The Cayman Islands will host the next tourism industry conference this year, as per a local news outlet.
This time around, the high-profile event named “Caribbean Tourism — Fueling Our Lifeblood,” will bring together industry leaders to discuss new avenues for tourism growth and development, airline industry sustainability and more.
The conference will be held from Sept. 2-6 at the Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort and Spa.
The attendee list is yet to be revealed, but it is expected that the biggest players in the industry will actively participate.
“As tourism solidifies its role as the region’s primary economic driver, SOTIC convenes a diverse array of regional and global leaders, thought leaders, decision-makers, and influencers,” the Caribbean Tourism Organization said in a statement.
“Together, they will strategize on fostering competitiveness and sustainable growth within the industry.”
This conference comes right at a time when the Caribbean tourism industry as a whole is breaking all historical records.
Data collected across countries and territories show that at least 11 islands are making a miraculous recovery in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Most of these destinations are expanding their hotel infrastructure, improving their international ports and airports and creating thousands of new jobs in the hospitality industry.
Now more than ever, international travelers have been seduced by the paradise beaches of the Caribbean and its brand-new all-inclusives.
The Travel and World Tour collected data from top-performing Caribbean destinations in the first and second quarters of last year, and this is how tourism increased:
| Destination | Q1 vs 2023 | Q2 vs 2023 |
| Curaçao | +27% | +22% |
| Grenada | +25% | +22% |
| US Virgin Islands | +23% | +9% |
| Aruba | +21% | +15% |
| Sint Maarten | +21% | +15% |
| Puerto Rico | +18% | +16% |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | +18% | +16% |
| Cayman Islands | +16% | + |
Last year, this industry had a total staggering increase of 14.3 percent, surpassing all global recovery figures, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).
Islands like the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Anguilla, the Turks & Caicos, Aruba, Curaçao, Guyana, Grenada, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic exceeded all 2019 numbers. The most impressive aspect is that most of them achieved this with a 50% recovery rate.
“Based on preliminary data provided so far by the destinations in the Caribbean, tourist visits were approximately 32.2 million in 2023,” which is a figure never seen before, stated CTO Secretary-General Dona Regis-Prosper.