Caribbean´s Travel Industry Poised for Another Strong Year

The Caribbean´s tourism sector is at its best and the numbers the region´s hospitality industry has put on the board this winter season prove this assertion right.

The region´s healthy pace of travel has been helped by increased airlift, new inventory, a strong family market and a pent-up urge for sun, sand and soft adventure, according to a sampling of tourism officials and hoteliers.

The growth registered despite a mild winter in the Northeast U.S., erratic fuel prices and the reluctance of airlines to discount fares.

And as the peak season morphs in mid-April into the shoulder and summer seasons, which bring lower room rates and promotional incentives, the forecast looks healthy for the months ahead, likely into June.

As for the winter season, data from the Caribbean Tourism Organization, although not yet complete for the first quarter, support its earlier forecast of a 5 percent or greater increase over 2005. Last year´s 22.5 million overnight tourists boosted the region´s visitor numbers by 3.6 percent over 2004.

The increase in January 2006 arrivals ranged from a 3.8 percent jump in Barbados to 48,888 visitors, to a 110 percent increase in the Cayman Islands to 20,163 overnight visitors.

Anguilla, Aruba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico also registered increases in January.

“Aruba is experiencing incredible growth in the tourism sector, with more than $274 million pouring into hotels, restaurants, the airport, cruise terminals and more, through 2007,” said Myrna Jansen, managing director of the Aruba Tourism Authority.

In addition, Aruba´s existing hotel product averaged occupancies above 80 percent through early April.

Puerto Rico´s occupancies ran close to 100 percent in the San Juan area during parts of the winter, according to Terestella Gonzalez Denton, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

The Jamaica report echoed that same optimism. Paul Pennicook, director of tourism, reported a 12 percent jump in stopover arrivals through February; preliminary numbers for March “show us to be up at least 10 percent.”