Record air arrivals in April boost Cayman ahead of summer season

At a glance

• Cayman recorded its best April ever for stayover tourism with 47,884 visitors, beating the previous April record set in 2019
• Growth was driven by North America, with the US recording its strongest April on record and Canada posting six straight months of double-digit growth
• The tourism boom also boosted Cayman’s hotel sector, with occupancy, room rates and revenue all rising year over year

The number of tourists visiting Cayman continues to soar with April recording 47,884 visitors, making it the best April in history. The record-breaking figure was 3.9% higher than the previous record set in April 2019 and was up 12% year over year, compared to April 2025, according to official figures.

For the year, air arrivals are up 8.5% over 2019, when a record 502,739 stayover tourists arrived.

Cayman Islands Department of Tourism said that April’s stayover results were driven by growth from North America, with the US recording its best April ever and Canada recording six consecutive months of double-digit growth in stayover visits.

Total visitors for April, including both stayover visitors and cruise passengers, reached 173,596 visitors, reflecting an overall increase of 37% over 2025.

Exceptional performance

A statement from the department said, “April’s exceptional performance follows a strong first quarter for visitation, in which the Cayman Islands surpassed results from every previous year on record. This includes topping the destination’s record for the highest ever arrivals in a single month, which was set the month prior, in March 2026.

“This outstanding start to the second quarter places the Islands’ tourism sector in a stronger position to navigate the fluidity of the typically slower summer season.”

Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism Gary Rutty said, “Tourism continues to play a vital role in Cayman’s economy, supporting local businesses, creating jobs and providing opportunities for Caymanians. After a bumper winter season and now the strongest April on record, we are entering the summer from a position of strength. Increased airlift, growing interest from new markets and the continued quality of our tourism product give us confidence that this positive momentum can continue throughout 2026.

“Most importantly,” he continued, “strong visitation is delivering real economic benefits for Caymanians with increased visitor spending translating into stronger business performance and greater income potential across the tourism sector”.

April 2026 marked the strongest April on record for stayover visitation from the United States, with 38,968 visitors. This represents a 9.8% increase compared to April 2025 and a 5% increase over the previous record set in April 2019. Growth from the United States was driven primarily by the Western region, which increased by 10.4%, and the Midwest, which grew by 14.8%. The strongest US source markets included Denver and Chicago, respectively, with Cayman Airways’ new weekly service to Austin, Texas, likely to increase traffic from the southern states.

Canada growth to continue

Canada continues to be one of the fastest growing source markets for the Cayman Islands, with 4,277 stayover visitors in April 2026, representing an increase of 69% year-over-year.

With strong projected nonstop airlift through five weekly summer flights from Toronto, the destination anticipates continued growth from Canada. This capacity builds in fall with up to nine weekly flights, surpassing previous airlift records from Canada. Further expansion in December will include the return of Porter Airlines, increasing connectivity from both Toronto and Ottawa with up to 15 flights per week – the highest level of service ever from Canada to the Cayman Islands.

Director of Tourism Rosa Harris praised the work of tourism partners and her colleagues, saying, “The success achieved in 2026 has been made possible through partnership. We rely on strong industry ties with tourism partners such as on-island operators, global agencies, airlines and the travel trade.”

She added, “As a result of our strategic partnerships with airlines, we are now witness to a secondary market’s standout performance. April 2026 represents the strongest airlift programme our destination has ever recorded from Canada and demonstrates the investment in relationships and marketing activities that has affected the positive trajectory from the Canadian market. The increase in flights underscores the success of our business development and market diversification efforts, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with Canadian airline partners to anchor future growth.”

Growth across the board

There were also traffic increases from further afield. Visitors from continental Europe climbed 23.3% in April, with gains from Germany, France and the Netherlands, while visitors from Latin America showed a sustained increase of 4.3%.

Total inbound airlift capacity from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada for April 2026 increased by 15.1% over the same period in 2025. This growth was primarily driven by capacity increases from Chicago, through United Airlines and American Airlines, as well as Toronto and Ottawa via Porter Airlines.

The record numbers of inbound tourist helped boosted the hotel sector on island. According to global hotel intelligence firm STR, Inc., hotel occupancy reached 77.8% in April 2026, up 9.4% compared with April 2025. Average daily rate (ADR) rose 6.1% and Revenue per available room (RevPAR) increased 20.8%.

Year-to-date through April, occupancy rose by 6.7% compared to 2025, with ADR also increasing by 6.7% and RevPAR rising 16.6% year-over-year. These gains reflect a sustained growth in demand and highlight the tourism industry’s increasing contribution to the Cayman Islands economy.

Releasing the April figures, the Department of Tourism said that its focus remained on “sustaining momentum, supporting local stakeholders, deepening partnerships and ensuring that growth continues to benefit Caymanians and protect the values that define the Cayman experience. The record-setting start to 2026 provides not only a milestone to celebrate, but a platform to build from as the destination works to extend its strongest year on record across every season ahead”.