year over year. 

Revenue generated by tourism accommodation taxes and fees for January to November 2024 was approximately KYD$ 38.5 million (appx CDN $68M), which was an 8% increase over the same period in 2023. These revenues were bolstered by a 9% rise in the average daily rate (ADR) of hotel rooms from January to November 2024 over the same period in 2023 according to STR Inc., the major hotel industry intelligence database.

Demand for travel to the destination remained buoyant despite the challenges of an unusually active hurricane season which saw the Cayman Islands impacted by significant rainfall and other adverse weather from a tropical disturbance in June and four named storms between July and November.

Source Markets

Canada

Canada continued to be a growth market for the destination with numbers up 5.3% year over year with Canada recording its second-best performance ever.  Six months set new records in 2024 including June, July, August, October, November and December.

This growth can be attributed to continued engagement with the travel trade as well as a robust PR strategy which included features on the Cayman Islands in luxury lifestyle and travel magazines as the result of the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism’s (CIDOT) Visiting Journalist Programme (VJP). Additionally, at the height of winter in November 2023, Canadians were enticed to escape the cold via Cayman Country - a PR activation which saw Breakfast Television, Canada’s number one morning show, broadcast live for a week. 

United States 

In 2024 the number of visitors from the United States (US) grew by 1.4% over 2023. December was a strong month for visitation from the US, with visitation from the US growing by 4.9% and the destination seeing strong performance across all regions of the United States. Standout regions for December included the Northeast which was up 12.9% year over year and the Midwest which was up 10% year over year.

The UK, Ireland & Continental Europe

The UK & Ireland showed steady growth with an increase in visitation of 3.9% over 2023 showing the impact of CIDOT’s investment in the UK & Ireland via attendance at World Travel Market London in 2023 and coverage stemming from the VJP Programme in lifestyle magazines like Wanderlust and mainstream papers like the Sunday Times and Daily Mail. 

Meanwhile Continental Europe showed positive momentum showing a 12.3% growth in visitation in December over the same period which can be attributed to CIDOT’s investment in the German travel trade through attendance at major trade shows like ITB Berlin. 

Flight Capacity

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Cayman Islands saw a significant increase in its airlift between January and December 2024 with 884,279 airline seats an increase of 8% over 2023 and 5,342 flights into the destination an increase of 461 flights over 2023.

In Canada, Air Canada and WestJet enhanced their Toronto Service with 237 flights into the destination in 2024 an increase of 36 flights year over year. Canada also saw a significant increase in seat capacity in December which was up 16.8% over the same period in 2023. In the UK and Europe, British Airways showed a positive growth in its flight capacity with an increase of 8.4%.

In the US this increase was driven by United Airlines with expanded service from Newark, Washington DC and Houston. Delta Airlines increased its flights from Atlanta while Jet Blue Airways increased its Boston capacity. 

Accommodations 

In 2024 the destination's 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. 
Both hotels enhance the destinations accommodations offerings. VIDA Cayman Islands brings a new boutique, luxury experience to the destination attracting an affluent visitor looking for wellness and adventure. 

Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman is the third IHG Hotels & Resorts property in the destination - a global brand with 6,000+ properties worldwide whose extensive network will allow new visitors to discover the Cayman Islands.  

On the PR front, articles in US and Canadian lifestyle publications like Elle, Nylon and Hello! Canada and our number one spot on The Sunday Times “Best Islands” list encouraged travellers on both sides of the Atlantic to visit the destination.