Aided by the recovery of the US market, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) announced a 4.5 percent increase in tourist arrivals in 23 of its 33 member countries.
“The growth is driven upwards by the US market, which has risen by 6.5 percent in arrivals in the first 4 months of the year,” the site says.
In contrast, the European market, second behind the United States, has seen a decline. The trend since the beginning of the year is less encouraging, with an estimated decline in arrivals at 4.3 percent..
Jamaica recorded a growth of nearly 10 percent of its tourists, showing one of the best figures in the Caribbean.
St. Lucia confirms its reputation as the sought-after destination of the moment with an increase of 12.5 percent of tourists between January and March.
Other destinations also benefit, as is the case of U.S. Virgin Islands, which have registered an increase of 11.5 percent of tourists.
However, Cuba announced stagnation of its tourist arrivals since the beginning of 2010, primarily due to the decline in Canadian and European markets, while the Dominican Republic recorded an increase of 2 percent of its tourists and Puerto Rico 8.8 percent.
By David Wilkening
