Cuba’s travel industry finished strong in 2014 as the island nation cracked the 3-million-sunbather plateau for the first time. Now in 2015, the country is off to great start after reaching 371,160 visitors in the month of January, up 16 percent from the previous year.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) announced that 2014 is the best year ever for tourism industry. Richard Sealy, Chairman of CTO who is also Barbados’ Tourism Minister said, “Last year, we received more visitors than ever before and visitors spent more money in the Caribbean than they ever did before”.

The economic situation in the United States and Canada is improving and with it has come a renewed increase in foreign trips in 2014. At the same time the weaker-performing economies of Brazil and Argentina have led to slower growth in tourism in South America.

As 2015 begins with a rapid increase in the amount of visitors to the island, Cuba demonstrated its development in the tourism industry at important fairs in Europe with challenges to the growing number of vacationers to the Caribbean destination.

Aruba on Thursday celebrated being named a National Geographic World Legacy Award Winner in the category of "Destination Leadership" for its efforts to become the world's first country to become fully independent of fossil fuels.

Antigua and Barbuda is looking to strengthen its tourism performance in the Canadian market. The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority recently sent a delegation led by new Mare Walker, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the North American market, to ramp up sales efforts in Canada.