Despite catastrophic hurricanes, which crippled some of the islands` tourism temporarily, international tourist arrivals rose by 7% in the Caribbean…
Despite catastrophic hurricanes, which crippled some of the islands` tourism temporarily, international tourist arrivals rose by 7% in the Caribbean last year with many travellers saying they consider the region a haven from terrorism and other turmoil. The region also welcomed about 20 million cruise ship passengers, up 13%. And visitors spent an estimated US$21 billion, compared with about US$20 billion in 2003.
The Caribbean`s performance was remarkable given the fact that four major hurricanes caused at least US$5.7 billion in damages in August and September 2004, according to statistics from the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. One reason for the better than expected results, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization (exhibiting in Hall 3, Stand 120) is the decline of the US dollar, which has encouraged American travellers to head southwards, instead of to Europe. This shift may be even more marked in 2005, some believe.
At the same time, a stronger euro made Caribbean vacations more affordable for Europeans, whose numbers increased by 4%. Arrivals from Canada surged 16%, with most heading to Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
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