The Cayman Islands continued its upward trend in stayover visitation welcoming 40,015 stayover visitors in May 2026, an increase of 16.5% year-over-year and the second highest May on record.
May’s stayover results were led by significant growth in visitation from the United States and Canada, with Canada recording its seventh consecutive month of double-digit growth.
May’s stayover performance continues the strong visitation momentum established in high season and is a positive indicator that visitation will remain steady throughout the typically slower summer travel season.
The destination welcomed 36,898 cruise passengers in May 2026 a decline of 30.5% compared to the same period in 2025 reflecting a smaller number of scheduled cruise calls year-over-year.
Total visitation for May, including both stayover and cruise passengers, reached 76,913.
“May's results continue the positive trend that has defined our stayover visitor arrivals throughout 2026” said Hon. Gary Rutty, Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism and Trade Development. “With tourism being such an important pillar of the Cayman Islands economy, growth in visitor arrivals translates into jobs being created, businesses being supported, and opportunities for our young people to build careers in this focal industry.
“Alongside our efforts to expand airlift from key markets and welcome new routes such as the Austin service, these results are evidence of our growing tourism economy and the strength of the Cayman Islands positioning as preferred vacation destination,” he said.
The United States Records Its Second-best May in History
May 2026 was the second-best May on record for the United States market with 33,229 arrivals up 4,137 for an increase of 14.2% year over year.
Growth from the United States was driven by the South which increased by 7.9% and the Northeast which increased by 7%. The strongest United States source market for the month was Florida.
Canada Continues Its Positive Growth Trajectory
May 2026 saw growth from Canada continue on past its traditional winter season peak with 2,754 stayover arrivals. This represents a 49.8% increase year on year and marks the seventh consecutive month of double-digit growth from the source market.
Visitation growth from Canada is expected to continue through the remainder of 2026 supported by flight capacity increases throughout the summer and fall. Growth from Canada will gain further momentum in December with the return of Porter Airlines, increasing connectivity from both Toronto and Ottawa with up to fifteen flights per week throughout the 2025/2026 winter season.
European Markets Show Sustained Growth
Visitors from the UK & Ireland in May 2026 showed an increase of 20.7% year over year. The region had its strongest start to any year on record with 8.5% more arrivals from the UK & Ireland between January and May 2026 when compared to the same period in 2025.
Visitors from Continental Europe increased by 28.5% driven by visitors from Germany, France and Spain.
Increased Flight Capacity Drives Demand
May’s visitation was supported by increased airlift from key North American gateways. Total inbound seat capacity from the United States and Canada for May 2026 increased by 11.5% versus May 2025. This increase is the result of expanded capacity from Miami, Toronto and Texas including the newly launched Cayman Airways flight from Austin.
Strong Performance Underpins Growth in the Accommodations Sector
May’s performance correlated to strong commercial results for the destination’s accommodations sector. According to global hotel intelligence firm, STR Inc., hotel occupancy reached 61.3% in May 2026, an increase of 4.3 percentage points compared with May 2025. The Average Daily Rate (ADR) rose 4.8% and the Revenue per available room (RevPAR) increased 12.7%.
Year-to-date through May, occupancy rose by 6.1 percentage points compared to the previous year while ADR increased by 6.3% and RevPAR rose by 15.6% year-over-year.
“As we move into our summer season, a period that can be more challenging, the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism remains committed to supporting our industry with targeted initiatives designed to drive demand and sustain positive business momentum,” said Rosa Harris, Director of Tourism.
“The strength of our performance through the first five months of the year has given us an excellent platform for 2026, and the launch of our new global marketing platform, Welcome to vaCay, has been instrumental in building destination awareness that translates to the visitation success we have seen. We look forward to strengthening our collaboration with our local partners, global agencies, airline partners, and the travel trade to keep the Cayman Islands front of mind in our key markets throughout the year.”
To learn more about how tourism drives economic growth across the Cayman Islands, the public is encouraged to follow the Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Matters series.