GRAND CAYMAN — The Cayman Islands closed out 2025 on a high note, reporting its strongest December on record for stayover arrivals and sustained visitation growth across key source markets, including notable gains from Canada and the United States.
December 2025 delivered 54,830 stayover visitors, marking the highest December total in the destination’s recorded history and representing a 5.3% year-over-year increase. Cruise tourism also contributed to the strong finish, with 148,489 cruise passenger arrivals for the month, up 10.4% compared to December 2024. Combined stayover and cruise visitation reached 203,319 visitors, a 9.0% increase year over year.
Gary Rutty, Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism, attributed the results to strategic partnerships and continued investment across the tourism sector.
“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,” said Rutty.
KEY MARKET GROWTH
Canada delivered one of the strongest performances of the year, posting 7.1% growth year over year and becoming the first market to surpass 2019 visitation levels. The Cayman Islands set monthly visitation records from Canada in March, July, September, November and December. A 9% increase in airline seat capacity helped fuel the growth, bolstered by the launch of Porter Airlines service from Toronto and Ottawa in December, along with expanded capacity from Air Canada and WestJet.
The United States remained the destination’s largest source market in 2025, generating 370,093 stayover visitors, an increase of 2.7% compared to the previous year. The UK and Ireland recorded steady growth in 2025, welcoming 15,402 visitors, a 3.1% increase year over year. Continental Europe ended the year with 5,784 visitors, down 6.6% compared to 2024, though December arrivals rebounded with a 4.2% year-over-year increase. Latin America also finished the year positively, posting a 3.0% increase over 2024.
MORE AIRLIFT
Expanded airlift played a key role in the destination’s performance, with six new North American routes launching in December. Total inbound seat capacity for the month reached 88,014 seats, a 16% year-over-year increase. Capacity gains were recorded from Miami, Chicago, Washington DC, Ottawa and Toronto.
Looking ahead, inbound airlift for January through April 2026 is projected to grow by 18.1%, with 358,512 inbound seats scheduled. The increase represents the strongest first-quarter outlook in recent years and is expected to support continued growth during the peak winter and spring travel season.
HOTEL PERFORMANCE
Accommodation growth also supported visitation in 2025, with the destination’s room inventory increasing by 119 bedrooms to a total of 8,475, largely driven by condos and villas entering the short-term rental market. An additional 500 bedrooms are expected to come online in 2026 with the openings of One|GT and Grand Hyatt Grand Cayman Resort & Spa.
Hotel performance remained strong throughout the year. According to STR Inc., the destination recorded a 2.8% increase in average daily rate and a 3.2% increase in revenue per available room compared to 2024.
