While final tourism figures for 2025 are not expected to surpass Cayman’s record-setting 2019 performance, the 2025–2026 winter season has opened on a strong note, with November delivering growth as both stayover and cruise arrivals moved higher.
With combined visitation of 133,972 – an increase of 4.6% year over year – Director of Tourism Rosa Harris said November’s performance has set the tone for the peak winter season ahead.
“November’s performance is the catalyst for our season,” she said.
Stayover growth
Stayover visitation rose 2.5% year on year through November, with 395,611 visitors recorded between January and November, but 2025 is now unlikely to surpass 2019 stayover performance.
With December figures still being finalised, arrivals would need to reach at least 107,128 to set a new annual high. That would require nearly doubling the previous December record of 54,188 stayover visitors, achieved in 2019.
Tourism officials have attributed November’s strong showing to expanded airlift from the United States, including services from Spirit Airlines, JetBlue, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, alongside the launch of Canadian carrier Porter Airlines.
November delivered a notable boost to year-to-date figures, with 37,154 stayover visitors, up 7.5% compared with the same month last year.
As previously reported, Canada continued to stand out as one of Cayman’s strongest growth markets. Canadian arrivals rose 16.1% year over year in November, marking the fourth monthly record from that market in 2025.
Increased seat capacity from Air Canada and WestJet, up 28% over last year, helped drive that performance, with Porter’s new nonstop services from Toronto and Ottawa expected to add further capacity through the winter season.
Cayman also benefited from added Canadian media exposure in November.
The United States remained a strong performer in November, with arrivals up 7% compared with the same month last year. The rebound reflects improved connectivity, including the reintroduction of the overnight American Airlines service from Miami in early October.
Performance across other markets was mixed. Year-to-date visitation from the UK and Ireland increased by 2.5%, while arrivals from continental Europe declined by 8.1%. Latin America posted a marginal year-to-date increase of 2.1%.
Tourism accommodation taxes reflected the broader growth trend. Between January and October, revenue from the Tourism Accommodation Tax totalled $38.2 million, a 6.9% increase compared with the same period in 2024.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism Gary Rutty said November’s results underscored the value of targeted airlift expansion.
“November’s performance demonstrates the Cayman Islands’ enduring appeal and the value of strategic airlift growth,” he said.
Cruise performance
On the cruise side, arrivals rose more modestly than stay over visitation, increasing by 3.5% compared with November 2024.
November saw three new ship calls from Virgin Voyages and Celebrity Cruises, bringing 7,778 passengers to George Town. Celebrity Xcel’s visit also created opportunities for cultural exchange through its onboard Bazaar, where passengers engaged with and purchased goods from local artisans.
Cruise performance in December will be closely watched. Cayman needs 163,143 cruise passenger visits in December to exceed last year’s total and at least 117,125 passengers to avoid recording its lowest annual cruise total since records began in 2000, excluding the COVID-19 affected years of 2020 to 2022.
According to the Port Authority’s schedule, as many as 168,964 passenger arrivals were possible for December, and no ship calls were missed due to weather, though not all passengers typically disembark.
Looking ahead, Rutty said Cayman is entering the heart of the winter season with strong visitation momentum, expanded connectivity across key markets and continued investment in visitor experiences, positioning the destination to build on November’s gains through the first quarter of 2026.
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Can Mr Ruttyy explain his comment of “continued investment in visitor experience”, in the absence of a large portion of our West Bay Beach and zero efforts from Govt in addressing this issue. Pehaps he is thinking of guided trips to Mt Trashmore?.