Cayman Islands Reports Record-Setting December and Strong Visitation Growth in 2025

The Cayman Islands closed 2025 with record-breaking December visitation and continued positive momentum in stayover arrivals supported by strong airlift capacity, robust performance in key markets, and notable gains from Canada and the United States.

Historic December Performance

December 2025 delivered a historic result, closing the year with 54,830 stayover visitors – the highest December in recorded history and a 5.3% increase year over year. The destination also saw 148,489 cruise passenger arrivals for the month; a 10.4% increase compared to December 2024. Total visitation for the month (stayover + cruise) reached 203,319, an increase of 9.0% over December 2024.

Hon. Gary Rutty, Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism praised the sector’s performance in 2025 highlighting the destination’s strategic partnerships.

“It is truly encouraging to see such strong growth in our stayover arrivals in 2025. The Cayman Islands continues to stand out from our competitors as a premier destination, and these results reflect the dedication of our tourism industry and our airline partners who continue to invest in our islands.

As we look ahead to 2026, we will continue to focus on strengthening our partnerships, enhancing our tourism product, and expanding airlift so that the Cayman Islands remains top of mind for travellers around the world.”

Source Markets

The United States

The United States remained the Cayman Islands’ largest source market in 2025 with 370,093 stayover visitors, an increase of 2.7% year over year. December showed particularly strong performance with arrivals up 4.8% compared to the same period in 2024.

The increase was driven by travellers from the Midwest and South regions with notable increase in visitors from major urban centres including Chicago, Dallas–Fort Worth, Miami–Fort Lauderdale, and Houston. This growth can also be attributed to increased airlift from Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami, Chicago and Minneapolis as a result of the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism’s strategic engagement with airline partners.

Canada

Canada delivered a standout performance in 2025 recording 7.1% growth year on year. Canada became the first market to surpass 2019 levels, underscoring its resilience and strong travel intent by the Canadian visitor.

The destination set Canadian monthly visitation records in March, July, September, November, and December, supported by a 9% increase in airline seat capacity. The introduction of Porter Airlines service from Toronto and Ottawa in December along with expanded capacity from Air Canada and WestJet, contributed significantly to this growth.

United Kingdom, Ireland & Continental Europe

The UK & Ireland saw steady performance in 2025, welcoming 15,402 visitors, up 3.1% year over year. December was particularly strong, recording 2,017 visitors, the second-highest monthly total ever, a result of CIDOT’s investment in the UK and Europe via leading global trade shows like World Travel Market (WTM) London and IBTM World in Barcelona, Spain.

Continental Europe ended 2025 with 5,784 visitors, a decrease of 6.6% compared to 2024. However, December showed a promising rebound with arrivals up 4.2% year over year, reversing the downward trend seen earlier in the year. Growth in December was led by Italy and supported by positive growth from Eastern Europe.

Latin America

Latin America finished 2025 strong with a 3.0% increase over 2024. Growth was strongest from South America, which was up 9.5% year over year. December arrivals represented an 8.8% increase compared to December 2024, driven by Honduras, Brazil, and Argentina.

Flight Capacity

A significant contributor to the destination’s 2025 performance was increased airlift across major markets culminating in six new North American routes launched in December.

Total inbound seat capacity for the month reached 88,014 seats, representing a 16% year-over-year increase. Notable increases in air seat capacity were recorded from Miami, Chicago, Washington DC, Ottawa and Toronto. Looking ahead, airlift for January–April 2026 is projected to grow by 18.1%, with 358,512 inbound seats—the strongest first‑quarter outlook in recent years. This increase is expected to support continued visitation growth during the peak winter and spring 2026 travel periods.

Accommodation Performance

In 2025, the destination’s room inventory increased by 119 bedrooms to 8,475 with the increase driven by condos and villas entering the destination’s short-term rental pool.

Looking forward to 2026, the destination is set to increase its accommodations stock by approximately 500 bedrooms with the opening of One|GT and Grand Hyatt Grand Cayman Resort & Spa.

Hotel performance remained strong throughout 2025 with global hotel intelligence firm, STR Inc. recording a 2.8% increase in the destinations average daily rate (ADR) and a 3.2% increase in revenue per available room (RevPAR) compared to 2024.

Commenting on 2025’s performance, Mrs. Rosa Harris, Director of Tourism emphasised the impact of international marketing, industry engagement and strategic airlift development on visitation.

“2025 was an exceptional year for the Cayman Islands, not only because of our record-breaking December results, but due to the consistent demand we saw from our key markets throughout the year. Our investment in global marketing, travel trade engagement, and public relations—across the U.S., Canada, Latin America, the UK, and Europe—continues to yield strong returns. Canada’s record-breaking year, in particular, reinforces the importance of innovative PR initiatives, targeted outreach, and close collaboration with our airline partners. We are especially proud of the confidence shown by our carriers, who expanded service and introduced new routes that created meaningful opportunities for growth. With robust airlift projected for early 2026, we are well positioned to continue this positive momentum.”