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Cayman on target for 400,000 air arrivals
Tourist air arrivals are continuing to increase, with the Cayman Islands on course to attract a record number of more than 400,000 visitors this year.
In the first six months of the year, 218,235 stay-over tourists arrived in Cayman, a 3.6 percent increase over the same period last year. A total of 385,451 stay-over tourists landed in Cayman in 2016, the highest recorded to date.
The opening of a new direct route between Fort Lauderdale and Grand Cayman and the impact of renewed marketing efforts in Latin America were credited with driving a particularly strong tourism performance in June. Nearly 40,000 visitors touched down at Owen Roberts International Airport in June – almost 13 percent better than the same period last year.
The surge in air arrivals offsets a slight decrease in the cruise sector, where passenger numbers for the first six months of 2017 are down 9 percent.
Though the volume of cruise passengers is typically higher, air arrivals account for around 80 percent of tourist spending on island and is considered the key metric for the health of the industry.
Director of Tourism Rosa Harris said her department is now placing a new emphasis on Latin America. Arrivals from that region grew by 45 percent in June, and Ms. Harris sees room for further gains.
She said expansion into Brazil and Argentina has been a long-term goal for some time and is now moving toward the top of the agenda.
“Travelers from Brazil and Argentina rely heavily on travel agencies and tour operators, and the department is working with a local agency to help drive demand through these channels,” said Ms. Harris.
“Cities such as Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires have a high proportion of travelers who align with our desired demographic and are keen to visit our shores.”
She added, “Having successfully raised brand awareness of the Cayman Islands as a vacation destination, our focus is shifting towards accelerating growth in high value visitors from these regions.
“Capturing even a small percentage of the market would be very lucrative for our economy since the travelers tend to gravitate towards the higher end of our tourism product and particularly enjoy diving, shopping and fine dining.”
The United States remains Cayman’s key source market for tourists, with visitors from that country accounting for 82 percent of tourists flying into Cayman so far this year.
Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said significant increases are being seen from Houston and Dallas, Texas.
He blamed economic factors for a dip in arrivals from the U.K. and Canada and said the Department of Tourism would be using promotions and airline partnerships to turn that around in the second half of the year.
He said he is optimistic that the 400,000 target will be achieved in 2017.
“Maintaining an upward trajectory is good for our economy, good for business and good for the people of the Cayman Islands,” he said.
News Source: Cayman Compass
