Nearshore Americas
Latin America tourism

Caribbean Tourism Surges as US Vacationers Seek Alternatives to Hawaii

Caribbean nations are experiencing a surge in tourism, with the Dominican Republic anticipating nearly 10 million visitors by the end of 2023.

This boom appears to be driven in part by the devastating wildfires that have ravaged Hawaii, prompting many American tourists to seek alternative vacation spots.

Arrivals in the Dominican Republic jumped 35% above pre-pandemic levels. Between January and September, cruise ship arrivals brought approximately 1.7 million foreign tourists to the island, according to Global Travel Trends 2023.

Jamaica is also poised to welcome 2.7 million tourists by year-end, representing a 5% increase compared to 2019 figures. Aruba and the Bahamas are likewise experiencing robust tourism growth.

To further stimulate tourism and attract more visitors, several Caribbean countries have entered into open skies agreements with the United States, leading to lower airfares.

These efforts are yielding positive results, with international carriers adding over 130,000 seats to flights bound for Jamaica this year.

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Even the Turks and Caicos Islands have witnessed a remarkable 51.7% increase in visitor arrivals between January and June compared to the same period in 2022, welcoming a record 491,806 visitors.

Tourism plays a pivotal role in the economies of many Caribbean nations, and the current boom is expected to have a significant positive impact. In the Turks and Caicos Islands, for instance, tourism accounts for 85% of the country’s GDP. The surge in tourism revenue is poised to boost the country’s economy to a significant extent.

Narayan Ammachchi

News Editor for Nearshore Americas, Narayan Ammachchi is a career journalist with a decade of experience in politics and international business. He works out of his base in the Indian Silicon City of Bangalore.

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