Caribbean tourism is on a roll, with the region recording a 6% increase for the first quarter of 2015, according to a Caribbean Tourism Organization report.
"The outlook for the remainder of the year is positive," said Barbados Tourism Minister and the current CTO chair Richard Sealy, adding that the increase is the 17th consecutive quarter of growth for the region.
Nearly eight million visitors came to the Caribbean, setting a first quarter record for room occupancy at 77.8%.
Top performers were Cuba and the Dominican Republic with the biggest growth rate for the first quarter.
Sealy added that Caribbean nations shouldn’t view the emergence of Cuba tourism as a threat.
"We are not afraid of what is happening in Cuba. If any of our members can attract people to the region, it is good for the region as a whole."
The average daily rate for the entire Caribbean region was $239.84 and revenue per available room was $188.25, the CTO said.
The region is on course to surpass the 2014 total of 26.3 million visitor arrivals which was a 5% jump from the previous year.
