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Orlando’s Airports saw a 3.8% decrease in international deplanements in May 2022. Orlando, Florida is served by two primary airports, Orlando International (MCO) and Sanford International Airport (SFB). In May 2022, the two airports combined saw a decrease of 3.8% in international deplanements, falling from 236,690 deplanements from international airports in April 2022 to 227,611 international deplanements in May 2022. Orlando International handled 97.7% of all international deplanements. International deplanements made up 10.0% of total deplanements in May 2022. The two airports combined saw a 0.4% decline in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, falling from 2,047,670 domestic deplanements in April 2022 to 2,040,113 in May 2022. In the first five months of 2022, the two airports combined saw an increase of 359.9% in international deplanements, growing from 213,517 deplanements from international airports in the first five months of 2021 to 981,937 international deplanements in the first five months of 2022. The 981,937 international deplanements were 62.4% of the 1,573,009 international deplanements received in the first five months of 2019. The two airports combined saw a 34.3% increase in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, growing from 7,279,922 domestic deplanements in the first five months of 2021 to 9,778,834 in the same five months of 2022. Domestic deplanements handled in 2022 were 99.5% of the 9,823,209 domestic deplanements handled in the first five months of 2019. The two airports combined saw a 43.6% increase in total deplanements, growing from 7,493,439 deplanements in the first five months of 2021 to 10,760,771 in the first five months of 2022. Total deplanements in the first five months of 2022 were 94.4% of the 11,396,218 deplanements handled in the first five months of 2019.
The Cayman Islands received 21,889 stopovers in May 2022, 12.8% fewer than the 25,114 stopovers received in April. According to the Cayman Islands Tourism Authority, The Cayman Islands saw a 12.8% decrease in stopover visitor arrivals in May 2022, falling from 25,114 stopovers in April 2022 to 21,889 stopovers in May 2022. The Cayman Islands also received 60,769 cruise visitors in May. The Cayman Islands reopened its ports to cruise ships on March 21st 2022. The Cayman Islands closed its borders to international visitor arrivals on March 22nd 2020, with extremely limited access to the destination during much of 2021 and fully re-opened its borders as of November 2021. The Cayman Islands consequently received 709 stopover arrivals in May 2021. The 21,889 stopovers received in May 2022 were 53.9% of the 40,591 stopovers received in May 2019. The Cayman Islands received 17,733 stopover arrivals from the USA in May 2022, which comprised 81.0% of all stopover arrivals during the month. The Cayman Islands also received 1,674 visitors from Canada and 820 visitors from the United Kingdom during that month. The Cayman Islands saw the number of visitors grow from 3,410 in the first five months of 2021 to 88,010 stopovers in the same five months of 2022. The number of stopovers from the USA increased from 1,609 in the first five months of 2021 to 69,581 in the same five months of 2022. The number of stopovers from Canada grew from 265 in the first five months of 2021 to 7,631 in the same five months of 2022 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. increased from 233 in the first five months of 2021 to 4,641 stopovers in the same five months of 2022. The 88,010 stopovers received in 2022 were 37.9% of the 232,474 stopovers received in the first five months of 2019. The Cayman Islands has received 123,179 cruise visitors so far in 2022 from calls made in late March, April, and May. The Cayman Islands ceased receiving cruise visitors during March 2020. Mexico received 1,663,364 international air arrivals in May 2022, down 5.8% compared with April. According to the Government of Mexico’s SECTUR (Department of Tourism) Mexico received 1,663,634 international air arrivals in May 2022, down 5.8% compared with the 1,765,489 arrivals received in April 2022. Mexico’s border with the USA was closed as of May 20, 2020 and consequently Mexico received 1,174,389 international visitors in May 2021. The 1,663,364 international air arrivals received in May 2022 were 8.3% more than the 1,535,433 international air visitors received in May 2019. Mexico received 1,083,401 air visitors from the USA in May 2022, 65.1% of the total. Canada was the second biggest market (102,621 visitors) with Colombia third largest (75,036 visitors). Cancun Airport received 773,391 international air visitor arrivals in May 2022, 46.5% of the overall total. Los Cabos received 181,800 international air arrivals with Puerto Vallarta receiving 118,796 international air visitors. In the first five months of 2022 the volume of international air arrivals to Mexico increased by 101.2%, from 4,200,175 arrivals in 2021 to 8,451,116 arrivals in the same five months of 2022. The 8,451,116 arrivals received in the first five months of 2022 were 97.2% of the 8,690,651 international arrivals received in the first five months of 2019. The volume of air arrivals from the USA increased by 64.2% in the first five months of 2022, from 3,265,640 air arrivals in 2021 to 5,363,640 air arrivals in the first five months of 2022 while the volume from Canada grew from 46,430 in 2021 to 788,541 in the first five months of 2022. Cancun Airport saw a 100.8% increase in international air arrivals in the first five months of 2022, growing from 1,997,100 arrivals in 2021 to 4,009,729 arrivals in the first five months of 2022 while Los Cabos saw a 67.8% increase growing from 554,281 international air arrivals in 2021 to 929,988 air arrivals in the first five months of 2022. Puerto Vallarta saw a 136.6% increase, growing from 327,776 international arrivals in 2021 to 775,430 international arrivals in the same five months of 2022.
Las Vegas received 3,446,900 visitors in May 2022, 1.9% more than the 3,382,200 received in April 2022. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Las Vegas saw the volume of visitors increase by 1.9% in May 2022, growing from 3,382,200 arrivals in April 2022 to 3,446,900 in May of 2022. Las Vegas received 2,878,200 visitors in May 2021. The 3,446,900 arrivals received in May 2022 were 93.4% of the 3,691,100 arrivals received in May 2019. Las Vegas had a weighted average of 151,703 open hotel rooms in May 2022 (up 3.4% compared with May 2021) and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 82.6% (70.9% in May 2021), an ADR of $175.76 and a RevPar of $145.18. Gaming revenue increased by 17.4% in May 2022, from $960.48 million in April 2022 to $1.127 billion in May 2022. Gaming revenue in May 2022 was 34.9% higher than the $835.84 million in gaming revenue generated in May 2019. Through the first five months of 2022 Las Vegas saw a 45.1% increase in the volume of visitors, growing from 10,516,300 arrivals in the first five months of 2021 to 15,255,200 visitors in the same five months of 2022. The total number of visitors for the first five months of 2022 was 87.0% of the 17,532,200 received in the same five months of 2019. Las Vegas achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 75.2% in the first five months of 2022 (up 21.9 percentage points compared with the first five months of 2021), an ADR of $163.84 (up 51.4% compared with the same five months of 2021) and a RevPar of $123.21 up 113.6%, also compared with the same five months of 2021. Gaming revenue increased by 26.7% in the first five months of 2022, from $4.061 billion in 2021 to $5.145 billion in the same five months of 2022. Gaming revenue in the first five months of 2022 was 20.2% higher than the $4.281 billion in gaming revenue generated in the first five months of 2019.
Hawaii reports the state received 774,144 out-of-state tourists in May 2022, 4.4% fewer than the 809,612 received in April. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii saw the volume of air arrivals decrease by 4.4% in May 2022, falling from 809,612 air arrivals received in April 2022 to 774,144 arrivals in May 2022. And, according to preliminary visitor statistics released by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), total spending for visitors arriving in May 2022 was $1.565 billion, down 1.9% compared with April 2022 but 10.6% higher than in May 2019. May also saw 2,231 cruise passengers visit the state. Hawaii received 629,681 out of state visitors in May 2021. The 774,144 arrivals received in May 2022 were 92.6% of the 836,058 arrivals received in May 2019. Hawaii received 676,133 air arrivals from the mainland USA in May 2022, 87.3% of the overall total, 25,320 arrivals from Canada, 7,167 arrivals from Japan and 65,523 air arrivals from other markets. Overall person per trip expenditures grew by 25.6% from $1,685.70 in May 2019 to $2,020.00 in May 2022. Through the first five months of 2022 Hawaii saw an 81.6% increase in the volume of air arrivals, growing from 1,960,796 air arrivals in the first five months of 2021 to 3,560,341 air arrivals in the same five months of 2022. Air arrivals in the first five months of 2022 were 85.8% of the 4,147,774 received in the first five months of 2019. For the first five months of 2022, total visitor spending was estimated to be $7.393 billion, 2.3% more than the $7.227 billion spent in the first five months of 2019. Person per trip spending grew by 19.5% from $1,735.50 per person per trip in the first five months of 2019 to $2,073.90 per person per trip in the first five months of 2022. Air arrivals from the USA increased by 97.1% in the first five months of 2022, growing from 1,904,640 air arrivals in 2021 to 3,139,897 air arrivals in the same five months of 2022, from Japan grew from 5,589 stopovers in 2021 to 22,984 in the first five months of 2022 and grew from 4,807 stopovers from Canada in 2021 to 175,500 in the same five months of 2022. Hawaii received 28,063 cruise visitors in the first five months of 2022. Costa Rica received 176,237 stopover arrivals in May 2022, 17.5% fewer than the 213,714 stopovers received in April. According to the Costa Rica Institute of Tourism (ICT), Costa Rica received 176,237 stopovers in May 2022, 17.5% fewer than the 213,714 stopovers received in April 2022. Costa Rica closed its borders to international arrivals as of April 19th 2020 and reopened to international tourists arriving by air as of March 2021. It reopened its land borders in April 2021. Costa Rica consequently received 95,854 stopovers in May 2021. The 176,237 stopovers received in May 2022 were 83.3% of the 211,598 stopovers received in May 2019. Costa Rica received 109,123 stopovers from the USA in May 2022, 61.9% of the overall total, up from 47.0% share in May 2019, and 12,744 stopovers from Central America, whose share dropped from 22.7% in May 2019 to 7.2% in May 2022. The volume of stopovers increased by 160.7% in the first five months of 2022, growing from 391,853 stopovers in the first five months of 2021 to 1,021,560 stopovers in the first five months of 2022. The 1,021,560 stopover visitors were 69.2% of the 1,477,267 stopovers received in the first five months of 2019. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 111.0% in the first five months of 2022, from 270,478 stopovers in 2021 to 570,634 in 2022 while the number from Central America increased by 299.3%, growing from 17,089 in the first five months of 2021 to 68,240 in the same five months of 2022. The share of visitors from the USA fell from 69.0% in the first five months of 2021 to 55.9% in the first five months of 2022. The Bahamas saw a 16.1% drop in the number of cruise visitors in May 2022. According to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, The Bahamas saw the volume of cruise visitor arrivals decline by 16.1% in May 2022, falling from 431,409 cruise visitors in April 2022 to 361,837 cruise visitors in May 2022. The Bahamas reopened to cruise ships in June 2021. The Bahamas received 1,796,687 cruise passengers during the first five months of 2022. While there were no cruise ship calls in the first five months of 2021 this total is 76.1% of the 2,359,616 cruise visitors received in the first five months of 2019. Cancun saw its hotels achieve an average hotel room occupancy of 77.4% in May 2022, a decrease of 3.4 percentage points from the 81.0% reported for April. Sedetur, the Department of Tourism of the state of Quintana Roo, recently released the hotel occupancy numbers for the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos and Riviera Maya for May 2022. In May, the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos saw a 3.4 percentage point decrease in average hotel room occupancy from 80.8% in April 2022 to 77.4% in May 2022. Cancun’s hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 57.1% in May 2021. The 77.4% average room occupancy for May 2022 was 0.7 percentage points higher than the 76.7% achieved in May 2019. The hotels in Riviera Maya saw a 3.0 percentage point decrease in average hotel room occupancy falling from 80.8% in April 2022 to 77.8% in May 2022. The hotels in Riviera Maya averaged a 53.4% room occupancy in May 2021. The same hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 80.6% in May 2019. Through the first five months of 2022 the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos achieved a 74.1% average room occupancy, up 29.0 percentage points from the 45.1% achieved in the same five months of 2021. The hotels achieved an average occupancy of 80.0% in the first five months of 2019. For the first five months of 2022 the hotels in Riviera Maya achieved an average room occupancy of 75.4%, up 39.5 percentage points from the 35.9% achieved in the same five months of 2021. The hotels achieved an average occupancy of 82.2% in the first five months of 2019. As of May 2022, Riviera Maya/Tulum has 446 hotels offering 52,511 hotel rooms while the Cancun/Puerto Morelos area has 268 hotels offering 47,471 hotel rooms.
Dubai received 1,070,000 international visitors in May 2022, a 5.3% drop in visitors compared with April 2022. According to the Government of Dubai’s Statistics Center, Dubai saw a 5.3% decline in the number of international visitors in May 2022, falling from 1,130,000 visitors in April 2022 to 1,070,000 in May 2022. Dubai received 400,000 international visitors in May 2021. The 1,070,000 visitors received in May 2022 was 18.9% more than the 900,000 international visitors received in May 2019. It should be noted that Dubai closed its borders to international visitor arrivals as of May 2020 and reopened its borders again in late July 2020. The number one source market in May was India with 157,000 visitors, followed by Oman with 98,000 visitors and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with 97,000 visitors. In the first five months of 2022 Dubai received 6,170,000 international visitors, 196.6% more than the 2,080,000 visitors received in the first five months of 2021, and 86.2% of the 7,160,000 visitors received in the first five months of 2019. The number one source market in the first five months of 2022 was India which generated 707,000 visitors, 11.5% of the overall total, followed by Oman which generated 688,000 visitors, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which generated 464,000 visitors. As of May 2022, Dubai had 581 hotels offering 115,069 hotel rooms and 191 apartment hotels offering 25,655 units. The hotel sector achieved an average room occupancy of 75.0% in the first five months of 2022 while the apartment sector achieved an average occupancy of 80.0%. Costa Rica’s ICT publishes the National Tourism Plan for the period 2022-2027 One of the objectives is to achieve in the year 2027 the income of US$ 4.9 billion in foreign currency and the arrival in Costa Rica of 3.8 million tourists by all means With three major objectives for the growth and improvement of the Costa Rican tourism industry and for tourism to remain the leader of the national economy, the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) presented the Costa Rica National Tourism Plan 2022-2027 on Friday June 24th 2022. "After months of joint work between the public and private sectors, we are pleased to have the guide that will allow us to continue promoting tourism and its chains, adapted to the new reality," said William Rodríguez López, Minister of Tourism, when presenting the strategic document in the Convention Center. The backbone of the 2022-2027 Plan is the renowned Costa Rican tourism development model that is based on three pillars: sustainability, innovation and inclusiveness, and that seeks an equitable distribution of benefits to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life to which Costa Rica aspires as a nation. In addition, the Plan seeks to promote the country's position as a valuable society, promote a shared vision of the future and promote environmental, social and economic tasks. Rodolfo Lizano, Director of Tourism Planning and Development at the ICT, explained that the vision set forth in the plan is for tourism to continue to be one of the leading sectors of the national economy and also to responsibly value, take advantage of and promote natural resources, cultural and human aspects that are an essential part of the tourist experience that the country offers to both national and international tourists. “Together with this, that tourism be an inclusive, resilient activity that generates linkages, innovative, safe and high-quality services for local and foreign tourists, allowing them to connect with the Costa Rican essence, its riches, values and with the valuable society that we have built together”, added Lizano. Objectives to be achieved. The Costa Rica National Tourism Plan 2022-2027 defined as its first objective to promote a resilient tourism activity that makes sustainable use of tourism and cultural heritage. The aim is to have, by 2027, tourism destination management plans that integrate local tourism development, sustainable production and measures to combat climate change and its effects in all 32 Tourism Development Centers in the country. The second objective is to promote the distribution of demand in the 32 Tourism Development Centers of Costa Rica to continue improving the quality of life of the communities in the different regions. The goal, within five years, is to reach and exceed the level of 70 points in the Social Progress Index in these centers. The third objective is to maintain tourism as the main engine of the Costa Rican economy and thereby achieve by 2027 the income of US$ 4.9 billion in foreign currency, the arrival of 3.8 million tourists in the country for all roads and 400,000 cruise passengers disembarking in all the country's ports. The six strategies for achieving goals are:
Adopt innovative, sustainable and inclusive practices to promote the efficient use of tourism resources for the benefit of tourists, companies and the population in general, always in harmony with nature.
Improve the offer of products focused on diversification, innovation, inclusion, sustainability and quality, to generate greater added value for tourists.
Increase the interest of the main source markets of international tourists and of the national tourist market as a differentiated destination, promoting a comprehensive strategy to position Costa Rica as a valuable society and suitable to be visited throughout the year.
Strengthen inclusive production chains by promoting productivity and competitiveness of companies, for the generation and distribution of benefits among local actors and communities.
Generate a good perception of the tourist experience by visitors.
Ensure that tourism leads an effective inter-institutional coordination, promoting impact initiatives for the sector.
Barbados received 28,829 stopovers in May 2022, 24.1% fewer than the 37,998 stopovers received in April. According to the Barbados Statistical Service, Barbados saw a 24.1% drop in stopover visitor arrivals in May 2022, falling from the 37,998 stopover arrivals in April 2022 to 28,829 stopover arrivals in May 2022. Barbados received no cruise visitors in May 2022. Barbados imposed a mandatory 14-day quarantine on all visitor arrivals as of May 22nd 2020 which remained in place until November 24th 2021. Barbados consequently received 3,362 stopover arrivals in May 2021. The 28,829 stopovers received in May 2022 were 56.8% of the 50,717 stopovers received in May 2019. Barbados received 10,535 stopover arrivals from the United Kingdom in May 2022, 36.5% of all arrivals, and 9,964 stopovers from the USA. Through the first five months of 2021, Barbados saw stopover arrivals increase from 12,423 in the first five months of 2021 to 181,284 in the first five months of 2022. The number of stopovers from the USA increased from 4,881 stopovers in the first five months of 2021 to 46,025 in the same five months of 2022 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. increased from 2,376 in the first five months of 2021 to 83,160 stopovers in the same five months of 2022. The 181,284 stopovers received in the first five months of 2022 were 56.2% of the 322,855 stopovers received in the first five months of 2019. Barbados received 175,889 cruise visitors in the first five months of 2022 compared with 471,881 received in the same five months of 2019. Punta Cana received 337,956 tourists in May 2022, 9.4% fewer than the 372,951 tourists who visited in April. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, received 337,956 stopovers in May 2022, 9.4% fewer than the 372,951 stopovers received in April 2022 but 8.0% more than the 312,887 stopovers received in May 2019. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of May 19th 2020 and re-opened to tourists as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Punta Cana received 151,155 visitors in May 2021. Punta Cana received 152,396 stopover arrivals from the USA in May 2022, 45.1% of all tourist arrivals and 1.8% more than the 149,722 stopovers received in April 2022. Punta Cana saw its traffic from the USA grow by 40.2% in May 2022 from the 108,710 arrivals received from the USA in May 2021 Traffic from Canada increased from 231 arrivals in May 2021 to 39,674 arrivals in May 2022. Traffic from Russia collapsed from 17,104 arrivals in February 2022 to just 97 arrivals in May 2022. Also, in May traffic from France grew from 287 stopovers in May 2021 to 12,639 in May this year while traffic from Germany grew from 4,846 arrivals in May 2021 to 10,383 in May 2022. Arrivals from the UK grew from 107 in May 2021 to 18,996 in May 2022. Colombia generated 16,937 stopovers in May 2022 while Argentina generated 16,082. In May 2022, stopover arrivals to Punta Cana made up 60.2% of all non-resident arrivals to the Dominican Republic compared with 38.7% in May 2021. During the first five months of 2022 Punta Cana saw a 216.9% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 535,987 arrivals in the first five months of 2021 to 1,698,505 non-resident arrivals in the first five months of 2022. However, the total for 2022 was 96.6% of the 1,758,489 stopovers received in the first five months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 91.8% in the first five months of 2022, growing from 357,095 arrivals in the first five months of 2021 to 685,083 arrivals in the same five months of 2022. Traffic from Canada grew from 4,659 arrivals in the first five months of 2021 to 249,508 arrivals in the first five months of 2021. Traffic also increased from the UK, growing from 373 arrivals in the first five months of 2021 to 75,110 stopovers in the same five months of 2022. Traffic increased by 203.8% from Colombia, was up 562.0% from Germany, up 204.3% from Spain and up 931.8% from France. In the first five months of 2022, stopover arrivals to Punta Cana made up 58.5% of all non-resident arrivals to the Dominican Republic compared with 37.4% in the same five months of 2021.
The Dominican Republic received 561,323 tourists in May 2022, 10.3% fewer than the 626,010 tourists who visited in April. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, received 561,323 stopovers in May 2022, 10.3% fewer than the 626,010 stopovers received in April 2022 and 6.4% more than the 527,732 stopovers received in May 2019. The Dominican Republic received 390,948 stopover visitors in May 2021. The Dominican Republic received 227,630 stopover arrivals from the USA in May 2022, 40.6% of all tourist arrivals but 2.7% fewer than the 233,840 stopovers received in April 2022. The Dominican Republic received 194,902 arrivals from the USA in May 2021. Traffic from Canada grew from 763 arrivals in May 2021 to 43,611 arrivals in May 2022. Traffic from Russia fell from 42,705 arrivals in February 2022 to 215 arrivals in May 2022. As well, traffic from France grew from 1,839 stopovers in May 2021 to 14,217 in May this year while traffic from Germany grew from 6,979 arrivals in May 2021 to 13,331 in May 2022. Arrivals from the UK grew from 488 in May 2021 to 19,656 in May 2022. Colombia generated 20,837 stopovers in May 2022 while Argentina generated 18,136. In May 2022 19.2% of all non-resident tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic were non-resident Dominicans returning home, down from 30.0% of all arrivals in May 2021. In the first five months of 2022 the Dominican Republic saw a 102.2% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 1,435,107 arrivals in the first five months of 2021 to 2,902,280 non-resident arrivals in the same five months of 2022. Non-resident arrivals from the USA increased by 61.6% in the first five months of 2022, growing from 649,979 arrivals in 2021 to 1,050,172 arrivals from the USA in the first five months of 2022. Stopover arrivals from Canada grew from 7,308 in the first five months of 2021 to 298,920 in the same five months of 2022. The 2,902,280 stopovers received in the first five months of 2022 were 97.1% of the 2,988,155 stopovers received in the first five months of 2019. In the first five months of 2022 17.4% of all non-resident tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic were non-resident Dominicans returning home, down from 32.8% in the same five months of 2021. Belize received 32,877 stopover visitors in May 2022, 16.2% fewer than the 39,228 visitors received in April. According to the Belize Tourism Board, Belize received 32,877 stopover visitors in May 2022, down 16.2% from the 39,228 stopover visitors received in April 2022. Belize closed its borders as of May 5th 2020, and consequently received 20,814 stopover visitors in May 2021. The country reopened to visitors arriving by air as of October 1st 2020 and to visitors arriving by land and sea on May 31st 2021. The 32,877 stopover visitors received in May 2022 were 89.4% of the 36,779 stopover visitors received in May 2019. Belize received 25,371 stopover arrivals from the USA in May 2022, 2,718 from Europe, 1,115 from Canada and 456 from Mexico. Belize received 9 cruise ship calls in May 2022 with 30,325 cruise visitors. Belize re-opened to cruise visitors as of July 2021. In the first five months of 2022 Belize saw the number of stopovers increase by 158.6%, from 65,713 stopover visitors in the first five months of 2021 to 169,922 in the first five months of 2022. The 169,922 visitors received in 2022 were 70.3% of the 241,628 received in the first five months of 2019. Stopovers from the USA increased by 140.7% in the first five months of 2022, from 55,080 in 2021 to 132,594 in the same five months of 2022. Stopovers from Canada grew from 750 stopover visitors in the first five months of 2021 to 8,016 visitors in the same five months of 2022, while stopovers from Europe grew from 1,513 stopovers in the first five months of 2021 to 13,527 visitors in the same five months of 2022. Belize received 279,835 cruise visitors in the first five months of 2022, down 56.5% compared with the 642,755 cruise visitors received in the first five months of 2019.
Hawaii’s hotels report a 2.3 percentage point decline in average room occupancy in May 2022 compared with April 2022, falling from 76.2% to 73.9% According to the Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report published by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), statewide hotel room occupancy declined by 2.3 percentage points from 76.2% in April 2022 to 73.9% in May of this year. ADR declined by 8.3% from $371.13 in April to $340.20 in May, while revpar fell by 11.1%, from $282.83 in April 2022 to $251.36 in May of this year. The hotel sector posted an average room occupancy of 61.3% in May 2021. Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide declined by 8.0%, falling from $471.2 million in April 2022 to $433.5 million in May 2022. Room demand increased by 0.4%, growing from 1,269,700 room nights in April 2022 to 1,274,200 room nights in May 2022 while room supply increased by 3.5%, growing from 1,666,200 available room nights in April 2022 to 1,724,600 available room nights in May. For the first five months of 2022 statewide hotel room occupancy increased by 30.3 percentage points from 42.1% in 2021 to 72.4% in the first five months of 2022. ADR increased by 27.3% from $282.54 in 2021 to $359.80 in 2022 while revpar grew by 118.8%, from $118.88 in the first five months of 2021 to $260.12 in the first five months of this year. By comparison with the first five months of 2019, average room occupancy fell from 79.8% in 2019 to 72.4% in 2022. ADR however improved by 28.6% from $279.88 in the first five months of 2019 to $359.80 in the same five months of 2022, while RevPar grew by 16.5%, from $223.25 in 2019 to $260.12 in the same five months of 2022. In the first five months of 2022, Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide increased by 133.6% from $934.1 million in 2021 to $2.18 billion in the first five months of this year. Total rooms revenues for the first five months of 2022 were 19.6% higher than for the same five months of 2019. Room demand increased by 83.7%, from 3,306,300 room nights in 2021 to 6,074,100 in the same five months of 2022. Room supply grew by 6.7% to 8,387,300 available room nights also in the first five months. Room demand in 2022 was 6.8% less than for the same five months of 2019 while room supply was 2.6% higher. The Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report is produced using hotel survey data compiled by STR, Inc., the largest survey of its kind in Hawai‘i. The survey generally excludes properties with under 20 lodging units, such as small bed and breakfasts, youth hostels, single-family vacation rentals, cottages, individually rented vacation condominiums and sold timeshare units no longer available for hotel use. The data has been weighted both geographically and by class of property to compensate for any over and/or under representation of hotel survey participants by location and type. For May, the survey included 151 properties representing 46,371 rooms, or 83.4 percent of all lodging properties with 20 rooms or more in the Hawaiian Islands, including those offering full service, limited service, and condominium hotels. Vacation rental and timeshare properties were not included in this survey. The May survey included 75 properties on O‘ahu representing 28,190 rooms (92.0%); 41 properties in the County of Maui, representing 9,837 rooms (73.6%); 16 properties on the island of Hawai‘i, representing 4,889 rooms (69.7%); and 19 properties on Kaua‘i, representing 3,455 rooms (75.0%). Grenada received 10,343 stopovers in March 2022, 29.7% more than the 7,976 stopovers received in February. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Grenada saw a 29.7% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in March 2022, growing from 7,976 stopovers in February 2022 to 10,343 stopovers in March 2022. Grenada received 37,653 cruise visitors in March from 42 cruise ship calls. Grenada reopened its ports to cruise ships in June 2021. Grenada also received 953 visitors in March 2022 who arrived by yacht. Grenada closed its borders to international visitor arrivals on March 22nd 2020 and re-opened its borders as of August 1st 2020. Grenada consequently received 876 stopover arrivals in March 2021. The 10,343 stopovers received in March 2022 were 66.6% of the 15,525 stopovers received in March 2019. Through the first three months of 2022, Grenada saw the number of stopover visitors grow from 2,168 stopovers in the first three months of 2021 to 25,146 stopovers in the same three months of 2022. The number of stopovers from the USA grew from 837 in the first three months of 2021 to 11,567 in the same three months of 2022 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. increased from 91 in Q1 2021 to 6,337 stopovers in the same three months of 2022. The 25,146 stopovers received in 2022 were 55.7% of the 45,162 stopovers received in the first three months of 2019. Grenada has received 89,259 cruise visitors so far in Q1 2022 compared with 196,078 received in Q1 2019 and received 3,257 visitors who arrived by yacht compared with 8,549 visitors in Q1 2019.
The United States Virgin Islands received 79,665 air arrivals in April 2022, 7.6% fewer than the 86,197 air visitors received in March. According to numbers published by the USVI Bureau of Economic Research, the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals decrease by 7.6% in April 2022, falling from 86,197 air arrivals in March 2022 to 79,665 air arrivals in April of this year. The 79,665 air arrivals received in April 2022 were 83.9% more than the 43,317 received in April 2019. The USVI closed its borders to air arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and re-opened as of July 1st 2020. The USVI received 72,047 air arrivals in April 2021. Through the first four months of 2022 the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 20.7%, from 251,275 air arrivals in the first four months of 2021 to 303,331 air arrivals in the first four months of 2022. The 303,331 arrivals received in the first four months of 2022 were 28.1% higher than the 236,771 air arrivals received in the first four months of 2019. Cuba announces it received 117,000 international stopover visitors in May 2022, 12.2% fewer than the 133,281 received in April. The Cuban Government’s Office of National Statistics and Information (ONEI) recently announced that total international tourist arrivals declined by 12.2% in May 2022, falling from 133,281 international stopover arrivals in April 2022 to 117,000 arrivals in May 2022. This number includes both stopover visitors and cruise visitors. Cuba closed its borders to international tourist arrivals on May 20 2020 re-opening in November 2021 and consequently received just 23,540 international stopovers in May 2021. The 117,000 stopovers received in May 2022 were 32.7% of the 358,321 international visitors received in May 2019. Cuba received 35,968 stopovers from Canada in May 2022, 30.7% of all stopovers received for the month. The number of stopovers from Russia fell from 16,437 in the month of February 2022 to just 334 in May. In the first five months of 2022 Cuba saw a 540.3% increase in total international arrivals, growing from 88,210 arrivals in 2021 to 564,847 stopovers this year. The 564,847 arrivals were 24.7% of the 2,286,882 international visitors received in the first five months of 2019. Total tourist arrivals from Canada grew from 2,278 stopovers in the first five months of 2021, to 182,733 in the same five months of 2022 and was the number one source market with a 32.4% share. Stopovers from Russia fell from 52,044 in the first five months of 2021 to 37,333 in the same five months of 2022. Cubans living abroad accounted for 121,285 of all international visitors arriving in the first five months of 2022, up from 10,271 in the same five months of 2021. Curacao reports it received 35,813 stopover arrivals in May 2022, 16.2% fewer than the 42,715 received in April. According to the Curaçao Tourist Board, Curaçao saw a 16.2% decline in stopover visitor arrivals in May, falling from 42,715 stopovers received in April 2022 to 35,813 stopovers received in May 2022. The 35,813 stopovers received in May 2022 were 1.6% fewer than the 36,386 stopovers received in May 2019. Curaçao closed its borders to international visitors as of May 17th, 2020 and reopened its borders to visitors from Europe and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Curaçao received just 8,845 stopover visitors in May 2021. Curacao received 18,868 stopover visitors from the Netherlands in May 2022 and 4,761 stopovers from the USA, 52.7% and 13.3% of all stopovers, respectively. Curacao received 8 cruise ship calls with 28,362 cruise visitors in May 2022. The island re-opened to cruise traffic in June 2021. The 28,362 cruise visitors were 71.9% of the 39,453 received in May 2019. In the first five months of 2022 Curaçao saw a 421.8% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 36,418 visitors in 2021 to 190,012 visitors in the same five months of this year. The number of stopovers from the Netherlands increased by 469.1%, growing from 18,935 visitors during the first five months of 2021, to 107,753 in the same five months of 2022. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 277.1% during the first five months, growing from 7,359 in 2021 to 27,754 in the same five months of 2022. The 190,012 stopovers received in the first five months of 2022 was 93.2% of the 203,846 stopovers received in the same five months of 2019. The 107,753 stopovers received from the Netherlands in the first five months of 2022 was 28.9% more than the 83,606 received from the Netherlands in the first five months of 2019. In the first five months of 2022 Curacao received 147 cruise ship calls which brought 200,061 cruise passengers, 52.1% of the 384,076 cruise visitors brought in the same five months of 2019.
Aruba received 91,403 stopover visitors in May 2022, 10.1% fewer than the 101,696 stopovers received in April. According to Aruba Tourism Authority, Aruba received 91,403 stopover arrivals in May 2022, 10.1% fewer than the 101,696 stopovers it received in April 2022 but 3.2% more than the 88,543 stopover visitors received in May 2019. Compared with 2019, stopover arrivals from the USA increased by 6.6%, growing from 67,227 arrivals in May 2019 to 71,631 arrivals in May 2022. Arrivals from the USA comprised 78.4% of all arrivals in May 2022 up from 75.9% in May 2019. Arrivals from Canada increased by 3.0%,growing from 2,599 in May 2019 to 2,676 stopovers in May 2022. Arrivals from the Netherlands increased by 9.3%, growing from 3,633 in May 2019 to 3,971 in May of this year. Aruba re-opened its ports to visitors in June 2021 and during May 2022 received 11 cruise ship calls and a total of 35,580 cruise passengers. The number of visitors staying in hotels in May 2022 declined by 6.6% compared with May 2019, falling from 46,848 visitors in 2019 to 43,771 in May 2022. The share of visitors staying in hotels fell from 52.9% in May 2019 to 47.9% in May 2022. 26,442 visitors used timeshare accommodation in May 2022, 7.5% more than the 24,618 visitors who used such accommodation in May 2019, with the sector’s share growing from 27.8% in May 2019 to 29.0% in May 2022. Visitors using other accommodation – private homes, condominiums, short term rental accommodation and apartments – increased by 24.0% when comparing May 2019 with May 2022, growing from 17,077 visitors in 2019 to 21,170 in 2022, with the share growing from 19.3% in 2019 to 23.2% in 2022. In May 2022, the primary carrier was JetBlue which brought in 24,544 non-resident visitors, 26.9% of all stopover arrivals, while American Airlines brought in 18,427 non-resident visitors, 20.2% of all visitors. United Airlines brought in 13,538 visitors with Delta bringing in 10,561 visitors. These four carriers brought in 73.4% of all visitors in May of this year. The percentage of visitors 20 years old through 49 years old grew from 48.6% in May 2019 to 49.9% in May 2022. The percentage 60 years old or older fell from 22.2% in May 2019 to 21.7% in May 2022. In the first five months of 2022 Aruba saw a 76.5% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 241,795 visitors in the first five months of 2021 to 426,765 visitors in the first five months of this year. The number of stopovers from the USA grew by 59.8% during the first five months, from 213,774 in the first five months of 2021 to 341,692 in the same five months of 2022. The 426,765 stopover visitors received in the first five months of 2022 was 89.5% of the 476,679 stopovers received in the first five months of 2019. The 341,692 stopovers received from the USA in the first five months of 2022, was 95.5% of the 357,850 stopovers received from the USA in the first five months of 2019. The share of stopovers from the USA grew from 75.1% in the first five months of 2019 to 80.1% in the same five months of 2022. The number of visitors staying in hotels in the first five months of 2022 declined by 21.6% compared with the same five months of 2019, falling from 243,100 visitors in 2019 to 190,671 in the same five months of 2022. The share of visitors staying in hotels fell from 51.0% in the first five months of 2019 to 44.7% in the same five months of 2022. In the first five months of 2022 125,953 visitors used timeshare accommodation, 2.6% more than the 122,776 visitors who used such accommodation in the first five months of 2019, with the sector’s share growing from 25.8% in 2019 to 29.5% in 2022. Visitors using other accommodation – private homes, condominiums, short term rental accommodation and apartments – fell by 0.6% when comparing the first five months of 2019 with the same five months of 2022, falling from 110,803 visitors in 2019 to 110,141 in 2022, but the share grew from 23.2% in 2019 to 25.8% in 2022. In the first five months of 2022 the primary carrier was JetBlue which brought in 127,933 non-resident visitors, 30.0% of all stopover arrivals, while American Airlines brought in 84,681 non-resident visitors, 19.8% of all visitors. United Airlines brought in 60,842 visitors with Delta bringing in 50,524 visitors. These four carriers brought in 75.9% of all visitors in the first five months of 2022. The percentage of visitors 20 years old through 49 years old grew from 42.9% in the first five months of 2019 to 46.5% in the same five months of 2022. The percentage 60 years old or older fell from 21.1% in 2019 to 20.9% in 2022.
Cancun saw a 9.9% drop in international air passenger movements in May 2022 compared with April. According to ASUR, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Cancun Airport saw a 9.9% decline in international passenger movements in May 2022, falling from 1,764,137 movements in April 2022 to 1,589,007 movements in May 2022. Domestic passenger movements increased by 2.7%, from 853,177 passenger movements in April 2022 to 876,242 movements in May 2022. The 1,589,007 international passenger movements were 45.1% more than the 1,095,433 handled in May 2021 and were also 19.7% more than the 1,327,014 passengers handled in May 2019. And while the 876,242 domestic passenger movements were 9.8% more than the 797,780 handled in May 2021 they were also 10.5% more than the 792,854 domestic passengers handled in May 2019. In the first five months of 2022, the volume of international air passenger movements increased by 99.9%, growing from 4,159,275 movements in 2021 to 8,313,443 movements in the first five months of 2022, while the volume of domestic air passenger movements increased by 17.0%, from 3,258,643 movements in the first five months of 2021 to 3,811,066 in the same five months of 2022. By comparison with the first five months of 2019 the volume of international air passenger movements in 2022 was 9.5% more than the 2019 total, growing from 7,594,936 movements in 2019 to 8,313,443 movements in the first five months of 2022, while the volume of 2022 domestic air passenger movements was 10.9% more than the 2019 total, growing from 3,437,052 movements in the first five months of 2019 to 3,811,066 in the same five months of 2022. In the first five months of 2022 international passenger movements accounted for 68.6% of all passenger movements, up from 56.1% in 2021, but down slightly from the 68.8% achieved in the first five months of 2019.
San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) saw a 6.3% increase in total air passenger movements in May 2022 compared with April. According to ASUR, which manages many airports in Mexico, Colombia and which also manages the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, SJU saw a 6.3% increase in total passenger movements in May 2022, growing from 888,029 movements in April 2022 to 943,866 movements in May 2022. The 943,866 total passenger movements were 5.3% more than the 896,041 handled in May 2021 and were also 21.6% more than the 776,383 passengers handled in May 2019. In the first five months of 2022 the overall volume of air passenger movements handled at San Juan’s airport increased by 23.2%, from 3,426,475 in 2021 to 4,222,614 in the same five months of 2022. The total for the first five months of 2022 was 10.3% more than the 3,829,801 passengers handled in the same five months of 2019. Antigua and Barbuda received 19,973 stopovers in May 2022, 22.4% fewer than the 25,735 received in April. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 22.4% decline in stopover visitor arrivals in May 2022, falling from 25,735 stopovers received in April 2022 to 19,973 stopovers this May. Antigua and Barbuda re-opened its borders to international travel as of June 4th, 2020, and consequently received 11,682 visitors in May 2021. The 19,973 stopovers received In May 2022 were 90.0% of the 22,190 stopovers Antigua received in May 2019. The 10,137 stopover visitors received from the USA in May 2022 were 24.9% fewer than the 13,504 stopovers received from the USA in April 2022 and comprised 50.8% of all stopovers received in May. Antigua also received 5,999 stopover visitors from the U.K. in May, 30.0% of all stopovers received during that month. Through the first five months of 2022, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 159.9% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 42,542 stopovers in the first five months of 2021 to 110,585 stopovers in the same five months of 2022. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 55.2%, from 33,509 stopovers in the first five months of 2021 to 52,017 stopovers in the same five months of 2022 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. increased from 4,363 in the first five months of 2021 to 39,545 stopovers in the same five months of 2022. The number of stopovers received in the first five months of 2022 was 78.9% of the 140,246 stopovers received in the same five months of 2019.
AHATA reports Aruba’s hotels achieved a 78.4% average room occupancy in May 2022, down 1.9 percentage points from the 80.3% achieved in April. The Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association reports that average hotel room occupancy in Aruba’s hotels in May 2022 was 78.4%, 1.9 percentage points lower than the 80.3% achieved in April 2022. Aruba closed its orders to international travel as of May 17, 2020, and while the borders re-opened as of July 2020, Aruba’s hotels achieved a 56.1% average room occupancy in May 2021. Average occupancy in May 2022 was 2.6 percentage points lower than the 81.0% average room occupancy achieved in May 2019. ADR was $262.20 in May 2022, 12.7% higher than in May 2021, and 16.4% higher than in May 2019. RevPar was $205.61 in May 2022, 57.4% higher than in May 2021 and 12.7% higher than in May 2019. Through the first five months of 2022 AHATA reports that Aruba’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 69.2% compared with 39.7% for the first five months of 2021. Again, compared with the first five months of 2021, ADR grew by 25.6% from $259.43 to $325.88 in the first five months of 2022. RevPar grew by 119.0% from $102.91 in 2021 to $225.40 in 2022. By comparison with the first five months of 2019 average room occupancy was 17.3 percentage points lower in 2022, while ADR was 3.6%, higher and revpar was 15.2% lower. AHATA receives data from a sample of 21 hotels with 5,271 rooms, about 93% of all hotel rooms. Aruba’s timeshare resorts reported an average occupancy of 86% in May 2022. AHATA forecasts an average hotel room occupancy of 79% for June, 81% for July, 79% for August and 73% for 2022 overall.
Mexico's International Tourism Revenue Exceeds 2019 Levels In The First Four Months Of 2022. JANEEN CHRISTOFF | Travel Pulse | June 13 2022 International tourism in Mexico has exceeded 2019 levels. During the first four months of 2022, the national statistics agency INEGI reported that international tourists spent $8.67 billion in Mexico between January and April, according to Mexico News Daily. Revenue for this period beat 2021 by 123.8 percent and was 3.7 percent higher than 2019 levels, noted federal Tourism Minister Miguel Torruco Márques. The bulk of the revenue came from international tourism. Travelers to Mexico are also spending more. According to the report, international tourists who arrived by air between January and April spent an average of $1,153 each, an 8.8 percent increase compared to the same period of last year and a 9.8 percent jump compared to the first four months of 2019. Torruco Márques also noted that the average expenditure for international tourists arriving by air, land and sea was just under $745, a 56.1 percent increase compared to last year and a 30.8 percent spike compared to 2019 numbers. In total, 11.6 million international tourists entered Mexico during the first four months of 2022, a 43.4 percent increase compared to the same period in 2021. That was still lower than the January to April period of 2019 by 20.8 percent when 14.7 million international tourists visited. The news of the increase in revenue was predicted last month during the Tianguis Turístico tourism event in Acapulco where Torruco Márques noted that Mexico is forecast to receive 40 million international visitors this year. That would be just 5 million short of the 45 million record set in 2019.
Trinidad and Tobago received 18,254 stopover visitors in May 2022, 6.9% more than the 17,083 stopover visitors received in April. According to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s Central Statistical Office Trinidad and Tobago received 18,254 stopover visitors in May 2022, an increase of 6.9% compared with the 17,083 stopovers received in April 2022. Trinidad received 17,575 stopover visitors in May 2022 with Tobago receiving 679. Trinidad and Tobago closed its borders as of May 23rd 2020, and consequently just received a total of 493 stopover visitors in May 2021. The country reopened its borders to visitors as of July 17th 2021. The 18,254 stopover visitors received in May 2022 were 60.7% of the 30,053 stopover visitors received in May 2019. Trinidad and Tobago received 9,330 stopover arrivals from the USA in May 2022, 2,099 from Europe, 2,253 from Canada and 4,572 from the rest of the world. In the first five months of 2022 Trinidad and Tobago saw the number of stopovers increase from 2,302 in the first five months of 2021 to 69,969 in the first five months of 2022. The 69,969 visitors received in 2022 were 42.1% of the 166,179 received in the first five months of 2019. Stopovers from the USA grew from 804 in the first five months of 2021 to 34,450 in the same five months of 2022. Stopovers from Canada increased from 184 stopovers in the first five months of 2021, to 8,068 in the same five months of 2022 while stopovers from Europe grew from 576 in 2021 to 10,599 in the same five months of 2022. Trinidad received 67,181 stopovers in the first five months of 2022, 96.0% of the overall total, with Tobago receiving 2,788 stopovers. Aruba Airport Authority reports it handled 110,983 departing passengers in April 2022, 6.2% more than the 104,462 departing passengers handled in March. The Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) reports that in April 2022 110,983 Revenue Generating Passengers (RGPs) departed Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA Airport) to its various markets. This was 6.2% more than the 104,462 RGPs who departed in March 2022. A revenue generating passenger is an outbound traveler leaving Aruba and includes tourists returning to their homes as well as Arubans departing for trips overseas. While Aruba reopened to travel to and from Bonaire and Curacao as of June 15th, 2020, the country did not reopen to travel from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean until July 1st, 2020, and from the USA until July 10th, 2020. Consequently, the airport had just 65,651 RGPs in April 2021. The airport also handled 11,149 passengers in transit in April 2022 as well as 27 transferring passengers. In April 2022 88,164 passengers (pax) travelled to the USA, 1,915 pax to Canada, 7,203 pax to Europe, 9,515 pax to Latin America and 4,186 pax to the Dutch Caribbean. The airlines provided 138,642 outbound seats in April 2022, 3.7% fewer than the 143,945 seats provided in April 2019. Airlines flying to the USA in April experienced an average load factor of 89.6%, 97.9% to Canada, while flights to Europe averaged a 96.0% load factor. The overall average load factor for all flights for April was 88.8%. In the first four months of 2022 the airport handled a total of 369,785 RGPs, up 90.9% compared with the 193,737 handled in the first four months of 2021. Traffic to the USA increased by 77.4%, from 161,880 RGPs in the first four months of 2021 to 287,256 in the same four months of 2022. Traffic to Canada grew from 901 RGPs in 2021 to 9,056 RGPs, while traffic to Europe increased by 107.2%, from 13,798 RGPS in the first four months of 2021 to 28,578 RGPs this year. Seat capacity increased by 43.3% through the first four months of 2022 from 375,494 available seats in the first four months of 2021 to 538,003 seats in the same four months of 2022. The 538,003 seats available in 2022 were 86.3% of the 623,391 seats available in the first four months of 2019. The overall average load factor of outbound flights grew from 55.6% in the first four months of 2021 to 76.5% in the same four months of 2022. The average load factor of flights to the USA grew from 55.0% in the first four months of 2021 to 75.7% in the same four months of 2022. On February 16th 2022, the airport issued a revised forecast for the number of available seats for CY 2022 and projects a total of 1,583,026 available seats for CY 2022, 6.9% fewer than the 1,701,062 seats provided in 2019. They forecast that the airport will handle 1,128,572 seats from the USA, 8.3% more than the 1,041,252 seats handled from the USA in 2019. The AAA also forecast that the airport will handle a total of 1,122,479 RGPs in CY 2022 and 1,237,272 RGPs in CY 2023. The 2022 total is 88.7% of the 1,265,965 RGPs handled in CY 2019. The AAA stated that these projections are preliminary and subject to change.
The USVI saw a 34.1% drop in the number of cruise visitors in May 2022. According to the USVI Bureau of Economic Research, the USVI saw the volume of cruise visitor arrivals decline by 34.1% in May 2022, falling from 88,781 cruise visitors from 35 calls in April 2022 to 58,482 cruise visitors from 18 calls in May 2022. The USVI reopened to cruise ships in July 2021. The USVI received 376,343 cruise passengers from 196 calls during the first five months of 2022. While there were no cruise ship calls in the first five months of 2021 this total is 58.1% of the 648,276 cruise visitors received in the first five months of 2019.
Mauritius reports it received 70,462 stopover visitors in May 2022, 16.4% fewer than the 84,268 stopovers received in April 2022. The Mauritius Government’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Development recently reported that the country received 70,462 total stopover arrivals in May 2022, 16.4% fewer than the 84,268 stopovers received in April 2022. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors. Mauritius reopened its borders to international travel as of October 1st 2021. Mauritius received 15,756 visitors from France in May 2022, 22.4% of the overall total for the month, and the number one producing market. The number two source market was the United Kingdom which generated 10,992 visitors, 15.6% of the total for the month. Germany generated 7,640 visitors. Mauritius closed its borders to all international arrivals as of May 19th, 2020, and consequently received just 115 stopovers in May 2021. The 70,462 arrivals received in May 2022 were 72.8% of the 96,814 stopovers received in May 2019. Mauritius saw its stopover arrivals grow from 2,945 in the first five months of 2021 to 313,548 in the first five months of this year. The number one source market in the first five months of 2022 was France with 83,938 stopover visitors followed by the United Kingdom with 47,401 stopovers, and South Africa 33,601 stopovers. These three markets together generated 52.6% of all stopovers in 2022. Mauritius received 557,684 stopovers through the first five months of 2019 with the total received during the first five months of 2022 being 56.2% of this total. IATA Reports Strong International Traffic Propels Continuing Air Travel Recovery Geneva - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that air travel resumed its strong recovery trend in April, despite the war in Ukraine and travel restrictions in China. This was driven primarily by international demand. Total demand for air travel in April 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was up 78.7% compared to April 2021 and slightly ahead of March 2022’s 76.0% year-over-year increase. April domestic air travel was down 1.0% compared to the year-ago period, a reversal from the 10.6% demand rise in March. This was driven entirely by continuing strict travel restrictions in China, where domestic traffic was down 80.8% year-to-year. Overall, April domestic traffic was down 25.8% versus April 2019. International RPKs rose 331.9% versus April 2021, an acceleration over the 289.9% rise in March 2022 compared to a year ago. Several route areas are actually above pre-pandemic levels, including Europe – Central America, Middle East – North America and North America – Central America. April 2022 international RPKs were down 43.4% compared to the same month in 2019. “With the lifting of many border restrictions, we are seeing the long-expected surge in bookings as people seek to make up for two years of lost travel opportunities. April data is cause for optimism in almost all markets, except China, which continues to severely restrict travel. The experience of the rest of the world is demonstrating that increased travel is manageable with high levels of population immunity and the normal systems for disease surveillance. We hope that China can recognize this success soon and take its own steps towards normality,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. Click here for full report
The Cayman Islands received 25,114 stopovers in April 2022, 10.3% more than the 22,774 stopovers received in March. According to the Cayman Islands Tourism Authority, The Cayman Islands saw a 10.3% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in April 2022, growing from 22,774 stopovers in March 2022 to 25,114 stopovers in April 2022. The Cayman Islands also received 45,481 cruise visitors in April. The Cayman Islands reopened its ports to cruise ships on March 21st 2022. The Cayman Islands closed its borders to international visitor arrivals on March 22nd 2020, with extremely limited access to the destination during much of 2021 and fully re-opened its borders as of November 2021. The Cayman Islands consequently received 616 stopover arrivals in April 2021. The 25,114 stopovers received in April 2022 were 54.5% of the 46,079 stopovers received in April 2019. The Cayman Islands received 20,523 stopover arrivals from the USA in April 2022, which comprised 81.7% of all stopover arrivals during the month. The Cayman Islands also received 1,644 visitors from Canada and 1,337 visitors from the United Kingdom during that month. The Cayman Islands saw the number of visitors grown from 2,701 in the first four months of 2021 to 66,121 stopovers in the same four months of 2022. The number of stopovers from the USA increased from 1,557 in the first four months of 2021 to 51,848 in the same four months of 2022. The number of stopovers from Canada grew from 261 in the first four months of 2021 to 5,957 in the same four months of 2022 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. increased from 219 in the first four months of 2021 to 3,821 stopovers in the same four months of 2022. The 66,121 stopovers received in 2022 were 34.5% of the 191,883 stopovers received in the first four months of 2019. The Cayman Islands has received 62,360 cruise visitors so far in 2022 from calls made in late March and April. The Cayman Islands ceased receiving cruise visitors during March 2020.
Dubai received 1,130,000 international visitors in April 2022, a 36.5% drop in visitors compared with March 2022. According to the Government of Dubai’s Statistics Center, Dubai saw a 36.5% decline in the number of international visitors in April 2022, falling from 1,780,000 visitors in March 2022 to 1,130,000 in April 2022. The international world trade fair Dubai Expo 2020 opened as of October 1st 2021 and closed as of March 31st 2022. Dubai received 410,000 international visitors in April 2021. The 1,130,000 visitors received in April 2022 was 32.7% fewer than the 1,680,000 international visitors received in April 2019. It should be noted that Dubai closed its borders to international visitor arrivals as of April 2020 and reopened its borders again in late July 2020. The number one source market in April was India with 174,000 visitors, followed by Oman with 127,000 visitors and the United Kingdom with 93,000 visitors. In the first four months of 2022 Dubai received 5,100,000 international visitors, 203.6% more than the 1,680,000 visitors received in the first four months of 2021, and 81.5% of the 6,260,000 visitors received in the first four months of 2019. The number one source market in the first four months of 2022 was Oman which generated 590,000 visitors, 11.6% of the overall total, followed by India which generated 550,000 visitors, and the United Kingdom, which generated 367,000 visitors. As of April 2022, Dubai had 579 hotels offering 114,888 hotel rooms and 190 apartment hotels offering 25,448 units. The hotel sector achieved an average room occupancy of 75.0% in the first four months of 2022 while the apartment sector achieved an average occupancy of 81.0%. Seychelles received 25,023 tourist arrivals in May 2022, 23.0% fewer than the 32,500 arrivals received in April. According to The Seychelles Government’s National Bureau of Statistics, The Seychelles saw a 23.0% drop in visitor arrivals in May 2022, falling from 32,500 arrivals received in April 2022 to 25,023 arrivals in May 2022. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors, and transit visitors. Of the 25,023 arrivals 24,895 were stopover visitors and there were 128 transit visitors. Seychelles re-opened to international visitors from most countries as of May 25th 2021 with visitors being required to produce evidence of a negative PCR test. Seychelles consequently received 16,001 tourist arrivals in May 2021. The 25,023 visitor arrivals received in May 2022 were 10.1% more than the 22,730 arrivals received in May 2019. The number one source market in May 2022 was France which generated 3,905 visitors (15.6% of the total for the month) followed by Germany, with 3,306 visitors (13.2%). In the first five months of 2022 Seychelles saw a 265.0% increase in total visitor arrivals, growing from 37,031 arrivals in the first five months of 2021 to 135,178 arrivals in the first five months of 2022. The 135,178 stopovers received in the first five months of 2022 were 83.8% of the 161,347 received in the first five months of 2019. The number one source market in the first five months of 2022 was France which generated 19,665 visitors, 14.5% of all visitor arrivals for those first five months, followed by Germany, which generated 15,354 visitors, 11.4% of the overall total. Russia generated 14,258 visitors in the same five months with 71.3% of those arrivals coming in January and February. The UNWTO reports tourism recovery gains momentum as restrictions ease and confidence returns. According to the most recent issue of the UNWTO’s World Tourism Barometer Volume 20 Issue 3 May 2002
International tourism continued to recover from the COVID-19 crisis at a strong pace in January-March 2022. Destinations welcomed almost three times as many international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) as in the same period of 2021, with Europe leading the rebound.
International arrivals increased 182% year-on-year in Q1 2022 to an estimated 117 million international arrivals compared to 41 million in Q1 2021. Of the extra 76 million international arrivals, about 47 million were recorded in March.
Despite the strong rebound experienced in Q1 2022, international tourism remained 61% below 2019 levels.
International arrivals improved from -66% in January 2022 (over 2019) to -61% in February and -56% in March, as more countries eased travel restrictions and Omicron-related disruptions decreased.
By region, Europe (+280%) welcomed almost four times as many international arrivals as in Q1 2021, while in the Americas (+117%) arrivals more than doubled. However, arrivals were still 43% and 46% below 2019 levels respectively.
The Middle East (+132%) and Africa (+96%) also saw strong growth in Q1 2022 over 2021 but remained 59% and 61% below 2019 respectively. Asia and the Pacific recorded 64% increase but stood at -93% compared to 2019.
By subregion, the Caribbean (-26%) and Southern and Mediterranean Europe (-27%) showed the fastest recovery towards 2019 levels, with international tourism recovering more than 70% of pre-crisis levels.
The ongoing recovery can also be seen in outbound tourism spending, with expenditure from France reaching 80% of pre-crisis levels in Q1 2021 and German spending grew to 65%.
The gradual recovery of international tourism is expected to continue throughout 2022, as more destinations ease or lift restrictions and pent-up demand is unleashed.
The latest UNWTO Confidence Index survey indicates that 81% of tourism professionals see better prospects for 2022 and that a higher number of experts (48%) now see a potential return of international arrivals to 2019 levels in 2023.
Based on the latest results, UNWTO revised its outlook for 2022, with international arrivals now expected to reach 55% to 70% of 2019 levels.
For the full issue of the World Tourism Barometer click here. U.S. citizens’ outbound travel from the USA to international destinations increased by 37.5% in March 2022 compared to February. The United States Government’s Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) recently released the figures for U.S. citizens outbound travel from the USA to international destinations for March 2022.
The overall number of trips taken by US citizens to international destinations increased by 37.5% in March 2022, growing from 4,265,343 trips in February 2022 to 5,864,823 trips in March 2022.
The number of trips taken to the Caribbean increased by 32.1%, growing from 632,579 trips in February 2022 to 835,617 trips in March 2022.
Given that many countries had restrictions in place in March 2021, limiting international arrivals, only 404,061 US citizens visited Caribbean countries in March 2021.
The 835,617 trips taken to the Caribbean in March 2022 were 82.1% of the 1,017,295 trips taken to the Caribbean in March 2019. The Caribbean’s share of all international trips increased however from 12.1% in March 2019 to 14.2% in March 2022.
Trips to Europe increased by 121.8% in March, growing from 369,862 trips in February 2022 to 820,182 trips in March 2022. Trips to Europe were 14.0% of trips taken by US citizens in March 2022. The 820,182 trips taken by US citizens to Europe in March 2022 were 60.4% of the 1,358,201 trips taken to Europe in March 2019.
The number of trips taken to Mexico by air increased by 33.5%, growing from 964,914 trips in February 2022 to 1,287,756 trips in March 2022. The 1,267,756 trips were 20.4% more than the 1,069,894 trips taken to Mexico by air by US citizens in March 2019.
The percentage share of trips taken by air to Mexico increased from 12.8% in March 2019 to 22.0% in March 2022.
Please note the NTTO’s definition of the Caribbean does not include Puerto Rico or the United States Virgin Islands as, for the purposes of the study, they are deemed to be US territories and the focus of the system (APIS) is non-stop air traffic (segmented here for U.S. citizens) to foreign countries.
In the first three months of 2022
The overall number of trips taken by US citizens to international destinations increased by 92.2% in the first three months of 2022, growing from 7.37 million trips in the first three months of 2021 to 14.16 million trips in the same three months of 2022.
The 14,160,004 total international trips taken in the first three months of 2022 were 66.8% of the 21,200,020 trips taken in the first three months of 2019.
The number of trips taken to the Caribbean increased by 128.8% in the first three months of 2022, growing from 862,127 trips in 2021, to 1,972,485 trips in the first three months of 2022. The share of trips taken to the Caribbean grew from 11.7% in 2021 to 13.9% in 2022.
The 1,972,485 trips taken to the Caribbean in the first three months of 2022 were 77.0% of the 2,562,639 trips taken by US residents to the Caribbean in the first three months of 2019.
Trips to Europe grew from 227,024 trips in the first three months of 2021 to 1,556,447 trips in the same three months of 2022. The 1,556,447 trips taken in 2022 were 52.7% of the 2,953,789 trips taken to Europe in the first three months of 2019.
The number of trips taken to Mexico by air grew by 103.3%, from 1,528,824 trips in the first three months of 2021 to 3,108,493 in the same three months of 2022. The 3,108,493 trips were 16.0% more than the 2,680,651 trips taken by US citizens by air to Mexico in the first three months of 2019. This segment’s share of all trips grew from 20.8% in the first three months of 2021 to 22.0% in the same three months of 2020.
Barbados received 37,998 stopovers in April 2022, 16.0% fewer than the 45,249 stopovers received in March. According to the Barbados Statistical Service, Barbados saw a 16.0% drop in stopover visitor arrivals in April 2022, falling from 45,249 stopover arrivals in March 2022 to 37,998 stopover arrivals in April 2022. Barbados received 34,664 cruise visitors in April 2022 both landed passengers (disembarking) and in-transit (calling at the port for the day). Barbados reopened its ports to cruise ships in April 2021. Barbados imposed a mandatory 14-day quarantine on all visitor arrivals as of April 22nd 2020 which remained in place until November 24th 2021. Barbados consequently received 1,865 stopover arrivals in April 2021. The 37,998 stopovers received in April 2022 were 60.0% of the 63,364 stopovers received in April 2019. Barbados received 13,745 stopover arrivals from the United Kingdom in April 2022, 36.2% of all arrivals, and 11,055 stopovers from the USA. Through the first four months of 2021, Barbados saw stopover arrivals increase from 9,061 in the first four months of 2021 to 152,455 in the first four months of 2022. The number of stopovers from the USA increased from 2,848 stopovers in the first four months of 2021 to 36,061 in the same four months of 2022 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. increased from 2,088 in the first four months of 2021 to 72,625 stopovers in the same four months of 2022. The 152,455 stopovers received in the first four months of 2022 were 56.0% of the 272,138 stopovers received in the first four months of 2019. Barbados received 175,889 cruise visitors in the first four months of 2022 compared with 450,482 received in the same four months of 2019. Mexico received 1,765,489 international air arrivals in April 2022, down 12.9% compared with March. According to the Government of Mexico’s SECTUR (Department of Tourism) Mexico received 1,765,489 international air arrivals in April 2022, down 12.9% compared with the 2,026,721 arrivals received in March 2022. Mexico’s border with the USA was closed as of April 20, 2020 and consequently Mexico received 948,509 international visitors in April 2021. The 1,765,489 international air arrivals received in April 2022 were 8.5% more than the 1,627,749 international air visitors received in April 2019. Mexico received 1,094,740 air visitors from the USA in April 2022, 62.0% of the total. Canada was the second biggest market (175,109 visitors) with Colombia third largest (69,647 visitors). Cancun Airport received 842,436 international air visitor arrivals in April 2022, 47.7% of the overall total. Los Cabos received 198,475 international air arrivals with Puerto Vallarta receiving 151,098 international air visitors. In the first four months of 2022 the volume of international air arrivals to Mexico increased by 124.2%, from 3,027,611 arrivals in 2021 to 6,787,480 arrivals in the same four months of 2022. The 6,787,480 arrivals received in the first four months of 2022 were 97.3% of the 6,972,772 international arrivals received in the first four months of 2019. The volume of air arrivals from the USA increased by 85.0% in the first four months of 2022, from 2,313,087 air arrivals in 2021 to 4,280,239 air arrivals in the first four months of 2022 while the volume from Canada grew from 38,844 in 2021 to 685,920 in the first four months of 2022. Cancun Airport saw a 121.7% increase in international air arrivals in the first four months of 2022, growing from 1,459,698 arrivals in 2021 to 3,236,388 arrivals in the first four months of 2022 while Los Cabos saw an 89.5% increase growing from 394,747 international air arrivals in 2021 to 748,188 air arrivals in the first four months of 2022. Puerto Vallarta saw a 174.0% increase, growing from 239,653 international arrivals in 2021 to 656,634 international arrivals in the same four months of 2022.
Jamaica received 215,789 stopover visitors in March 2022, 32.5% more than the 162,882 stopovers received in February. According to the Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica received 215,789 stopover arrivals in March 2022, 32.5% more than the 162,882 stopovers received in February 2022 and 79.4% of the 271,742 stopovers received in March 2019. Jamaica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and reopened again on June 15th 2020. Jamaica consequently had 73,646 arrivals in March 2021. Stopover arrivals from the USA totaled 161,441 in March 2022, that is 87.6% of the 184,394 stopovers received from the USA in March 2019. Stopover arrivals from the USA comprised 74.8% of all stopover arrivals received in March 2022. Jamaica re-opened its ports to cruise ships in August 2021 and received 49,353 cruise passengers during March 2022. Through the first three months of 2022 Jamaica saw a 216.5% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 161,275 stopover arrivals in the first three months of 2021 to 510,401 arrivals in the same three months of 2022. The 510,401 stopovers received in the first three months of 2022 were 72.1% of the 708,297 stopovers received in the first three months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 150.4% in the first three months of 2022, growing from 152,102 arrivals in 2021 to 380,897 arrivals in the same three months of 2022. The USA’s share of all stopover arrivals fell from 94.3% in the first three months of 2021 to 74.6% in the same three months of 2022. Jamaica has received 99,798 cruise passengers through March 2022, 84.1% fewer than the 629,149 cruise visitors received in the same three months of 2019. US consumer confidence slips in May amid stubborn inflation U.S. consumer confidence edged lower in May as Americans' view of their present and future prospects dimmed in the midst of persistent inflation. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index dipped to 106.4 in May -- still a strong reading -- from 108.6 in April. The business research group's present situation index, which measures consumers' assessment of current business and labor conditions, also fell in May to 149.6 from 152.9 in April. The expectations index, based on consumers' six-month outlook for income, business and labor market conditions, also declined in May, to 77.5 from 79 in April. It was above 80 in February and remains a weak spot in the survey. The Labor Department reported earlier in May that consumer prices jumped 8.3% last month from a year ago. That was below the 8.5% year-over-year surge in March, which was the highest since 1981. On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.3% from March to April, the smallest rise in eight months. U.S. producer prices soared 11% in April from a year earlier, a hefty gain that indicates high inflation will remain a burden for consumers and businesses in the months ahead. Consumers were again slightly less optimistic about the labor market, even as U.S. employers have added at least 400,000 jobs for 12 straight months, pushing the unemployment rate down to 3.6%. That's the lowest rate since the pandemic erupted two years ago and just above the half-century low of 3.5% that was reached two years ago. Purchasing intentions for big-ticket items -- cars, homes and major appliances -- all cooled slightly, the Conference Board said. Rising costs remain the top concern for consumers, as their inflation expectations were mostly unchanged from April's elevated levels. "Looking ahead, expect surging prices and additional interest rate hikes to pose continued downside risks to consumer spending this year," said Lynn Franco, the Conference Board's senior director of economic indicators. Punta Cana received 372,951 tourists in April 2022, 1.1% fewer than the 376,987 tourists who visited in March. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, received 372,951 stopovers in April 2022, 1.1% fewer than the 376,987 stopovers received in March 2022 but 8.7% more than the 343,026 stopovers received in April 2019. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of April 19th 2020 and re-opened to tourists as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Punta Cana received 123,529 visitors in April 2021. Punta Cana received 149,722 stopover arrivals from the USA in April 2022, 40.2% of all tourist arrivals but 9.1% fewer than the 164,648 stopovers received in March 2022. Punta Cana saw its traffic from the USA grow by 67.7% in April 2022 from the 89,308 arrivals received from the USA in April 2021 Traffic from Canada increased from 146 arrivals in April 2021 to 67,717 arrivals in April 2022. Traffic from Russia collapsed from 17,104 arrivals in February 2022 to just 75 arrivals in April 2022. Also, in April traffic from France grew from 391 stopovers in April 2021 to 22,421 in April this year while traffic from Germany grew from 1,814 arrivals in April 2021 to 14,900 in April 2022. Arrivals from the UK grew from 104 in April 2021 to 17,515 in April 2022. Colombia generated 14,697 stopovers in April 2022 while Argentina generated 12,257 In April 2022, stopover arrivals to Punta Cana made up 59.6% of all non-resident arrivals to the Dominican Republic compared with 37.8% in April 2021. During the first four months of 2022 Punta Cana saw a 253.5% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 384,832 arrivals in the first four months of 2021 to 1,360,549 non-resident arrivals in the first four months of 2022. However, the total for 2022 was 94.1% of the 1,445,602 stopovers received in the first four months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 114.5% in the first four months of 2022, growing from 246,385 arrivals in the first four months of 2021 to 532,687 arrivals in the same four months of 2022. Traffic from Canada grew from 4,428 arrivals in the first four months of 2021 to 209,834 arrivals in the first four months of 2021. Traffic also increased from the UK, growing from 266 arrivals in the first four months of 2021 to 56,114 stopovers in the same four months of 2022. Traffic increased by 205.8% from Colombia, was up 933.9% from Germany, up 238.9% from Spain and up 830.6% from France. In the first four months of 2022, stopover arrivals to Punta Cana made up 59.0% of all non-resident arrivals to the Dominican Republic compared with 36.9% in the same four months of 2021.
The Dominican Republic received 626,010 tourists in April 2022, 1.3% more than the 617,756 tourists who visited in March. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, received 626,010 stopovers in April 2022, 1.3% more than the 617,756 stopovers received in March 2022 and 7.1% more than the 584,279 stopovers received in April 2019. The Dominican Republic received 327,074 stopover visitors in April 2021. The Dominican Republic received 233,840 stopover arrivals from the USA in April 2022, 37.4% of all tourist arrivals but 4.8% fewer than the 245,507 stopovers received in March 2022. The Dominican Republic received 159,624 arrivals from the USA in April 2021. Traffic from Canada grew from 447 arrivals in April 2021 to 79,803 arrivals in April 2022. Traffic from Russia fell from 42,705 arrivals in February 2022 to 163 arrivals in April 2022. As well, traffic from France grew from 1,355 stopovers in April 2021 to 24,651 in April this year while traffic from Germany grew from 2,367 arrivals in April 2021 to 17,935 in April 2022. Arrivals from the UK grew from 368 in April 2021 to 18,194 in April 2022. Colombia generated 18,374 stopovers in April 2022 while Argentina generated 13,576. In April 2022 18.0% of all non-resident tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic were non-resident Dominicans returning home, down from 31.4% of all arrivals in April 2021. In the first four months of 2022 the Dominican Republic saw a 124.2% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 1,044,159 arrivals in the first four months of 2021 to 2,340,957 non-resident arrivals in the same four months of 2022. Non-resident arrivals from the USA increased by 80.7% in the first four months of 2022, growing from 455,077 arrivals in 2021 to 822,542 arrivals from the USA in the first four months of 2022. Stopover arrivals from Canada grew from 6,545 in the first four months of 2021 to 255,309 in the same four months of 2022. The 2,340,957 stopovers received in the first four months of 2022 were 95.1% of the 2,460,423 stopovers received in the first four months of 2019. In the first four months of 2022 17.0% of all non-resident tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic were non-resident Dominicans returning home, down from 33.8% in the same four months of 2021.
Saint Lucia received 32,119 stopovers in March 2022, 19.7% more than the 26,828 stopovers received in February. According to the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, Saint Lucia saw a 19.7% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in March 2022, growing from 26,828 stopovers in February 2022 to 32,119 stopovers in March 2022. Saint Lucia received 64,561 cruise visitors in March from 64 cruise ship calls. Saint Lucia reopened its ports to cruise ships in June 2021. Saint Lucia also received 1,202 visitors in March 2022 who arrived by yacht. Saint Lucia closed its borders to international visitor arrivals on March 23rd 2020 and re-opened its borders in June 2020. Saint Lucia consequently received 8,004 stopover arrivals in March 2021. The 32,119 stopovers received in March 2022 were 77.1% of the 41,674 stopovers received in March 2019. Saint Lucia received 18,449 stopover arrivals from the USA in March 2022, which comprised 57.4% of all stopover arrivals during the month. Saint Lucia also received 9,389 visitors from the United Kingdom in March 2022. Through the first three months of 2022, Saint Lucia saw a 320.2% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 19,231 stopovers in the first three months of 2021 to 80,811 stopovers in the same three months of 2022. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 158.3%, from 17,574 in the first three months of 2021 to 45,398 in the same three months of 2022 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. increased from 896 in Q1 2021 to 25,012 stopovers in the same three months of 2022. The 80,811 stopovers received in 2022 were 70.6% of the 114,386 stopovers received in the first three months of 2019. Saint Lucia has received 137,945 cruise visitors so far in Q1 2022 compared with 359,115 received in Q1 2019 and received 3,702 visitors who arrived by yacht compared with 23,360 in Q1 2019. Cruise lines are canceling sailings, closing onboard restaurants, and allowing fewer guests onboard amid hiring difficulties Brittany Chang | Business Insider | May 28, 2022
Cruise companies have been struggling to hire back crew members.
Carnival has temporarily closed two restaurants on all of its ships.
Norwegian and Cunard have capped cruise ship capacities and canceled sailings.
The cruise industry could be in rocky waters again: Difficulties with hiring crew members has hindered several cruise lines' operations, leaving some would-be cruise-goers with fewer onboard dining options or canceled trips. Like on-land hospitality companies, cruise lines haven't been immune to worker shortages" amid the Great Resignation. And now, a lack of available cruise workers has begun affecting itineraries and onboard amenities. This staffing problem is one of the reasons Holland America has decided to "pace its restart over the year," a spokesperson told Insider in a statement. While Royal Caribbean's spokesperson acknowledged similar difficulties in hiring up, the cruise line doesn't expect it'll be canceling any future itineraries. Not all cruise companies have been as fortunate as Holland America or Royal Caribbean. Guests sailing with Carnival will also be spared from itinerary changes. But this doesn't mean it'll be smooth sailing for the cruise line. Carnival will temporarily close two restaurants across all of its ships, Fran Golden reported for Bloomberg. "Our rapid restart has required us to bring back thousands of crew members in a very short time, which has increased the number of resources needed for government officials to process the large number of visa applications and slowed down our ability to fully staff some of our functions, including our culinary team," a Carnival spokesperson told Insider in a statement. Similarly, Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America, which typically operates with over 900 crew members, is now accommodating under 550 workers, Claudette Covey reported for Travel Pulse. As a result, the cruise line has cut the ship's guest capacity as it sails in Hawaii. And some unluckier guests traveling on overbooked ships will have to be rebooked on different itineraries, a spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line told Insider. Like Norwegian, Cunard has limited the number of guests and canceled sailings aboard its Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria ships, blaming the "wider impact of COVID-19" on its difficulties with hiring. There may not be an immediate relief in sight, but a Cunard spokesperson has told Insider that these "necessary" cancellations and capacity issues will be "short term." Orlando’s Airports saw a 9.1% increase in international deplanements in April 2022. Orlando, Florida is served by two primary airports, Orlando International (MCO) and Sanford International Airport (SFB). In April 2022, the two airports combined saw an increase of 9.1% in international deplanements, growing from 216,961 deplanements from international airports in March 2022 to 236,690 international deplanements in April 2022. Orlando International handled 97.7% of all international deplanements. International deplanements made up 10.4% of total deplanements in April 2022. The two airports combined saw a 7.7% decline in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, falling from 2,219,539 domestic deplanements in March 2022 to 2,047,670 in April 2022. In the first four months of 2022, the two airports combined saw an increase of 408.8% in international deplanements, growing from 148,245 deplanements from international airports in the first four months of 2021 to 754,326 international deplanements in the first four months of 2022. The 754,326 international deplanements were 59.9% of the 1,259,894 international deplanements received in the first four months of 2019. The two airports combined saw a 44.5% increase in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, growing from 5,356,124 domestic deplanements in the first four months of 2021 to 7,738,721 in the same four months of 2022. Domestic deplanements handled in 2022 were 98.6% of the 7,846,608 domestic deplanements handled in the first four months of 2019. The two airports combined saw a 54.3% increase in total deplanements, growing from 5,504,369 deplanements in the first four months of 2021 to 8,493,047 in the first four months of 2022. Total deplanements in the first four months of 2022 were 93.3% of the 9,106,502 deplanements handled in the first four months of 2019. Costa Rica received 213,714 stopover arrivals in April 2022, 12.1% fewer than the 243,245 stopovers received in March. According to the Costa Rica Institute of Tourism (ICT), Costa Rica received 213,714 stopovers in April 2022, 12.1% fewer than the 243,245 stopovers received in March 2022. Costa Rica closed its borders to international arrivals as of April 19th 2020 and reopened to international tourists arriving by air as of March 2021. It reopened its land borders in April 2021. Costa Rica consequently received 89,284 stopovers in April 2021. The 213,714 stopovers received in April 2022 were 81.6% of the 262,016 stopovers received in April 2019. Costa Rica received 116,930 stopovers from the USA in April 2022, 54.7% of the overall total, up from 41.1% share in April 2019, and 15,679 stopovers from Central America, whose share dropped from 23.1% in April 2019 to 7.3% in April 2022. The volume of stopovers increased by 185.6% in the first four months of 2022, growing from 295,999 stopovers in the first four months of 2021 to 845,323 stopovers in the first four months of 2022. The 845,323 stopover visitors were 66.8% of the 1,265,669 stopovers received in the first four months of 2019. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 132.9% in the first four months of 2022, from 198,149 stopovers in 2021 to 461,511 in 2022 while the number from Central America increased by 322.3%, growing from 13,140 in the first four months of 2021 to 55,496 in the same four months of 2022. The share of visitors from the USA fell from 66.9% in the first four months of 2021 to 54.6% in the first four months of 2022.
Las Vegas received 3,382,200 visitors in April 2022, 1.4% more than the 3,334,700 received in March 2022. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Las Vegas saw the volume of visitors increase by 1.4% in April 2022, growing from 3,334,700 arrivals in March 2022 to 3,382,200 in April of 2022. Las Vegas received 2,573,800 visitors in April 2021. The 3,382,200 arrivals received in April 2022 were 95.5% of the 3,542,000 arrivals received in April 2019. Las Vegas had a weighted average of 150,495 open hotel rooms in April 2022 (up 2.5% compared with April 2021) and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 84.0% (65.6% in April 2021), an ADR of $177.12 and a RevPar of $148.78 Gaming revenue declined by 18.5% in April 2022, from $1.178 billion in March 2022 to $960.48 million in April 2022. Gaming revenue in April 2022 was 18.8% higher than the $808.66 million in gaming revenue generated in April 2019. Through the first four months of 2022 Las Vegas saw a 54.6% increase in the volume of visitors, growing from 7,638,100 arrivals in the first four months of 2021 to 11,808,300 visitors in the same four months of 2022. The total number of visitors for the first four months of 2022 was 85.3% of the 13,841,100 received in the same four months of 2019. Las Vegas achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 73.3% in the first four months of 2022 (up 24.6 percentage points compared with the first four months of 2021), an ADR of $160.39 (up 58.4% compared with the same four months of 2021) and a RevPar of $117.57 up 138.4%, also compared with the same four months of 2021. Gaming revenue increased by 33.5% in the first four months of 2022, from $3.009 billion in 2021 to $3.017 billion in the same four months of 2022. Gaming revenue in the first four months of 2022 was 16.6% higher than the $3.445 billion in gaming revenue generated in the first four months of 2019. Hawaii reports the state received 809,612 out-of-state tourists in April 2022, 3.0% more than the 785,715 received in March 2022. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 3.0% in April 2022, growing from 785,715 air arrivals received in March 2022 to 809,612 arrivals in April 2022. And, according to preliminary visitor statistics released by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), total spending for visitors arriving in April 2022 was $1.595 billion, up 4.6% compared with March 2022 and 21.0% higher than in April 2019. April also saw 8,656 cruise passengers visit the state. Hawaii received 484,071 out of state visitors in April 2021. The 809,612 arrivals received in April 2022 were 98.2% of the 824,610 arrivals received in April 2019. Hawaii received 703,746 air arrivals from the mainland USA in April 2022, 86.9% of the overall total, 43,107 arrivals from Canada, 6,749 arrivals from Japan and 56,010 air arrivals from other markets. Overall person per trip expenditures grew by 25.6% from $1,551.80 in April 2019 to $1,940.60 in April 2022. Through the first four months of 2022 Hawaii saw a 109.3% increase in the volume of air arrivals, growing from 1,331,115 air arrivals in the first four months of 2021 to 2,786,197 air arrivals in the same four months of 2022. Air arrivals in the first four months of 2022 were 84.1% of the 3,311,716 received in the first four months of 2019. For the first four months of 2022, total visitor spending was estimated to be $5.828 billion, 0.3% more than the $5.812 billion spent in the first four months of 2019. Person per trip spending grew by 20.4% from $1,721.20 per person per trip in the first four months of 2019 to $2,072.80 per person per trip in the first four months of 2022. Air arrivals from the USA increased by 90.7% in the first four months of 2022, growing from 1,292,183 air arrivals in 2021 to 2,463,763 air arrivals in the same four months of 2022, from Japan grew from 4,277 stopovers in 2021 to 15,817 in the first four months of 2022 and grew from 4,243 stopovers from Canada in 2021 to 150,180 in the same four months of 2022. Hawaii received 25,832 cruise visitors in the first four months of 2022. The United States Virgin Islands received 86,197 air arrivals in March 2022, 22.5% more than the 70,370 air visitors received in February. According to numbers published by the USVI Bureau of Economic Research, the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 22.5% in March 2022, growing from 70,370 air arrivals in February 2022 to 86,197 air arrivals in March of this year. The 86,197 air arrivals received in March 2022 were 22.0% more than the 70,648 received in March 2019. The USVI closed its borders to air arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and re-opened as of July 1st 2020. The USVI received 77,698 air arrivals in March 2021. The USVI also received 119,666 cruise visitors in March 2022 from 63 cruise ship calls. Through the first three months of 2022 the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 24.8%, from 179,228 air arrivals in the first three months of 2021 to 223,666 air arrivals in the first three months of 2022. The 223,666 arrivals received in the first three months of 2022 were 15.6% higher than the 193,454 air arrivals received in the first three months of 2019. The USVI reopened to cruise visitors in July 2021 and in the first three months of 2022 received 229,080 cruise visitors, 47.3% of the 484,276 cruise visitors received in the first three months of 2019.
The Turks and Caicos received 60,109 stopovers in March 2022, 34.8% more than the 44,596 received in February. According to the Ministry of Tourism, the Turks and Caicos saw a 34.8% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in March 2022, growing from 44,596 stopovers received in February to 60,109 stopovers this March. Turks and Caicos closed its borders as of March 24th 2020 and re-opened to international travel as of July 22nd 2020, and consequently received 25,210 visitors in March 2021. The 60,109 stopovers received In March 2022 were 7.1% more than the 56,138 stopovers the Turks and Caicos received in March 2019. The Turks and Caicos also received 79,968 cruise visitors in March 2022. Through the first three months of 2022, the Turks and Caicos saw a 168.7% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 51,639 stopovers in the first three months of 2021 to 138,762 stopovers in the same three months of 2022. The number of stopovers received in the first three months of 2022 was 98.6% of the 140,791 stopovers received in the same three months of 2019. The Turks and Caicos also received 173,151 cruise visitors in the first three months of 2022, 62.5% of the 277,280 cruise visitors received in the first three months of 2019.
The Maldives reports it received 145,280 stopover visitor arrivals in April 2022, 3.6% fewer than the 150,748 received in March. The Maldives Government’s Ministry of Tourism recently announced that The Maldives received 145,280 stopover visitors in April 2022, down 3.6% from the 150,748 stopovers received in March 2022. The Maldives closed its borders to tourist arrivals on April 27th 2020 and re-opened to all tourists as of July 15th 2020. Consequently, the Maldives received 91,200 stopover visitors in April 2021. The 145,280 stopovers received in April 2022 were 89.1% of the 163,114 stopovers received in April 2019. In April 2022 the United Kingdom was the number one source market and generated 24,350 stopovers (16.8% share of total) while India was number two with 21,836 stopovers (15.0% share). Germany was number three with 15,366 stopovers. The Maldives saw the overall number of operating accommodation establishments grow by 33.7% from 728 in April 2021 to 973 establishments in April 2022. The number of beds in operation grew by 13.6% from 48,265 in April 2021 to 54,846 in April 2022. During April 2022 overall average room occupancy grew by 7.5 percentage points from 51.5% in April 2021 to 59.0% for April 2022. Of the 973 establishments in operation 164 were resorts which offered 39,196 beds. These resorts achieved a 70.3% average room occupancy during April 2022 up from 58.1% for April 2021. The Maldives saw a 48.0% increase in total arrivals in the first four months of 2022, growing from 389,770 stopovers in the first four months of 2021 to 576,800 stopovers in the same four months of 2022 with the United Kingdom (74,934 visitors) and India (68,519 visitors) being the two largest source markets in these four months. The 576,800 visitors received in the first four months of 2022 was 89.3% of the 646,092 visitors received in the first four months of 2019. The Maldives saw the overall number of operating accommodation establishments grow by 43.6% from an average of 670 in the first four months of 2021 to an average of 962 establishments in the same four months of 2022. The number of beds in operation grew by 18.5% from 45,933 in the first four months of 2021 to 54,448 in the same four months of this year. Through the end of April 2022 overall average room occupancy had grown by 8.9 percentage points from 58.4% in 2021 to 67.3% for the first four months of this year. Of the 962 establishments in operation 163 were resorts which offered 38,976 beds. These resorts achieved a 78.4% average room occupancy through the first four months of 2022 up from 66.9% for the first four months of 2021. Through the first four months of 2021 there was an average of 149 resorts in operation offering 34,873 beds. Study finds travelers care more about who they travel with than where they go. Anne Kalosh | SeaTrade Cruise News | May 23, 2022 Travelers now care more about who they travel with than where they go, according to a social listening study of 21.3 million online uses of key travel terms by University of Florida’s Agency at UF in partnership with Carnival Cruise Line. This is indicated by the finding that one in five mentions of summer vacation include a reference to doing everything together and spending quality time with loved ones — family, a significant other or friends. Desire to go ... anywhere 'What we perceived anecdotally has been confirmed by a dive into the language that Americans are using around travel,' said Dr. Rachel Fu, director of the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute and chair of the Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management at the University of Florida. 'Americans’ ideal destination for summer travel can now best be summed up as “anywhere and everywhere,” with few expressing enthusiasm for specific locations, and instead committing to bringing besties, significant others and family along to … wherever.' About one in 10 mentions of summer vacation hint at a tropical, sunny or beach locale, but otherwise, destination specifics are sparse. The study found travel chatter indicates a desire for trips jam-packed with multiple stops, attractions and activities. The study also found Americans are now longing for an 'awaycation' anywhere outside of their home, as opposed to a 'staycation,' a term that had been widely used for the past two years but has dropped significantly since 2020 and 41% year over year. In contrast ... This contrasts with a New York Times report over the weekend that cited inflation, rising COVID-19 numbers and uncertainty/instability as reasons the staycation isn't going away. The Times pointed to April research by Bankrate which found 69% of American adults who say they will vacation this summer anticipate changing plans because of inflation, with 25% traveling shorter distances and 23% planning less-expensive activities. Among those planning to take time off, a staycation was the second most popular option, after going to the beach. The Times also cited a TripAdvisor report released in May which found 74% of American travelers were 'extremely concerned' about inflation, 32% were planning to take shorter trips this summer and 31% were planning to travel close to home. Travel confidence climbs The UF study, though, indicated pent-up demand for travel is at an all-time high. It found confidence in travel has increased 58% since January, and about 63% of mentions expressed optimism about the changing travel landscape for 2022. 'Many indicators point to a 2022 summer travel season that will meet and exceed pre-pandemic levels as vacationers feel more eager than ever to reclaim the opportunities for memory-making that only travel provides,' Fu added. Demand trumps higher prices? Despite their concerns about inflation, people are still likely to travel, according to Bankrate. 'While a lot of people are indicating they may cut back on their summer vacation plans, I suspect pent-up demand will win out over higher prices,” said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate. 'Americans have been spending aggressively despite high inflation and downbeat consumer sentiment statistics.'
Hawaii’s hotels report a one percentage point increase in average room occupancy in April 2022 compared with March 2022, growing from 75.2% to 76.2% According to the Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report published by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), statewide hotel room occupancy grew by one percentage point from 75.2% in March 2022 to 76.2% in April of this year. ADR declined by 1.8% from $377.96 in March to $371.13 in April, while revpar fell by 0.5%, from $284.16 in March 2022 to $282.83 in April of this year. The hotel sector posted an average room occupancy of 51.0% in April 2021. Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide declined by 3.7%, falling from $489.1 million in March 2022 to $471.2 million in April 2022. Room demand decreased by 1.9%, falling from 1,294,200 room nights in March 2022 to 1,269,700 room nights in April 2022 while room supply decreased by 3.2%, falling from 1,721,400 available room nights in March 2022 to 1,666,200 available room nights in April. For the first four months of 2022 statewide hotel room occupancy increased by 35.1 percentage points from 36.9% in 2021 to 72.0% in the first four months of 2022. ADR increased by 29.9% from $280.50 in 2021 to $364.25 in 2022 while revpar grew by 153.4%, from $103.55 in the first four months of 2021 to $262.38 in the first four months of this year. By comparison with the first four months of 2019, average room occupancy fell from 80.0% in 2019 to 72.0% in 2022. ADR however improved by 27.3% from $286.10 in the first four months of 2019 to $364.25 in the same four months of 2022, while RevPar grew by 14.7%, from $228.76 in 2019 to $262.38 in the same four months of 2022. In the first four months of 2022, Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide increased by 172.2% from $642.3 million in 2021 to $1.748 billion in the first four months of this year. Total rooms revenues for the first four months of 2022 were 17.6% higher than for the same four months of 2019. Room demand increased by 109.4%, from 2,292,100 room nights in 2021 to 4,799,400 in the same four months of 2022. Room supply grew by 7.4% to 6,662,800 available room nights also in the first four months. Room demand in 2022 was 7.6% less than for the same four months of 2019 while room supply was 2.6% higher. The Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report is produced using hotel survey data compiled by STR, Inc., the largest survey of its kind in Hawai‘i. The survey generally excludes properties with under 20 lodging units, such as small bed and breakfasts, youth hostels, single-family vacation rentals, cottages, individually rented vacation condominiums and sold timeshare units no longer available for hotel use. The data has been weighted both geographically and by class of property to compensate for any over and/or under representation of hotel survey participants by location and type. For April, the survey included 153 properties representing 46,563 rooms, or 83.8 percent of all lodging properties with 20 rooms or more in the Hawaiian Islands, including full service, limited service, and condominium hotels. The April survey included 76 properties on O‘ahu representing 28,312 rooms (92.4%); 42 properties in the County of Maui, representing 9,907 rooms (74.6%); 16 properties on the island of Hawai‘i, representing 4,889 rooms (69.7%); and 19 properties on Kaua‘i, representing 3,455 rooms (75.0%). Puerto Rico saw average hotel room occupancy increase to 67.9% in March 2022 growing by 8.6 percentage points from the 59.3% achieved in February. According to the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC), the hotels and resorts endorsed by the PRTC saw the number of non-resident hotel registrations increase by 28.5% in March 2022, growing from 138,247 non-resident registrations in February 2022 to 177,690 registrations in March 2022. Registrations by local residents increased by 14.4%, growing from 42,750 in February 2022 to 48,925 in March 2022. The 177,690 non-resident hotel registrations achieved in March 2022 were 10.5% more than the 160,757 non-resident registrations achieved in March 2019. The PRTC reports that the number of hotel/resort available room nights increased by 4.7%, growing from 378,417 in February 2022 to 415,092 in March 2022. The number of room nights available in March 2022 was 11.1% higher than in March 2019. The number of occupied room nights increased by 29.3%, growing from 244,614 in February 2022 to 316,364 in March 2022. The number of occupied room nights achieved in March 2022 was 12.2% more than the total achieved in March 2019. Average room occupancy increased by 8.6 percentage points from the 59.3% achieved in February 2022 to 67.9% in March 2022. Average room occupancy in March 2019 was 75.5%. ADR increased by 7.8% growing from $282.36 in February 2022 to $304.50 in March 2022 and was 69.0% higher than the $180.22 achieved in March 2019. In the first three months of 2022 the number of non-resident hotel registrations increased by 32.5%, growing from 320,537 non-resident registrations in the first three months of 2021 to 424,647 registrations in the first three months of 2022. Registrations by local residents fell by 4.3% from 137,536 in 2021 to 131,625 in the same three months of 2022. The number of hotel/resort available room nights increased by 6.8% in the first three months of 2022, growing from 1,117,016 in 2021 to 1,192,995 in 2022. The number of occupied room nights increased by 32.2%, growing from 570,865 in 2021 to 754,753 in 2022. The overall average room occupancy grew by 10.0 percentage points from 48.0% in the first three months of 2021 to 58.0% in the same three months of 2022. ADR grew by 29.5% from $224.57 in 2021 to $290.93 in the same three months of 2022.
Cuba announces it received 133,281 international stopover visitors in April 2022, 3.5% more than the 128,817 received in March. The Cuban Government’s Office of National Statistics and Information (ONEI) recently announced that total international tourist arrivals increased by 3.5% in April 2022, growing from 128,817 international stopover arrivals in March 2022 to 133,281 arrivals in April 2022. This number includes both stopover visitors and cruise visitors. Cuba closed its borders to international tourist arrivals on April 20 2020 re-opening in November 2021 and consequently received just 16,575 international stopovers in April 2021. The 133,281 stopovers received in April 2022 were 29.1% of the 458,104 international visitors received in April 2019. Cuba received 53,073 stopovers from Canada in April 2022, 41.2% of all stopovers received for the month. The number of stopovers from Russia fell from 16,437 in the month of February 2022 to just 321 in April. In the first four months of 2022 Cuba saw a 592.5% increase in total international arrivals, growing from 64,670 arrivals in 2021 to 447,847 stopovers this year. The 447,847 arrivals were 23.2% of the 1,928,561 international visitors received in the first four months of 2019. Total tourist arrivals from Canada grew from 2,247 stopovers in the first four months of 2021, to 146,765 in the same four months of 2022 and was the number one source market with a 46.7% share. Stopovers from Russia grew from 33,591 in the first four months of 2021 to 36,999 in the same four months of 2022. Cubans living abroad accounted for 91,520 of all international visitors arriving in the first four months of 2022, up from 8,638 in the same four months of 2021. Dubai received 1,780,000 international visitors in March 2022, a 47.1% increase in visitors compared with February 2022. According to the Government of Dubai’s Statistics Center, Dubai saw a 47.1% increase in the number of international visitors in March 2022, growing from 1,210,000 visitors in February 2022 to 1,780,000 in March 2022. The international world trade fair Dubai Expo 2020 opened as of October 1st 2021 and closed as of March 31st 2022. Dubai received 460,000 international visitors in March 2021. The 1,780,000 visitors received in March 2022 was 23.6% higher than the 1,440,000 international visitors received in March 2019. It should be noted that Dubai closed its borders to international visitor arrivals as of March 2020 and reopened its borders again in late July 2020. The number one source market in March was Oman with 365,000 visitors, followed by India with 202,000 visitors and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with 122,000 visitors. In the first three months of 2022 Dubai received 3,970,000 international visitors, 212.6% more than the 1,270,000 visitors received in the first three months of 2021, and 86.7% of the 4,580,000 visitors received in the first three months of 2019. The number one source market in the first three months of 2022 was Oman which generated 463,000 visitors, 11.7% of the overall total, followed by India which generated 376,000 visitors, and Saudi Arabia, which generated 316,000 visitors. As of March 2022, Dubai had 577 hotels offering 114,536 hotel rooms and 192 apartment hotels offering 25,656 units. The hotel sector achieved an average room occupancy of 82.0% in the first three months of 2022 while the apartment sector achieved an average occupancy of 85.5%. Aruba Airport Authority reports it handled 104,462 departing passengers in March 2022, 34.6% more than the 77,599 departing passengers handled in February. The Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) reports that in March 2022 104,462 Revenue Generating Passengers (RGPs) travelled out of the Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA Airport) to its various markets. This was 34.6% more than the 77,599 RGPs who departed in February 2022. A revenue generating passenger is an outbound traveler leaving Aruba and includes tourists returning to their homes as well as Arubans departing for trips overseas. While Aruba reopened to travel to and from Bonaire and Curacao as of June 15th, 2020, the country did not reopen to travel from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean until July 1st, 2020, and from the USA until July 10th, 2020. Consequently, the airport had just 47,664 RGPs in March 2021. The airport also handled 9,075 passengers in transit in March 2022 as well as 487 transferring passengers. In March 2022 83,090 passengers (pax) travelled to the USA, 2,558 pax to Canada, 7,334 pax to Europe, 7,609 pax to Latin America and 3,861 pax to the Dutch Caribbean. The airlines provided 135,657 outbound seats in March 2022, 14.8% fewer than the 159,288 seats provided in March 2019. Airlines flying to the USA in March experienced an average load factor of 86.4%, 95.5% to Canada, while flights to Europe averaged a 93.0% load factor. The overall average load factor for all flights for March was 84.8%. In the first three months of 2022 the airport handled a total of 258,802 RGPs, up 101.4% compared with the 128,086 handled in the first three months of 2021. Traffic to the USA increased by 81.0%, from 103,758 RGPs in the first three months of 2021 to 199,092 in the same three months of 2022. Traffic to Canada grew from 901 RGPs in 2021 to 7,141 RGPs, while traffic to Europe increased by 100.3%, from 10,671 RGPS in the first three months of 2021 to 21,375 RGPs this year. Seat capacity increased by 46.6% through the first three months of 2022 from 272,504 available seats in the first three months of 2021 to 399,361 seats in the same three months of 2022. The 399,361 seats available in 2022 were 83.3% of the 479,446 seats available in the first three months of 2019. The overall average load factor of outbound flights grew from 47.0% in the first three months of 2021 to 72.2% in the same three months of 2022. The average load factor of flights to the USA grew from 48.4% in the first three months of 2021 to 70.8% in the same three months of 2022. On February 16th 2022, the airport issued a revised forecast for the number of available seats for CY 2022 and projects a total of 1,583,026 available seats for CY 2022, 6.9% fewer than the 1,701,062 seats provided in 2019. They forecast that the airport will handle 1,128,572 seats from the USA, 8.3% more than the 1,041,252 seats handled from the USA in 2019. The AAA also forecast that the airport will handle a total of 1,122,479 RGPs in CY 2022 and 1,237,272 RGPs in CY 2023. The 2022 total is 88.7% of the 1,265,965 RGPs handled in CY 2019. The AAA stated that these projections are preliminary and subject to change.
International travel set to maintain growth in 2022 with full recovery expected by 2025, observes GlobalData International departures will reach 68% of the pre-COVID-19 levels globally in 2022 and are expected to improve to 82% in 2023 and 97% in 2024, before making a full recovery by 2025 at 101% of 2019 levels, with a projected 1.5 billion international departures. However, the trajectory for the recovery in international departures is not linear across regions or countries, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. Hannah Free, Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “International travel from North America had shown improvement in 2021 as international departures grew by 15% year-on-year. The US rose to become the world’s largest outbound travel market in 2021. In 2022, outbound departures from North America are projected to reach 69% of 2019 levels, before making a full recovery by 2024, at 102% of 2019 levels, ahead of other regions. “International departures from European countries are expected to reach 69% of 2019 figures in 2022. As travel confidence rebuilds, the intra-European market is expected to benefit, driven by preferences for short-haul travel. “However, travel recovery must contend with inflation, rising costs of living, and the war in Ukraine. By 2025, international departures are projected to be 98% of 2019 levels. Geographically, the war has not spread beyond Ukrainian borders. However, Russia was the world’s fifth largest outbound travel market in 2019, while Ukraine was the twelfth. Going forward, limited outbound travel from these countries will hinder Europe’s overall tourism recovery. Asia-Pacific is expected to lag in terms of recovery. Outbound departures from the region will only reach 67% of 2019 levels in 2022, owing to the relatively slower removal of travel restrictions, and the propensity for renewed domestic restrictions during COVID-19 outbreaks. Once the region’s and the world’s largest outbound travel market, China is not showing any signs of relaxing its strict border measures in the short-term. In 2021, international departures from China were just 2% of 2019 levels. Free concludes: “While global international travel is set to recover to pre-pandemic levels by 2025, tourism demand may look quite different. From two years of very limited travel, several long-term shifts and short-term trends have emerged. Consumers are now more likely to pursue authentic experiences, demand personalized travel offerings, blend business and leisure travel, and be more conscious of their overall environmental impact. There is still a long way to go to reach a normal situation. However, a potential full recovery by 2025 at the latest gives good reason for the travel and tourism industry to be optimistic for the future.” Belize received 39,213 stopover visitors in April 2022, 6.4% fewer than the 41,879 visitors received in March. According to the Belize Tourism Board, Belize received 39,213 stopover visitors in April 2022, down 6.4% from the 41,879 stopover visitors received in March 2022. Belize closed its borders as of April 5th 2020, and consequently just received 14,609 stopover visitors in April 2021. The country reopened to visitors arriving by air as of October 1st 2020 and to visitors arriving by land and sea on May 31st 2021. The 39,213 stopover visitors received in April 2022 were 84.0% of the 46,694 stopover visitors received in April 2019. Belize received 29,410 stopover arrivals from the USA in April 2022, 3,620 from Europe, 1,682 from Canada and 343 from Mexico. Belize received 19 cruise ship calls in April 2022 with 50,281 cruise visitors. Belize re-opened to cruise visitors as of July 2021. In the first four months of 2022 Belize saw the number of stopovers increase by 205.1%, from 44,899 stopover visitors in the first four months of 2021 to 136,991 in the first four months of 2022. The 136,991 visitors received in 2022 were 66.9% of the 204,849 received in the first four months of 2019. Stopovers from the USA increased by 190.1% in the first four months of 2022, from 36,953 in 2021 to 107,203 in the same four months of 2022. Stopovers from Canada grew from 588 stopover visitors in the first four months of 2021 to 6,896 visitors in the same four months of 2022, while stopovers from Europe grew from 1,086 stopovers in the first four months of 2021 to 10,786 visitors in the same four months of 2022. Belize received 249,510 cruise visitors in the first four months of 2022, down 55.6% compared with the 561,762 cruise visitors received in the first four months of 2019.
Trinidad and Tobago received 17,083 stopover visitors in April 2022, 17.6% more than the 14,532 stopover visitors received in March. According to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s Central Statistical Office Trinidad and Tobago received 17,083 stopover visitors in April 2022, an increase of 17.6% compared with the 14,532 stopovers received in March 2022. Trinidad received 16,649 stopover visitors in April 2022 with Tobago receiving 434. Trinidad and Tobago closed its borders as of April 23rd 2020, and consequently just received a total of 516 stopover visitors in April 2021. The country reopened its borders to visitors as of July 17th 2021. The 17,083 stopover visitors received in April 2022 were 54.6% of the 31,285 stopover visitors received in April 2019. Trinidad and Tobago received 8,642 stopover arrivals from the USA in April 2022, 2,273 from Europe, 2,186 from Canada and 3,982 from the rest of the world. In the first four months of 2022 Trinidad and Tobago saw the number of stopovers increase from 1,809 in the first four months of 2021 to 51,715 in the first four months of 2022. The 51,715 visitors received in 2022 were 40.0% of the 136,126 received in the first four months of 2019. Stopovers from the USA grew from 673 in the first four months of 2021 to 25,120 in the same four months of 2022. Stopovers from Canada increased from 140 stopovers in the first four months of 2021, to 5,969 in the same four months of 2022 while stopovers from Europe grew from 458 in 2021 to 8,346 in the same four months of 2022. Trinidad received 49,606 stopovers in the first four months of 2022, 95.9% of the overall total, with Tobago receiving 2,109 stopovers.
Antigua and Barbuda received 25,735 stopovers in April 2022, 1.0% more than the 25,468 received in March. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 1.0% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in April 2022, growing from 25,468 stopovers received in March 2022 to 25,735 stopovers this April. Antigua and Barbuda re-opened its borders to international travel as of June 4th, 2020, and consequently received 9,185 visitors in April 2021. The 25,735 stopovers received In April 2022 were 94.3% of the 27,302 stopovers Antigua received in April 2019. The 13,504 stopover visitors received from the USA in April 2022 were 11.5% more than the 12,109 stopovers received from the USA in March 2022 and comprised 52.5% of all stopovers received in April. Antigua also received 7,813 stopover visitors from the U.K. in April, 30.4% of all stopovers received during that month. Antigua also received 31,983 cruise visitors in April 2022 and 1,223 visitors who arrived by yacht. Through the first four months of 2022, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 193.6% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 30,860 stopovers in the first four months of 2021 to 90,612 stopovers in the same four months of 2022. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 75.5%, from 23,866 stopovers in the first four months of 2021 to 41,880 stopovers in the same four months of 2022 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. increased from 3,212 in the first four months of 2021 to 33,546 stopovers in the same four months of 2022. The number of stopovers received in the first four months of 2022 was 76.6% of the 118,056 stopovers received in the same four months of 2019. Antigua received 185,706 cruise visitors in the first four months of 2022 and 7,453 visitors who arrived by yacht. Antigua received 432,721 cruise visitors in the first four months of 2019 and 12,544 visitors who arrived by yacht. Florida received a total of 35,982,000 tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2022, 39.6% more than the 25,768,000 received in the first quarter of 2021 and 1.4% higher than the total received in Q1 2019. Visit Florida’s Research Department recently announced that the state of Florida saw a 39.6% increase in the number of tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2022, with total arrivals growing from 25,768,000 in the first quarter of 2021 to 35,982,000 arrivals in the first quarter of 2022. The 35,982,000 arrivals was 1.4% higher than the 35,502,000 arrivals received in Q1 2019. Domestic arrivals were up by 35.1%, growing from 25,221,000 arrivals in the first quarter of 2021 to 34,081,000 in the first quarter of 2022, while arrivals from Canada grew from 55,000 visitors in the first quarter of 2021 to 578,000 in the same quarter of 2022. Arrivals from overseas grew by 168.9%, from 492,000 arrivals in the first quarter of 2021 to 1,323,000 in the same three months of 2022. All of the above numbers are preliminary and subject to change.
Bermuda announces it received 7,268 air visitor arrivals in March 2022, 39.4% of the 18,439 air visitors received in March 2019. The Bermuda Tourism Authority recently released its first quarter 2022 tourist arrival numbers and announced that Bermuda received 7,268 air visitors in March 2022, 39.4% of the 18,439 air arrivals received in March 2019. Bermuda received 247 visitors arriving by yacht in March 2022, 318.6% more than the 59 visitors arriving by yacht in March 2019. There were no visitors who arrived by cruise ship in the first quarter of 2022. The 5,109 air visitors received from the USA in March 2022 was 70.3% of all air visitors handled that month but was 40.4% of the 12,632 air visitors received from the USA in March 2019. During the first three months of 2022 Bermuda received 12,280 air visitors, 258.7% more than the 3,423 visitors who arrived by air in Q1 2021 but just 32.0% of the 38,349 visitors who arrived by air in Q1 2019. Bermuda received 8,195 air visitors from the USA in Q1 2022, 30.8% of the 26,619 air visitors received from the USA in Q1 2019. The Ministry of Tourism reports that the airlines serving Bermuda achieved an average load factor of 48.0% in Q1 2022, up 20 percentage points from the 28.0% average load factor achieved in Q1 2021. The airlines had an average load factor of 63.7% in Q1 2019. The Ministry further reports that in Q1 2022 air visitors spent an estimated US$21,597,327, up 91.5% compared with the US$11,278,918 spent in Q1 2021. The Q1 2022 expenditure was 44.8% of the US$48,228,469 spent by air visitors in Q1 2019. Bermuda’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 29.7% in Q1 2022, up 6.1 percentage points from the 23.6% achieved in Q1 2021 but 12.5 percentage points lower than the 42.2% achieved in Q1 2019. The hotels achieved an ADR of US$307.31 in Q1 2022, 17.6% higher than in Q1 2019. 68.3% of all visitors to Bermuda stayed in hotel accommodation in Q1 2022, down from the 75.5% who did so in Q1 2019. Bermuda received 396 visitors who arrived by yacht in Q1 2022 414.3% more than the 77 who arrived by yacht in Q1 2021, and 92.2% more than the 206 visitors who arrived by yacht in Q1 2019. The USVI saw a 25.8% drop in the number of cruise visitors in April 2022. According to the USVI Bureau of Economic Research, the USVI saw the volume of cruise visitor arrivals decline by 25.8% in April 2022, falling from 119,666 cruise visitors from 63 calls in March 2022 to 88,781 cruise visitors from 35 calls in April 2022. The USVI reopened to cruise ships in July 2021. The USVI received 317,861 cruise passengers from 178 calls during the first four months of 2022. While there were no cruise ship calls in the first four months of 2021 this total is 53.5% of the 594,273 cruise visitors received in the first four months of 2019.
Curacao reports it received 42,715 stopover arrivals in April 2022, 5.4% more than the 40,539 received in March. According to the Curaçao Tourist Board, Curaçao saw a 5.4% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in April, growing from 40,539 stopovers received in March 2022 to 42,715 stopovers received in April 2022. The 42,715 stopovers received in April 2022 were 6.0% more than the 40,290 stopovers received in April 2019. Curaçao closed its borders to international visitors as of April 17th, 2020 and reopened its borders to visitors from Europe and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Curaçao received just 3,521 stopover visitors in April 2021. Curacao received 21,379 stopover visitors from the Netherlands in April 2022 and 6,611 stopovers from the USA, 50.1% and 15.5% of all stopovers, respectively. Curacao received 21 cruise ship calls with 27,886 cruise visitors in April 2022. The island re-opened to cruise traffic in June 2021. The 27,886 cruise visitors were 41.9% of the 66,518 received in April 2019. In the first four months of 2022 Curaçao saw a 459.2% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 27,573 visitors in 2021 to 154,197 visitors in the same four months of this year. The number of stopovers from the Netherlands increased by 528.7%, growing from 14,138 visitors during the first four months of 2021, to 88,885 in the same four months of 2022. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 348.6% during the first four months, growing from 5,125 in 2021 to 22,992 in the same four months of 2022. The 154,197 stopovers received in the first four months of 2022 was 92.1% of the 167,460 stopovers received in the same four months of 2019. In the first four months of 2022 Curacao received 139 cruise ship calls which brought 171,699 cruise passengers, 49.8% of the 344,623 cruise visitors brought in the same four months of 2019. Mauritius reports it received 84,268 stopover visitors in April 2022, 27.6% more than the 66,066 stopovers received in March 2022. The Mauritius Government’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Development recently reported that the country received 84,268 total stopover arrivals in April 2022, 27.6% more than the 66,066 stopovers received in March 2022. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors. Mauritius reopened its borders to international travel as of October 1st 2021. Mauritius received 22,048 visitors from France in April 2022, 26.2% of the overall total for the month, and the number one producing market. The number two source market was the United Kingdom which generated 13,370 visitors, 15.9% of the total for the month. South Africa generated 10,965 visitors. Mauritius closed its borders to all international arrivals as of April 19th, 2020, and consequently received just 58 stopovers in April 2021. The 84,268 arrivals received in April 2022 were 77.6% of the 108,565 stopovers received in April 2019. Mauritius saw its stopover arrivals grow from 2,830 in the first four months of 2021 to 243,086 in the first four months of this year. The number one source market in the first four months of 2022 was France with 68,182 stopover visitors followed by the United Kingdom with 36,409 stopovers, and South Africa 26,263 stopovers. These three markets together generated 53.8% of all stopovers in 2022. Mauritius received 460,870 stopovers through the first four months of 2019 with the total received during the first four months of 2022 being 52.8% of this total.
Aruba received 101,696 stopover visitors in April 2022, 6.0% more than the 95,912 stopovers received in March. According to the Aruba Tourism Authority, Aruba received 101,696 stopover arrivals in April 2022, 6.0% more than the 95,912 stopovers it received in March 2022 and 8.2% more than the 93,953 stopover visitors received in April 2019. Compared with 2019, stopover arrivals from the USA increased by 14.2%, growing from 72,681 arrivals in April 2019 to 83,033 arrivals in April 2022. Arrivals from the USA comprised 81.6% of all arrivals in April 2022 up from 77.4% in April 2019. Arrivals from Canada decreased by 30.2%, falling from 3,997 in April 2019 to 2,788 stopovers in April 2022. Arrivals from the Netherlands increased by 18.8%, growing from 3,669 in April 2019 to 4,360 in April of this year. Aruba re-opened its ports to visitors in June 2021 and during April 2022 received 21 cruise ship calls and a total of 36,963 cruise passengers. The number of visitors staying in hotels in April 2022 declined by 5.0% compared with April 2019, falling from 50,671 visitors in 2019 to 48,161 in April 2022. The share of visitors staying in hotels fell from 53.9% in April 2019 to 47.4% in April 2022. 30,780 visitors used timeshare accommodation in April 2022, 23.1% more than the 24,999 visitors who used such accommodation in April 2019, with the sector’s share growing from 26.6% in April 2019 to 30.2% in April 2022. Visitors using other accommodation – private homes, condominiums, short term rental accommodation and apartments – increased by 24.5% when comparing April 2019 with April 2022, growing from 18,283 visitors in 2019 to 22,755 in 2022, with the share growing from 19.5% in 2019 to 22.4% in 2022. In April 2022, the primary carrier was JetBlue which brought in 33,040 non-resident visitors, 32.5% of all stopover arrivals, while American Airlines brought in 19,507 non-resident visitors, 19.2% of all visitors. United Airlines brought in 14,148 visitors with Delta bringing in 12,007 visitors. These four carriers brought in 77.4% of all visitors in April of this year. The percentage of visitors 20 years old through 49 years old grew from 43.3% in April 2019 to 45.0% in April 2022. The percentage 60 years old or older fell from 19.8% in April 2019 to 18.9% in April 2022. In the first four months of 2022 Aruba saw a 96.0% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 171,112 visitors in the first four months of 2021 to 335,362 visitors in the first four months of this year. The number of stopovers from the USA grew by 79.0% during the first four months, from 150,860 in the first four months of 2021 to 270,061 in the same four months of 2022. The 335,362 stopover visitors received in the first four months of 2022 was 86.4% of the 388,139 stopovers received in the first four months of 2019. The 270,061 stopovers received from the USA in the first four months of 2022, was 92.9% of the 290,623 stopovers received from the USA in the first four months of 2019. The share of stopovers from the USA grew from 74.9% in the first quarter of 2019 to 80.5% in the same four months of 2022. The number of visitors staying in hotels in the first four months of 2022 declined by 25.2% compared with the same four months of 2019, falling from 196,252 visitors in 2019 to 146,900 in the same four months of 2022. The share of visitors staying in hotels fell from 50.6% in the first four months of 2019 to 43.8% in the same four months of 2022. In the first four months of 2022 99,491 visitors used timeshare accommodation, 1.4% more than the 98,158 visitors who used such accommodation in the first four months of 2019, with the sector’s share growing from 25.3% in 2019 to 29.7% in 2022. Visitors using other accommodation – private homes, condominiums, short term rental accommodation and apartments – fell by 5.1% when comparing the first four months of 2019 with the same four months of 2022, falling from 93,726 visitors in 2019 to 88,971 in 2022, but the share grew from 24.1% in 2019 to 26.5% in 2022. In the first four months of 2022 the primary carrier was JetBlue which brought in 103,389 non-resident visitors, 30.8% of all stopover arrivals, while American Airlines brought in 66,254 non-resident visitors, 19.8% of all visitors. United Airlines brought in 47,304 visitors with Delta bringing in 39,963 visitors. These four carriers brought in 76.6% of all visitors in the first four months of 2022. The percentage of visitors 20 years old through 49 years old grew from 41.6% in the first four months of 2019 to 45.7% in the same four months of 2022. The percentage 60 years old or older fell from 23.9% in 2019 to 20.9% in 2022. Aruba received 142 cruise ship calls in the first four months of 2022 with 192,116 cruise passengers compared with the 143 calls cruise ships made in the same four months of 2019 with 355,435 passengers. The average number of passengers per call fell by 45.6%, from 2,486 visitors in 2019 to 1,353 visitors in 2022.
AHATA reports Aruba’s hotels achieved an 80.3% average room occupancy in April 2022, up 6.2 percentage points from the 74.1% achieved in March. The Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association reports that average hotel room occupancy in Aruba’s hotels in April 2022 was 80.3%, 6.2 percentage points higher than the 74.1% achieved in March 2022. Aruba closed its orders to international travel as of April 17, 2020, and while the borders re-opened as of July 2020, Aruba’s hotels achieved a 51.7% average room occupancy in April 2021. Average occupancy in April 2022 was 2.3 percentage points lower than the 82.6% average room occupancy achieved in April 2019. ADR was $323.04 in April 2022, 31.0% higher than in April 2021, and 12.2% higher than in April 2019. RevPar was $259.52 in April 2022, 103.5% higher than in April 2021 and 9.1% higher than in April 2019. Through the first four months of 2022 AHATA reports that Aruba’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 66.7% compared with 35.2% for the first four months of 2021. Again, compared with the first four months of 2021, ADR grew by 27.6% from $270.87 to $345.54 in the first four months of 2022. RevPar grew by 141.6% from $95.46 in 2021 to $230.60 in 2022. By comparison with the first four months of 2019 average room occupancy was 21.2 percentage points lower in 2022, while ADR was 2.8%, higher and revpar was 21.9% lower. Aruba’s timeshare resorts reported an average occupancy of 88% in April 2022. AHATA is projecting that Aruba’s hotels will achieve an average room occupancy of 79% for May, 78% for June, 83% for July and 74% for 2022 as a whole. Aruba’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 84.4% in CY 2019.
Orlando’s Airports saw a 47.0% increase in international deplanements in March 2022. Orlando, Florida is served by two primary airports, Orlando International (MCO) and Sanford International Airport (SFB). In March 2022, the two airports combined saw an increase of 47.0% in international deplanements, growing from 147,624 deplanements from international airports in February 2022 to 216,961 international deplanements in March 2022. Orlando International handled 97.4% of all international deplanements. International deplanements made up 8.9% of total deplanements in March 2022. The two airports combined saw a 21.4% increase in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, growing from 1,828,172 domestic deplanements in February 2022 to 2,219,539 in March 2022. In the first three months of 2022, the two airports combined saw an increase of 402.2% in international deplanements, growing from 103,083 deplanements from international airports in the first three months of 2021 to 517,636 international deplanements in the first three months of 2022. The 517,636 international deplanements were 56.8% of the 911,930 international deplanements received in the first three months of 2019. The two airports combined saw a 54.0% increase in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, growing from 3,696,136 domestic deplanements in the first three months of 2021 to 5,691,051in the same three months of 2022. Domestic deplanements handled in 2022 were 96.7% of the 5,885,209 domestic deplanements handled in the first three months of 2019. The two airports combined saw a 63.4% increase in total deplanements, growing from 3,799,219 deplanements in the first three months of 2021 to 6,208,687 in the first three months of 2022. Total deplanements in YTD 2022 were 91.3% of the 6,797,139 deplanements handled in the first three months of 2019. Airbnb In Hawaii: Short Term Rentals Will No Longer Be Allowed In The Island Of Oahu Brunno Braga | Fri, May 6, 2022 Visitors who are looking for an Airbnb in Hawaii may have some problems in the near future. Oahu, Hawaii’s most visited island, has just passed a law that will require a minimum stay of 90 days (about 3 months) in short term rental contracts. These are terms of accommodation negotiated on platforms such as Airbnb, among others. Currently, the minimum period of stay for those who rent vacation homes or even, during the pandemic, to work remotely with a view of the sea is 30 days. The new law, approved by the City Council, was signed by Mayor of Honolulu Rick Blangiardi on April 27 and is expected to come into effect on October 23. Blangiardi stated that this law aims to protect local communities and preserve natural resources in the decades to come. According to the law, There are two kinds of STRs (short term rentals): Bed and breakfast homes (B&Bs) The homeowner or permanent resident is present during the transient stay. Up to two rooms may be rented, with a maximum of two adult transient occupants per room. Transient vacation units (TVUs) Commonly known as whole home or unhosted rentals. A maximum of two adult transient occupants are allowed per room. The bill also emphasizes that any advertisement of a rental or dwelling unit that is not a registered short-term rental (STR) may not include daily or less than three-month rental rates and must include the statement: “This property may not be rented for less than 90 consecutive days. Rental prices will not be reduced or adjusted based on the number of days the rental is actually used or occupied.” Short-term rentals on the island of Oahu will also only be allowed in select areas of the island, which have already received zoning for resorts such as Waikiki, the region’s famous tourist district, Turtle Bay and Ko Olina. There will be some exceptions in residential areas close to resorts, where it will also be possible to obtain temporary accommodations, according to Hawaii News Now. This new situation for Airbnb in Hawaii led the app to oppose the law approved by the Honolulu City Council. The rental app said in an official statement that the company was “deeply concerned” with the changes expressed. In an interview with Lonely Planet, Toral Patel, Airbnb Hawaii’s Public Policy manager said that the company is encouraging the Council to make more exceptions. She explained that disaster relief workers and displaced residents rely on the platform for medium-term rentals due to natural disasters, citing the eruption of the Kīlauea volcano in 2018 that displaced thousands of residents on the Oahu island. Airbnb also stressed that tenants such as medical workers, military personnel and nonprofits who require the use of short-term rentals in O’ahu should be included, once many of them travel to work to assist local communities and thus temporary accommodations are required.
Seychelles received 32,500 tourist arrivals in April 2022, 13.3% more than the 28,685 arrivals received in March. According to The Seychelles Government’s National Bureau of Statistics, The Seychelles saw a 13.3% increase in visitor arrivals in April 2022, growing from 28,685 arrivals received in March 2022 to 32,500 arrivals in April 2022. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors, and transit visitors. Of the 32,500 arrivals 32,241 were stopover visitors and there were 259 transit visitors. Seychelles re-opened to international visitors from most countries as of April 25th 2021 with visitors being required to produce evidence of a negative PCR test. Seychelles consequently received 14,245 tourist arrivals in April 2021. The 32,500 visitor arrivals received in April 2022 were 87.6% of the 37,103 arrivals received in April 2019. The number one source market in April 2022 was France which generated 4,651 visitors (14.3% of the total for the month) followed by Germany, with 3,892 visitors (12.0%). In the first four months of 2022 Seychelles saw a 423.8% increase in total visitor arrivals, growing from 21,030 arrivals in the first four months of 2021 to 110,155 arrivals in the first four months of 2022. The 110,155 stopovers received in the first four months of 2022 were 79.5% of the 138,617 received in the first four months of 2019. The number one source market in the first four months of 2022 was France which generated 15,760 visitors, 14.3% of all visitor arrivals for those first four months, followed by Russia, which generated 13,172 visitors, 12.0% of the overall total. Germany generated 12,048 visitors in the same four months.
Orlando saw an 8.8 percentage point increase in average room occupancy in March 2022, growing from 73.7% in February 2022 to 82.5% this March. According to STR Orlando had 126,493 hotel rooms in March 2022 and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 82.5%, up 8.8 percentage points compared with February 2022 (73.7%), and an ADR of $173.32 up 11.8% compared with February 2022 ($154.98). Orlando’s theme parks closed to visitors as of March 15th, 2020 and consequently Orlando’s hotels experienced an average room occupancy of 57.7% in March 2021. In the first three months of 2022 Orlando’s hotels saw an average hotel room occupancy of 71.7%, up 26.4 percentage points from the 45.3% achieved in the first three months of 2021. ADR increased by 57.0% from $99.79 for the first three months of 2021 to $156.67 for the first three months of 2022. Cancun saw a 9.6% drop in international air passenger movements in April 2022 compared with March 2022. According to ASUR, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Cancun Airport saw a 9.6% decline in international passenger movements in April 2022, falling from 1,951,459 movements in March 2022 to 1,764,137 movements in April 2022. Domestic passenger movements increased by 8.7%, from 784,985 passenger movements in March 2022 to 853,177 movements in April 2022. While the 1,764,137 international passenger movements were 90.7% more than the 924,052 handled in April 2021 they were also 17.0% more than the 1,507,701 passengers handled in April 2019. Equally, while the 853,177 domestic passenger movements were 19.4% more than the 714,687 handled in April 2021 they were also 14.5% more than the 745,015 domestic passengers handled in April 2019. In the first four months of 2022, the volume of international air passenger movements increased by 119.5%, growing from 3,063,842 movements in 2021 to 6,724,436 movements in the first four months of 2022, while the volume of domestic air passenger movements increased by 19.3%, from 2,460,863 movements in the first four months of 2021 to 2,934,824 in the same four months of 2022. By comparison with the first four months of 2019 the volume of international air passenger movements in 2022 was 7.3% more than the 2019 total, growing from 6,267,922 movements in 2019 to 6,724,436 movements in the first four months of 2022, while the volume of 2022 domestic air passenger movements was 11.0% more than the 2019 total, growing from 2,644,198 movements in the first four months of 2019 to 2,934,824 in the same four months of 2022. In the first four months of 2022 international passenger movements accounted for 69.6% of all passenger movements, up from 55.5% in 2021, but down from 70.3% achieved in the first four months of 2019.
San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) saw a 3.3% drop in total air passenger movements in April 2022 compared with March 2022. According to ASUR, which manages many airports in Mexico, Colombia and which also manages the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, SJU saw a 3.3% decline in total passenger movements in April 2022, falling from 918,236 movements in March 2022 to 888,029 movements in April 2022. While the 888,029 total passenger movements were 16.0% more than the 765,561 handled in April 2021 they were also 17.9% more than the 752,910 passengers handled in April 2019. In the first four months of 2022 the overall volume of air passenger movements handled at San Juan’s airport increased by 29.6%, from 2,530,434 in 2021 to 3,278,748 in the same four months of 2022. The total for the first four months of 2022 was 7.4% more than the 3,053,418 passengers handled in the same four months of 2019.
The Islands of The Bahamas received 464,690 cruise visitors in March 2022, 53.5% more than the 302,787 received in February. According to The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism The Islands of The Bahamas received 464,690 cruise visitors by first port of entry in March 2022, 53.5% more than the 302,787 cruise visitors received in February 2022. Of the 464,690 cruise visitors 190,131 (40.9%) called at Nassau as their first port of entry, 252,348 (54.3%) cruise visitors called at a Family Island port as their first port of entry and 22,211 (4.8%) cruise visitors called at Grand Bahama as their first port of entry. The 464,690 cruise visitors received in March 2022 were 87.7% of the 530,038 cruise visitors received in March 2019. The Bahamas received 1,003,441 cruise visitors in the first three months of 2022, 68.0% of the 1,474,573 cruise visitors received in the first three months of 2019. Of the 1,003,441 cruise visitors 420,378 (41.9%) called at Nassau as their first port of entry, 544,186 (54.2%) cruise visitors called at a Family Island port as their first port of entry and 38,877 (3.9%) cruise visitors called at Grand Bahama as their first port of entry. IATA announces passenger recovery continued in March. 4 May 2022 | IATA recently announced passenger data for March 2022 demonstrating that the recovery of air travel continues. Impacts from the conflict in Ukraine on air travel demand were quite limited overall while Omicron-related effects continued to be confined largely to Asian domestic markets. Total traffic in March 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was up 76.0% compared with March 2021. Although that was lower than the 115.9% rise in February year-over-year demand, volumes in March were the closest to 2019 pre-pandemic levels, at 41% below. March 2022 domestic traffic was up 11.7% compared with the year-ago period, far below the 59.4% year-over-year improvement recorded in February. This largely was a result of the Omicron-related lockdowns in China. March domestic RPKs were down 23.2% versus March 2019. International RPKs rose 285.3% versus March 2021, exceeding the 259.2% gain experienced in February versus the year-earlier period. Most regions boosted their performance compared with the prior month, led by carriers in Europe. March 2022 international RPKs were down 51.9% compared with the same month in 2019. “With barriers to travel coming down in most places, we are seeing the long-expected surge in pent-up demand finally being realized. Unfortunately, we are also seeing long delays at many airports with insufficient resources to handle the growing numbers. This must be addressed urgently to avoid frustrating consumer enthusiasm for air travel,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. Some government actions are also emerging as key impediments to recovery. This is demonstrated most dramatically in the Netherlands. “Schiphol airport is being allowed by the regulator to repay itself on the back of airlines and consumers for COVID-19 losses with a 37% hike in airport charges over the next three years. Simultaneously, the airport has asked airlines to cancel bookings and new sales this week, at huge inconvenience to passengers, claiming shortfalls in airport staffing, including government-provided security functions. And the government itself is planning to increase passenger taxes by €400 million annually with the stated purpose of discouraging travel. “Seeing the Dutch government work to dismantle connectivity, fail to provide critical airport operational resources, and enable price gouging by its hub airport is a destructive triple whammy. These actions will cost jobs. They will hurt consumers who are already struggling with price inflation. And they will deplete resources that airlines need to achieve their Net Zero sustainability commitment. The Dutch government has forgotten a key lesson from the COVID-19 crisis, which is that everyone’s quality of life suffers without efficient air connectivity. It must reverse course, and others must not follow their terrible example. To secure the recovery and its economic and social benefits, the immediate priority is for governments to have plans in place to meet expected demand this summer. Many people have waited two years for a summer holiday. It should not be ruined through lack of preparation,” said Walsh.
Mexico received 1,989,120 international air arrivals in March 2022, up 25.0% compared with February. According to the Government of Mexico’s SECTUR (Department of Tourism) Mexico received 1,989,120 international air arrivals in March 2022, up 25.0% compared with the 1,591,155 arrivals received in February 2022. Mexico’s border with the USA was closed as of March 20, 2020 and consequently Mexico received 904,052 international visitors in March 2021. The 1,989,120 international air arrivals received in March 2022 were 97.6% of the 2,037,450 international air visitors received in March 2019. Mexico received 1,315,293 air visitors from the USA in March 2022, 66.1% of the total. Canada was the second biggest market (214,536 visitors) with Colombia third largest (69,803 visitors). Cancun Airport received 946,871 international air visitor arrivals in March 2022, 47.6% of the overall total. Los Cabos received 229,437 international air arrivals with Puerto Vallarta receiving 204,558 international air visitors. In the first three months of 2022 the volume of international air arrivals to Mexico increased by 138.5%, from 2,105,930 arrivals in 2021 to 5,021,991 arrivals in the same three months of 2022. The 5,021,991 arrivals received in the first three months of 2022 were 92.9% of the 5,404,160 international arrivals received in the first three months of 2019. The volume of air arrivals from the USA increased by 101.2% in the first three months of 2022, from 1,583,015 air arrivals in 2021 to 3,185,499 air arrivals in the first three months of 2022 while the volume from Canada grew from 33,047 in 2021 to 510,811 in the first three months of 2022. Cancun Airport saw a 133.5% increase in international air arrivals in the first three months of 2022, growing from 1,025,268 arrivals in 2021 to 2,393,902 arrivals in the first three months of 2022 while Los Cabos saw a 1110.3% increase growing from 261,453 international air arrivals in 2021 to 549,713 air arrivals in the first three months of 2022. Puerto Vallarta saw a 211.4% increase, growing from 162,350 international arrivals in 2021 to 505,536 international arrivals in the same three months of 2022.
Los Cabos handled 414,500 international passenger movements in April 2022, 10.7% fewer than the 463,900 handled in March. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Los Cabos Airport saw a 10.7% decline in international passenger traffic in April 2022, that is enplanements and deplanements, falling from 463,900 international passenger movements in March 2022 to 414,500 international passenger movements in April 2022. Mexico re-opened to international tourist arrivals as of June 8th, 2020, and consequently Los Cabos handled 276,100 international passenger movements in April 2021. The 414,500 international passenger movements seen in April 2022 were 19.9% more than the 345,800 international movements handled in April 2019. Domestic traffic increased by 15.5%, growing from 185,300 passenger movements in March 2022 to 214,000 passenger movements in April 2022. Los Cabos handled 167,500 domestic passenger movements in April 2021. The 214,000 domestic passenger movements seen in April 2022 were 32.1% more than the 162,000 domestic passenger movements handled in April 2019. Through the first four months of 2022 Los Cabos Airport saw international passenger movements increase by 89.9%, from 810,500 in 2021 to 1,539,400 in the first four months of 2022. Domestic passenger movements increased by 36.0% in the first four months of 2022, growing from 534,400 passengers in 2021 to 726,800 passengers in the first four months of 2022. By comparison with the first four months of 2019 international passenger movements were up by 9.8%, while domestic movements increased by 30.6%.
Montego Bay Airport handled 401,300 total passenger movements in April 2022, 4.1% more than the 385,700 handled in March. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Montego Bay Airport increase by 4.1% in April 2022, growing from 385,700 total movements in March 2022 to 401,300 movements in April 2022. The total number of passenger movements in April 2022 was 94.5% of the 424,700 passengers handled in April 2019. It should be noted that Jamaica closed its borders to international visitors as of April 21st, 2020 and re-opened to such visitors as of June 15th 2020. As a result, Montego Bay Airport handled 157,600 passenger movements in April 2021. Through the first four months of 2022 Montego Bay Airport saw total passenger movements increase by 187.5%, from 462,200 in 2021 to 1,329,000 in the first four months of 2022. The 2022 total of 1,329,000 movements was 75.4% of the 1,762,700 passenger movements handled in the first four months of 2019. Thus far in 2022 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
Kingston, Jamaica Airport handled 115,900 total passenger movements in April 2022, an increase of 17.8% compared with March. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Kingston Jamaica’s Airport increase by 17.8% in April 2022, growing from 98,400 total movements in March 2022 to 115,900 total passenger movements in April 2022. Numbers for April 2019 are not available. While Kingston Airport re-opened to international travelers as of June 15th, 2020, the total number of passenger movements in April 2021 was 45,000 passengers. Through the first four months of 2022 Kingston’s Airport saw total passenger movements grow by 138.6%, from 160,500 in 2021 to 383,000 in the first four months of 2022. Thus far, in 2022, international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
Cuba announces it received 128,817 international stopover visitors in March 2022, 29.8% more than the 99,266 received in February 2022. The Cuban Government’s Office of National Statistics and Information (ONEI) recently announced that total international tourist arrivals increased by 29.8% in March 2022, growing from 99,266 international stopover arrivals in February 2022 to 128,817 arrivals in March 2022. This number includes both stopover visitors and cruise visitors. Cuba closed its borders to international tourist arrivals on March 20 2020 re-opening in November 2021 and consequently received just 12,542 international stopovers in March 2021. The 128,817 stopovers received in March 2022 were 24.7% of the 521,422 international visitors received in March 2019. Cuba received 52,871 stopovers from Canada in March 2022, 4e1.0% of all stopovers received for the month. The number of stopovers from Russia fell from 22,798 in the month of February 2022 to just 807 in March. In the first three months of 2022 Cuba saw a 554.1% increase in total international arrivals, growing from 48,095 arrivals in 2021 to 314,566 stopovers this year. The 314,566 arrivals were 21.4% of the 1,470,457 international visitors received in the first three months of 2019. Total tourist arrivals from Canada grew from 2,216 stopovers in the first three months of 2021, to 93,692 in the same three months of 2022 and was the number one source market with a 29.8% share. Stopovers from Russia grew from 21,462 in the first three months of 2021 to 36,678 in the same three months of 2022. Cubans living abroad accounted for 65,249 of all international visitors arriving in the first three months of 2022, up from 7,307 in the same three months of 2021. Jamaica received 162,882 stopover visitors in February 2022, 23.6% more than the 131,730 stopovers received in January. According to the Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica received 162,882 stopover arrivals in February 2022, 23.6% more than the 131,730 stopovers received in January 2022 and 74.0% of the 220,046 stopovers received in February 2019. Jamaica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and reopened again on June 15th 2020. Jamaica consequently had 43,798 arrivals in February 2021. Stopover arrivals from the USA totaled 120,629 in February 2022, that is 86.3% of the 139,843 stopovers received from the USA in February 2019. Stopover arrivals from the USA comprised 74.1% of all stopover arrivals received in February 2022. Jamaica re-opened its ports to cruise ships in August 2021 and received 29,335 cruise passengers during February 2022. Through the first two months of 2022 Jamaica saw a 57.0% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 790,240 stopover arrivals in the first two months of 2021 to 1,241,066 arrivals in the same two months of 2022. The 1,241,066 stopovers received in the first two months of 2022 were 51.7% of the 2,399,805 stopovers received in the first two months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 236.2% in the first two months of 2022, growing from 87,629 arrivals in 2021 to 294,612 arrivals in the same two months of 2022. The USA’s share of all stopover arrivals fell from 91.7% in the first two months of 2021 to 74.5% in the same two months of 2022. Jamaica has received 50,445 cruise passengers through February 2022, 88.8% fewer than the 451,856 cruise visitors received in the same two months of 2019.
Belize received 41,879 stopover visitors in March 2022, 38.5% more than the 30,238 visitors received in February. According to the Belize Tourism Board, Belize received 41,879 stopover visitors in March 2022, up 38.5% from the 30,238 stopover visitors received in February 2022. Belize closed its borders as of April 5th 2020, and consequently just received 15,444 stopover visitors in March 2021. The country reopened to visitors arriving by air as of October 1st 2020 and to visitors arriving by land and sea on May 31st 2021. The 41,879 stopover visitors received in March 2022 were 72.6% of the 57,697 stopover visitors received in March 2019. Belize received 33,550 stopover arrivals from the USA in March 2022, 3,023 from Europe, 2,237 from Canada and 209 from Mexico. Belize received 48 cruise ship calls in March 2022 with 93,836 cruise visitors. Belize re-opened to cruise visitors as of July 2021. In the first three months of 2022 Belize saw the number of stopovers increase by 222.8%, from 30,290 stopover visitors in the first three months of 2021 to 97,778 in the first three months of 2022. The 97,778 visitors received in 2022 were 61.8% of the 158,155 received in the first three months of 2019. Stopovers from the USA increased by 222.8% in the first three months of 2022, from 24,103 in 2021 to 77,793 in the same three months of 2022. Stopovers from Canada grew from 480 stopover visitors in the first three months of 2021 to 5,214 visitors in the same three months of 2022, while stopovers from Europe grew from 769 stopovers in Q1 of 2021 to 7,166 visitors in the first three months of 2022. Belize received 199,229 cruise visitors in the first three months of 2022, down 56.4% compared with the 456,987 cruise visitors received in the first three months of 2019. The Maldives reports it received 150,748 stopover visitor arrivals in March 2022, 1.2% more than the 149,008 received in February. The Maldives Government’s Ministry of Tourism recently announced that The Maldives received 150,748 stopover visitors in March 2022, up 1.2% from the 149,008 stopovers received in February 2022. The Maldives closed its borders to tourist arrivals on March 27th 2020 and re-opened to all tourists as of July 15th 2020. Consequently, the Maldives received 109,585 stopover visitors in March 2021. The 150,748 stopovers received in March 2022 were 92.6% of the 162,843 stopovers received in March 2019. In March 2022 India was the number one source market and generated 21,163 stopovers (14.0% share of total) while the United Kingdom was number two with 19,330 stopovers (12.8% share). Germany was number three with 13,580 stopovers. The Maldives saw the overall number of operating accommodation establishments grow by 39.8% from 694 in March 2021 to 970 establishments in March 2022. The number of beds in operation grew by 18.4% from 46,179 in March 2021 to 54,661 in March 2022. Through the end of March 2022 overall average room occupancy had grown by 4.9 percentage points from 60.8% in March 2021 to 65.7% for March 2022. Of the 970 establishments in operation 164 were resorts which offered 39,064 beds. These resorts achieved a 76.0% average room occupancy during March 2022 up from 69.5% for March 2021. The Maldives saw a 44.5% increase in total arrivals in the first three months of 2022, growing from 298,570 stopovers in the first three months of 2021 to 431,520 stopovers in the same three months of 2022 with Russia (52,235 visitors) and the United Kingdom (50,584 visitors) being the two largest source markets in these three months. The 431,520 visitors received in the first three months of 2022 was 89.3% of the 482,978 visitors received in the first three months of 2019. The Maldives saw the overall number of operating accommodation establishments grow by 47.4% from an average of 650 in the first three months of 2021 to an average of 958 establishments in the same three months of 2022. The number of beds in operation grew by 20.3% from 45,155 in the first three months of 2021 to 54,316 in the same three months of this year. Through the end of March 2022 overall average room occupancy had grown by 8.8 percentage points from 60.7% in 2021 to 69.5% for the first three months of this year. Of the 958 establishments in operation 163 were resorts which offered 38,903 beds. These resorts achieved an 80.1% average room occupancy through the first three months of 2022 up from 69.9% for the first three months of 2021. Through the first three months of 2021 there was an average of 147 resorts in operation offering 34,416 beds. IATA: 'Inevitable' that airlines will raise fares. The boss of the International Air Transport Association has said it is "absolutely inevitable" that airlines would have to put up fares in the coming months in response to rising fuel costs. Willie Walsh said he does not see how airlines could carry the additional costs, given the fragile balance sheets that they have and the low profitability or continuing losses they are recording. "So ultimately this will find its way through into higher fares," he told RTÉ news at the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation annual conference. "Fuel is the single biggest cost of an airline. If you look over the past ten years for the industry it averaged 27%. We've seen it before as high as 35% back in 2008 when fuel prices were up near $150 a barrel." "So, I don't see any way that airlines can absorb this huge increase in cost." Mr. Walsh, who is a former chief executive of Aer Lingus, British Airways and their parent International Airlines Group, said the recovery in aviation is looking quite positive. He said the feeling was always that once border restrictions were removed or relaxed there would be a recovery in flying. "In fact, I think the recovery is a little bit stronger than most people had expected," he said. However, he added that getting back to 2019 levels of activity would be a real challenge and depends on what part of the world an airline is operating in. "The positive is that it hasn't deterred people from flying, but we have to rebuild the infrastructure which has been damaged as a result of the two years of significant lockdown," he said. Mr. Walsh said it isn't fair to criticize airlines and airports for not correctly predicting the speed of recovery and therefore in some cases not being ready for the levels of demand. He said employee security checks, where there have been delays for example, are dependent on other agencies, as airlines don't do that themselves. He added that the whole value chain was not correctly connected up in anticipation of a recovery. "It is very tough to be an airline CEO at the moment, the challenges facing them are significant," he said. "I think it is natural that airlines would have been conservative and cautious about the pace of buildup." Asked about whether the current energy crisis would help speed up the adoption in use of sustainable aviation fuel, Mr. Walsh said it would. "I think this is providing an incentive because not only has the differential in the cost come down, but I think people see the advantage of having greater independence, of not having to be reliant on jet kerosene because sustainable fuels can be produced anywhere," he said. He said a lot is being done to make air transport cleaner and last year airlines had used every single drop of sustainable aviation fuel available to them. "It is not a case of airlines needing to be told or forcing them to use it. In fact, they want to use it, even at today's price differential," he said. Transport represents almost a quarter of Europe's greenhouse gas emissions and within that 13% of emissions come from aviation.
U.S. citizens’ outbound travel from the USA to international destinations increased by 5.8% in February 2022 compared to January 2022. The United States Government’s Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) recently released the figures for U.S. citizens outbound travel from the USA to international destinations for February 2022.
The overall number of trips taken by US citizens to international destinations increased by 5.8% in February 2022, growing from 4,029,838 trips in January 2022 to 4,265,343 trips in February 2022.
The number of trips taken to the Caribbean increased by 25.4%, growing from 504,289 trips in January 2022 to 632,579 trips in February 2022.
Given that many countries had restrictions in place in February 2021, limiting international arrivals, only 229,881 US citizens visited Caribbean countries in February 2021.
The 632,579 trips taken to the Caribbean in February 2022 were 79.3% of the 797,839 trips taken to the Caribbean in February 2019. The Caribbean’s share of all international trips increased however from 12.0% in February 2019 to 14.8% in February 2022.
Trips to Europe increased by 0.9% in February, growing from 366,403 trips in January 2022 to 369,862 trips in February 2022. Trips to Europe were 8.7% of trips taken by US citizens in February 2022. The 369,862 trips taken by US citizens to Europe in February 2022 were 48.4% of the 761,675 trips taken to Europe in February 2019.
The number of trips taken to Mexico by air increased by 12.8%, growing from 855,823 trips in January 2022 to 964,914 trips in February 2022. The 964,914 trips were 16.2% more than the 830,538 trips taken to Mexico by air by US citizens in February 2019.
The percentage share of trips taken by air to Mexico increased from 13.1% in February 2019 to 22.6% in February 2022.
Please note the NTTO’s definition of the Caribbean does not include Puerto Rico or the United States Virgin Islands as, for the purposes of the study, they are deemed to be US territories and the focus of the system (APIS) is non-stop air traffic (segmented here for U.S. citizens) to foreign countries. In the first two months of 2022
The overall number of trips taken by US citizens to international destinations increased by 88.5% in the first two months of 2022, growing from 4.40 million trips in the first two months of 2021 to 8.29 million trips in the same two months of 2022.
The 8,295,181 total international trips taken in the first two months of 2022 were 63.7% of the 13,019,725 trips taken in the first two months of 2019.
The number of trips taken to the Caribbean increased by 148.2% in the first two months of 2022, growing from 458,066 trips in 2021, to 1,136,868 trips in the first two months of 2022. The share of trips taken to the Caribbean grew from 10.4% in 2021 to 13.7% in 2022.
The 1,136,868 trips taken to the Caribbean in the first two months of 2022 were 73.6% of the 1,545,344 trips taken by US residents to the Caribbean in the first two months of 2019.
Trips to Europe grew from 150,274 trips in the first two months of 2021 to 736,265 trips in the same two months of 2022. The 736,265 trips taken in 2022 were 46.4% of the 1,587,381 trips taken to Europe in the first two months of 2019.
The number of trips taken to Mexico by air grew by 119.6%, from 829,226 trips in the first two months of 2021 to 1,820,737 in the same two months of 2022. The 1,820,737 trips were 13.0% more than the 1,610,757 trips taken by US citizens by air to Mexico in the first two months of 2019. This segment’s share of all trips grew from 18.8% in the first two months of 2021 to 21.9% in the same two months of 2022.
Punta Cana received 376,987 tourists in March 2022, 19.1% more than the 316,672 tourists who visited in February 2022. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, received 376,987 stopovers in March 2022, 19.1% more than the 316,672 stopovers received in February 2022 but 6.1% fewer than the 401,518 stopovers received in March 2019. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and re-opened to tourists as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Punta Cana received 113,904 visitors in March 2021. Punta Cana received 164,648 stopover arrivals from the USA in March 2022, 43.7% of all tourist arrivals and 39.4% more than the 118,122 stopovers received in February 2022. Punta Cana saw its traffic from the USA grow by 109.1% in March 2022 from 78,728 arrivals received from the USA in March 2021 Traffic from Canada increased from 115 arrivals in March 2021 to 69,963 arrivals in March 2022. Traffic from Russia collapsed from 17,104 arrivals in February 2022 to just 422 arrivals in March 2022. Also, in March traffic from France grew from 173 stopovers in March 2021 to 20,488 in March this year while traffic from Germany grew from 1,608 arrivals in March 2021 to 17,931 in March 2022. Arrivals from the UK grew from 71 in March 2021 to 15,347 in March 2022. Colombia generated 11,964 stopovers in March 2022 while Argentina generated 11,727. In March 2022, stopover arrivals to Punta Cana made up 61.0% of all non-resident arrivals to the Dominican Republic compared with 36.3% in March 2021. According to Asonahores Punta Cana’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 75.5% in March 2022, 37.8% percentage points higher than the 37.7% achieved in March 2021 but 11.8% percentage points less than the 87.3% achieved in March 2019. During the first three months of 2022 Punta Cana saw a 278.0% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 261,303 arrivals in the first three months of 2021 to 987,598 non-resident arrivals in the first three months of 2022. However, the total for 2022 was 89.6% of the 1,102,576 stopovers received in the first three months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 140.7% in the first three months of 2022, growing from 159,077 arrivals in the first three months of 2021 to 382,965 arrivals in the same three months of 2022. Traffic from Canada grew from 4,282 arrivals in the first three months of 2021 to 142,177 arrivals in the first three months of 2021. Traffic also increased from the UK, growing from 162 arrivals in the first three months of 2021 to 38,599 stopovers in the same three months of 2022. Traffic increased by 193.3% from Colombia, was up 1,029.7% from Germany, up 237.8% from Spain and up 626.0% from France. In the first three months of 2022, stopover arrivals to Punta Cana made up 57.6% of all non-resident arrivals to the Dominican Republic compared with 36.4% in the same three months of 2021. Punta Cana’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 77.5% in the first three months of 2022, 42.4% percentage points higher than the 35.1% achieved in the first three months of 2021 but 11.3% percentage points less than the 88.8% achieved in the first three months of 2019.
The Dominican Republic received 617,756 tourists in March 2022, 9.1% more than the 566,235 tourists who visited in February 2022. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, received 617,756 stopovers in March 2022, 9.1% more than the 566,235 stopovers received in February 2022 but 8.2% fewer than the 672,969 stopovers received in March 2019. The Dominican Republic received 313,289 stopover visitors in March 2021. The Dominican Republic received 245,507 stopover arrivals from the USA in March 2022, 39.7% of all tourist arrivals and 30.3% more than the 188,447 stopovers received in February 2022. The Dominican Republic received 141,660 arrivals from the USA in March 2021. Traffic from Canada grew from 360 arrivals in March 2021 to 86,137 arrivals in March 2022. Traffic from Russia fell from 42,705 arrivals in February 2022 to 526 arrivals in March 2022. As well, traffic from France grew from 1,029 stopovers in March 2021 to 24,349 in March this year while traffic from Germany grew from 2,494 arrivals in March 2021 to 22,597 in March 2022. Arrivals from the UK grew from 403 in March 2021 to 16,203 in March 2022. Colombia generated 14,973 stopovers in March 2022 while Argentina generated 12,971. In March 2022 16.0% of all non-resident tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic were non-resident Dominicans returning home, down from 33.4% of all arrivals in March 2021. According to Asonahores the Dominican Republic’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 71.7% in March 2022, 35.3% percentage points higher than the 36.4% achieved in March 2021 but 12.6% percentage points less than the 84.3% achieved in March 2019. In the first three months of 2022 the Dominican Republic saw a 139.2% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 717,085 arrivals in the first three months of 2021 to 1,714,947 non-resident arrivals in the same three months of 2022. Non-resident arrivals from the USA increased by 99.3% in the first three months of 2022, growing from 295,453 arrivals in 2021 to 588,702 arrivals from the USA in the first three months of 2022. Stopover arrivals from Canada grew from 6,098 in the first three months of 2021 to 175,506 in the same three months of 2022. The 1,714,947 stopovers received in the first three months of 2022 were 91.4% of the 1,876,144 stopovers received in the first three months of 2019. In the first three months of 2022 16.6% of all non-resident tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic were non-resident Dominicans returning home, down from 35.1% in the same three months of 2021. The Dominican Republic’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 72.9% in the first three months of 2022, 38.1% percentage points higher than the 34.8% achieved in the first three months of 2021 but 12.5% percentage points less than the 85.4% achieved in the first three months of 2019.
Las Vegas received 3,334,700 visitors in March 2022, 27.4% more than the 2,616,600 received in February 2022. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Las Vegas saw the volume of visitors increase by 27.4% in March 2022, growing from 2,616,600 arrivals in February 2022 to 3,334,700 in March of 2022. Las Vegas received 2,230,100 visitors in March 2021. The 3,334,700 arrivals received in March 2022 were 90.2% of the 3,697,100 arrivals received in March 2019. Las Vegas had a weighted average of 150,693 open hotel rooms in March 2022 (up 3.5% compared with March 2021) and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 80.6% (55.5% in March 2021), an ADR of $163.14 and a RevPar of $131.49. Gaming revenue increased by 24.1% in March 2022, from $949.87 million in February 2022 to $1.179 billion in March 2022. Gaming revenue in March 2022 was 33.5% higher than the $882.83 million in gaming revenue generated in March 2019. Through the first three months of 2022 Las Vegas saw a 66.4% increase in the volume of visitors, growing from 5,064,300 arrivals in the first three months of 2021 to 8,426,100 visitors in the same three months of 2022. The total number of visitors for the first three months of 2022 was 81.8% of the 10,299,100 received in the same three months of 2019. Las Vegas achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 69.8% in the first three months of 2022 (up 26.7 percentage points compared with the first three months of 2021), an ADR of $153.68 (up 58.3% compared with the same three months of 2021) and a RevPar of $107.27 up 156.3%, also compared with the same three months of 2021. Gaming revenue increased by 42.6% in the first three months of 2022, from $2.144 billion in 2021 to $3.057 billion in the same three months of 2022. Gaming revenue in the first three months of 2022 was 16.0% higher than the $2.636 billion in gaming revenue generated in the first three months of 2019.
Hawaii reports the state received 785,715 out-of-state tourists in March 2022, 26.0% more than the 623,691 received in February 2022. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 26.0% in March 2022, growing from 623,691 air arrivals received in February 2022 to 785,715 arrivals in March 2022. And, according to preliminary visitor statistics released by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), total spending for visitors arriving in March 2022 was $1.525 billion, up 16.4% compared with February 2022 and 2.5% higher than in March 2019. March also saw 3,216 cruise passengers visit the state. Hawaii received 439,785 out of state visitors in March 2021. The 785,715 arrivals received in March 2022 were 85.7% of the 917,026 arrivals received in March 2019. Hawaii received 686,038 air arrivals from the mainland USA in March 2022, 87.3% of the overall total, 54,475 arrivals from Canada, 4,038 arrivals from Japan and 41,164 air arrivals from other markets. Overall person per trip expenditures grew by 20.6% from $1,603.00 in March 2019 to $1,933.90 in March 2022. Through the first three months of 2022 Hawaii saw a 133.4% increase in the volume of air arrivals, growing from 847,044 air arrivals in the first three months of 2021 to 1,976,585 air arrivals in the same three months of 2022. Air arrivals in the first three months of 2022 were 79.5% of the 2,487,105 received in the first three months of 2019. For the first three months of 2022, total visitor spending was estimated to be $4.233 billion, 94.2% of the $4.494 billion spent in the first three months of 2019. Person per trip spending grew by 19.4% from $1,778.20 per person per trip in the first three months of 2019 to $2,123.40 per person per trip in the first three months of 2022. Air arrivals from the USA increased by 114.4% in the first three months of 2022, growing from 820,847 air arrivals in 2021 to 1,760,017 air arrivals in the same three months of 2022, from Japan grew from 2,910 stopovers in 2021 to 9,068 in the first three months of 2022 and grew from 3,716 stopovers from Canada in 2021 to 107,072 in the same three months of 2022. Hawaii received 17,176 cruise visitors in the first three months of 2022. Puerto Rico saw average hotel room occupancy increase to 59.3% in February 2022 growing by 12.0 points from the 47.3% achieved in January. According to the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC), the hotels and resorts endorsed by the PRTC saw the number of non-resident hotel registrations increase by 27.8% in February 2022, growing from 108,177 non-resident registrations in January 2022 to 138,247 registrations in February 2022. Registrations by local residents increased by 8.0%, growing from 39,586 in January 2022 to 42,750 in February 2022. The 138,247 non-resident hotel registrations achieved in February 2022 were 1.1% more than the 136,784 non-resident registrations achieved in February 2019. The PRTC reports that the number of hotel/resort available room nights decreased by 4.5%, falling from 396,144 in January 2022 to 378,417 in February 2022. The number of room nights available in February 2022 was 12.6% higher than in February 2019. The number of occupied room nights increased by 26.9%, growing from 192,704 in January 2022 to 244,614 in February 2022. The number of occupied room nights achieved in February 2022 was 99.1% of the total achieved in February 2019. Average room occupancy increased by 12.0 percentage points from the 47.3% achieved in January 2022 to 59.3% in February 2022. Average room occupancy in February 2019 was 73.5%. ADR increased by 0.7% growing from $280.37 in January 2022 to $282.36 in February 2022 and was 59.4% higher than the $177.19 achieved in February 2019. In the first two months of 2022 the number of non-resident hotel registrations increased by 42.9%, growing from 172,491 non-resident registrations in the first two months of 2021 to 246,424 registrations in the first two months of 2022. Registrations by local residents fell by 1.5% from 83,583 in 2021 to 82,336 in the same two months of 2022. The number of hotel/resort available room nights increased by 7.0% in the first two months of 2022, growing from 724,045 in 2021 to 774,561 in 2022. The number of occupied room nights increased by 39.2%, growing from 314,252 in 2021 to 437,318 in 2022. The overall average room occupancy grew by 10.6 percentage points from 42.6% in the first two months of 2021 to 53.2% in the same two months of 2022. ADR grew by 35.9% from $206.91 in 2021 to $280.37 in the same two months of 2022.
Hawaii’s hotels report a 3.1 percentage point increase in average room occupancy in March 2022 compared with February 2022, growing from 72.1% to 75.2% According to the Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report published by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), statewide hotel room occupancy grew by 3.1 percentage points from 72.1% in February 2022 to 75.2% in March of this year. ADR increased by 7.7% from $350.98 in February to $377.96 in March, while revpar increased by 12.2%, from $253.18 in February 2022 to $284.16 in March of this year. The hotel sector posted an average room occupancy of 43.0% in March 2021. Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide increased by 24.2%, from $393.7 million in February 2022 to $489.1 million in March 2022. Room demand increased by 15.4%, from 1,121,600 room nights in February 2022 to 1,294,200 room nights in March 2022 while room supply increased by 10.7%, from 1,554,900 room nights in February 2022 to 1,721,400 room nights in March. For the first three months of 2022 statewide hotel room occupancy increased by 38.6 percentage points from 32.2% in 2021 to 70.8% in the first three months of 2022. ADR increased by 35.5% from $267.30 in 2021 to $362.14 in 2022 while revpar grew by 195.8%, from $86.65 in the first three months of 2021 to $256.29 in the first three months of this year. By comparison with the first three months of 2019, average room occupancy fell from 80.5% in 2019 to 70.8% in 2022. ADR however improved by 24.3% from $291.30 in the first three months of 2019 to $362.14 in the same three months of 2022, while RevPar grew by 9.3%, from $234.50 in 2019 to $256.29 in the same three months of 2022. In the first three months of 2022, Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide increased by 219.1% from $401.3 million in 2021 to $1.281 billion in the first three months of this year. Total rooms revenues for the first three months of 2022 were 12.2% higher than for the same three months of 2019. Room demand increased by 137.3%, from 1,490,100 room nights in 2021 to 3,536,200 in the same three months of 2022. Room supply grew by 7.9% to 4,996,600 available room nights also in the first three months. Room demand in 2022 was 9.7% less than for the same three months of 2019 while room supply was 2.7% higher. The Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report is produced using hotel survey data compiled by STR, Inc., the largest survey of its kind in Hawai‘i. The survey generally excludes properties with under 20 lodging units, such as small bed and breakfasts, youth hostels, single-family vacation rentals, cottages, individually rented vacation condominiums and sold timeshare units no longer available for hotel use. The data has been weighted both geographically and by class of property to compensate for any over and/or under representation of hotel survey participants by location and type. For March, the survey included 167 properties representing 47,907 rooms, or 89.3 percent of all lodging properties with 20 rooms or more in the Hawaiian Islands, including full service, limited service, and condominium hotels. Survey: Consumers Are Expanding Their Expectations--and Definition--of Sustainability NEW YORK, April 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This Earth Day, Americans see the progress made in corporate sustainability, but are looking for companies to further step up their efforts. At the same time, consumers have an expanded definition of sustainability, with social factors increasingly powerful in driving sustainable purchasing decisions. That's according to a survey of 1,923 US adults conducted by The Conference Board in collaboration with The Harris Poll. Key insights are featured in two reports on consumers' sustainability priorities and their view of progress across sectors. For consumers, sustainability means not only climate and conservation but also fairness and corporate citizenship. "For today's consumers, sustainability increasingly means not only climate and conservation but also fairness and corporate citizenship," said Denise Dahlhoff, Senior Researcher at The Conference Board. "Our study reveals how these perceptions and attitudes are uneven across demographic groups, with younger and urban consumers most receptive to sustainability messages. It paints a rich, granular picture of the features that can drive more consumers to consider buying sustainable products going forward." "Our research with The Conference Board reinforces the unique sustainability inflection point we're seeing with American consumers," said Rob Jekielek, Managing Director at The Harris Poll. "An organization's environmental footprint and impact still matter, but treatment of employees and the workforce is rapidly emerging as a new core pillar and proof point for showcasing an organization's sustainability impact today." Fairness and Demography: Sustainability Factors that Move Consumers' Choices One of the two reports, Sustainability Features That Sway US Consumers Are Changing, examines what motivates consumers most to buy sustainable brands. While environmental topics—climate, pollution, conservation—tend to be most associated with sustainability, these factors aren't necessarily what drive sustainable purchases: Consumers increasingly view sustainability in terms of all-around corporate citizenship. Two years ago, sustainability was largely equated with environmental friendliness. Today, fair prices and fair wages have joined conservation, climate change, and alternative energy among the top five features consumers selected from a list of associations with sustainability. In fact, "fairness" writ large—fair prices, fair wages, fair working conditions—now leads the list of sustainability features most likely to influence a consumer's choice to buy a sustainable brand. With this in mind, brands have an opportunity to better communicate about worker welfare, which could yield incremental purchases and greater willingness to pay a price premium. Communications can include messages about worker welfare and labor conditions on packaging and product labels, as well as pictures and videos of workers to create a human connection. Responsiveness to particular sustainability features is strongly shaped by consumer demographics. Opinions diverge most sharply by political leaning, followed closely by urbanicity level, age, and race. Other divides like income and gender are much less stark. Climate change offers a case in point regarding demographic divides. More than 70% of urban and Gen Z respondents say a brand's actions on climate would influence their purchasing choices "very much" or "quite a bit." The proportion drops to under 45% among rural and Boomer respondents. By contrast, the gaps between men and women and high- and low-earners are relatively minor. Grading Sustainability Progress Across Industries The second of the two reports, US Consumers Want Business to Do More on Sustainability, reveals how consumers view the progress made on sustainability across an array of industries: As in 2019, consumers continue to see utilities, technology, and food companies as leaders in sustainability. A more eclectic list—home builders, automakers, restaurants, pharmaceutical makers, and home appliance makers—follows close behind. However, consumers believe every industry, government department, and NGO can do more—even those whose performance they already rank highest today. For example, while 48% believe utility companies are making a positive impact today, 73% believe they need to change to become sustainable. In short, no company can afford to rest on its laurels; consumers are likely to expect faster progress moving forward. Partnering with established or emerging initiatives and—even more—showing a willingness to collaborate with competitors for the common good can signal a company's commitment to stakeholders. Moreover, alliances within and across sectors can lead to cost-effective solutions in the private sector. In addition, partnering with public entities could facilitate better-targeted policies, incentives, and government-supported research, including for big societal challenges such as clean transportation, for example. The recognition of corporate sustainability's impact has room to grow—especially among certain demographic groups. Older, rural, and white consumers are least likely to believe corporations are making a positive impact—reflecting the demographic divide above. More surprisingly, women are also considerably less likely than men (38% vs 49%) to react positively. These findings indicate a potential for companies to find suitable ways to extend and refine sustainability messaging beyond the younger, more urban consumers already on board.
WTTC Launches New "Destination 2030" Sustainable Tourism Report The World Travel & Tourism Council released its newest report, “Destination 2030: Global Cities’ Readiness for Sustainable Tourism Growth” during WTTC’s 21st Global Summit in Manila, Philippines Wednesday, April 20, assessing over 60 cities’ readiness for sustainable growth in the travel and tourism industry. The report, created in collaboration with JLL, identifies key parts of what makes a city ready for sustainable travel and tourism. Sixty-three cities across the world were measured and put into one of five categories of readiness. The five categories of readiness were created to understand varying levels of infrastructure and each city’s unique challenges, measured by 79 indicators within eight pillars that range from safety and security to environmental readiness and more. The five include Dawning Developers, like New Delhi and Riyadh, which are considered “clean-slate” destinations with emerging tourism infrastructure; Emerging Performers, like Dubrovnik and Buenos Aires, which are experiencing growing tourism and emerging infrastructure, but face challenges such as overcrowding. The third category is Balanced Dynamics. In this category are Auckland and Vancouver, along with other cities that have already established tourism infrastructures and potential for greater growth while able to balance in both scale and concentration. The fourth category, Mature Performers, belongs to cities such as Miami, Berlin and Hong Kong.These cities are well-established tourism hubs, but they may find challenges in diversification to avoid overtourism. The last category, Managing Momentum, belongs to cities with a high, established growth rate and a well-established tourism infrastructure. Cities in this category include Amsterdam, London and Las Vegas. These are likely already feeling pressures of balancing tourism’s scale and concentration in their cities. Destination 2030 also recommends solutions to promote sustainable growth in each of the destinations listed. “Travel & tourism plays an incredibly important role in a city’s economy, not only boosting GDP, but also creating jobs and improving the livelihoods of those who rely on our sector…” said Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO. “For a city to truly thrive and for travel & tourism to develop in a sustainable manner, stakeholders need to understand how prepared the city is for the expected growth in tourism and the resulting challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.” To view the full report to learn about the cities listed and their strengths and weaknesses, please click here.
WTTC Foresees Major Increase in Global International Inbound Travel April 22, 2022 The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has forecasted a massive increase in global international flights bookings as international travel takes off. The arrivals in Europe registered an increase of 350 per cent in the first quarter of 2022 compared to last year. According to WTTC, in the second quarter, Europe will continue to post a significant rise in international bookings. Only until now, the second quarter has seen an increase of 264 per cent compared to the same period last year, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. The list of European destinations that are currently showing a strong resurgence with travel bookings and which are expected to register high numbers of tourists in the upcoming months are Iceland, Greece, Spain, Portugal, and France. Apart from Europe, Asia-Pacific countries also saw an increase in tourist arrivals for the first quarter of this year, with bookings for the regions up by 275 per cent. “WTTC 2022 booking data from ForwardKeys is a firm signal of the strong recovery of the global Travel & Tourism sector. Travel to the Asia-Pacific region shows impressive signs of improvement as destinations gradually reopen their borders to visitors, in line with customer demand,” WTTC President and CEO Julia Simpson said. WTTC explains that the first quarter and second quarter figures for this year show triple-digit growth for inbound flight bookings all over the world compared to last year, including Asia, Europe, and the Americas. ForwardKeys Vice President Insights, Olivier Ponti, also commented on the positive developments. He said that it is very encouraging to see that the majority of destinations, especially Asia, have finally begun to reopen for travellers. “It is very encouraging that Asia has finally begun re-opening, which is driving the return of both travel to Asia and within the region, both of which are clearly going to be instrumental in driving the global economic recovery,” the statement of Ponti reads. The rise in international booking has been particularly notable in Asia, mainly due to the COVID-19 restrictions being eased. Apart from the above-mentioned, destinations in the Americas are also expected to rank at the top of the best 20 best performed for this summer. Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Aruba, and Jamaica are expected to register the highest numbers of arrivals. Africa and the Middle East also feature in the top 20 list, with Qatar, Tanzania, and Egypt also reaching close to the pre-pandemic levels. Other summer holiday destinations will also register positive trends in the upcoming months. Cancun saw its hotels achieve an average hotel room occupancy of 79.0% in March 2022, an increase of 10.1 percentage points from the 68.9% reported for February. Sedetur, the Department of Tourism of the state of Quintana Roo, recently released the hotel occupancy numbers for the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos and Riviera Maya for March 2022. In March, the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos saw a 10.1 percentage point increase in average hotel room occupancy from 68.9% in February 2022 to 79.0% in March 2022. Cancun’s hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 46.3% in March 2021. The 79.0% average room occupancy for March 2022 was 5.1 percentage points lower than the 84.1% achieved in March 2019. The hotels in Riviera Maya saw a 7.5 percentage point increase in average hotel room occupancy growing from 72.6% in February 2022 to 80.1% in March 2022. The hotels in Riviera Maya averaged a 31.8% room occupancy in March 2021. The same hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 83.8% in March 2019. Through the first three months of 2022 the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos achieved a 70.7% average room occupancy, up 32.1 percentage points from the 38.6% achieved in the same three months of 2021. The hotels achieved an average occupancy of 81.1% in the first three months of 2019. For the first three months of 2022 the hotels in Riviera Maya achieved an average room occupancy of 72.9%, up 46.4 percentage points from the 26.5% achieved in the same three months of 2021. The hotels achieved an average occupancy of 82.5% in the first three months of 2019. As of March 2022, Riviera Maya/Tulum has 446 hotels offering 52,511 hotel rooms while the Cancun/Puerto Morelos area has 268 hotels offering 47,471 hotel rooms.
Barbados received 45,249 stopovers in March 2022, 22.2% more than the 37,033 stopovers received in February. According to the Barbados Statistical Service, Barbados saw a 22.2% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in March 2022, growing from 37,033 stopover arrivals in February 2022 to 45,249 stopover arrivals in March 2022. Barbados received 55,154 cruise visitors in March 2022 both landed passengers (disembarking) and in-transit (calling at the port for the day). Barbados reopened its ports to cruise ships in April 2021. Barbados imposed a mandatory 14-day quarantine on all visitor arrivals as of March 22nd 2020 which remained in place until November 24th 2021. Barbados consequently received 1,769 stopover arrivals in March 2021. The 45,249 stopovers received in March 2022 were 64.0% of the 70,669 stopovers received in March 2019. Barbados received 22,272 stopover arrivals from the United Kingdom in March 2022, 49.2% of all arrivals, and 10,656 stopovers from the USA. Through the first three months of 2021, Barbados saw stopover arrivals increase from 7,196 in the first three months of 2021 to 114,457 in the first three months of 2022. The number of stopovers from the USA increased from 2,434 stopovers in the first three months of 2021 to 25,006 in the same three months of 2022 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. increased from 1,672 in the first three months of 2021 to 58,880 stopovers in the same three months of 2022. The 114,457 stopovers received in the first three months of 2022 were 54.8% of the 208,774 stopovers received in the first three months of 2019. Barbados received 141,225 cruise visitors in the first three months of 2022 compared with 374,917 received in the same three months of 2019. Costa Rica received 243,245 stopover arrivals in March 2022, 21.5% more than the 200,164 stopovers received in February. According to the Costa Rica Institute of Tourism (ICT), Costa Rica received 243,245 stopovers in March 2022, 21.5% more than the 200,164 stopovers received in February 2022. Costa Rica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and reopened to international tourists arriving by air as of February 2021. It reopened its land borders in April 2021. Costa Rica consequently received 89,263 stopovers in March 2021. The 243,245 stopovers received in March 2022 were 72.5% of the 335,558 stopovers received in March 2019. Costa Rica received 137,418 stopovers from the USA in March 2022, 56.5% of the overall total, up from 48.5% share in March 2019, and 17,050 stopovers from Central America, whose share dropped from 16.6% in March 2019 to 7.0% in March 2022. The volume of stopovers increased by 205.5% in the first three months of 2022, growing from 206,715 stopovers in the first three months of 2021 to 631,609 stopovers in the first three months of 2022. The 631,609 stopover visitors were 62.9% of the 1,003,653 stopovers received in the first three months of 2019. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 154.3% in the first three months of 2022, from 135,490 stopovers in 2021 to 344,581 in 2022 while the number from Central America increased by 342.4%, growing from 9,001 in the first three months of 2021 to 43,737 in the same three months of 2022. The share of visitors from the USA fell from 65.5% in the first three months of 2021 to 54.6% in the first three months of 2022.
Trinidad and Tobago received 14,532 stopover visitors in March 2022, 28.0% more than the 11,352 stopover visitors received in February. According to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s Central Statistical Office Trinidad and Tobago received 14,532 stopover visitors in March 2022, an increase of 28.0% compared with the 11,352 stopovers received in February 2022. Trinidad received 13,979 stopover visitors in March 2022 with Tobago receiving 553.. Trinidad and Tobago closed its borders as of March 23rd 2020, and consequently just received a total of 473 stopover visitors in March 2021. The country reopened its borders to visitors as of July 17th 2021. The 14,352 stopover visitors received in March 2022 were 41.8% of the 34,741 stopover visitors received in March 2019. Trinidad and Tobago received 7,297 stopover arrivals from the USA in March 2022, 2,142 from Europe, 1,771 from Canada and 3,322 from the rest of the world. In the first three months of 2022 Trinidad and Tobago saw the number of stopovers increase from 1,293 in the first three months of 2021 to 34,632 in the first three months of 2022. The 34,632 visitors received in 2022 were 33.0% of the 104,841 received in the first three months of 2019. Stopovers from the USA grew from 446 in the first three months of 2021 to 16,478 in the same three months of 2022. Stopovers from Canada increased from 97 stopovers in the first three months of 2021, to 3,783 in the same three months of 2022 while stopovers from Europe grew from 328 in 2021 to 6,073 in the same three months of 2022. Trinidad received 32,957 stopovers in the first three months of 2022, 95.2% of the overall total, with Tobago receiving 1,675 stopovers.
Los Cabos records historic tourism growth in Q1 of 2022 Tatiana Rokou / Travel Daily News International 19th April 2022 Los Cabos welcomed over 800 thousand visitors in Q1 of 2022, an increase of 13 percent over 2019; record hotel occupancy and average daily rate bolsters Los Cabos’ position as Mexico’s top luxury destination. LOS CABOS, MEX - Los Cabos Tourism Board announced a record 13 percent growth in domestic and international visitors during the first quarter of 2022, a historic increase fueled largely by the destination’s swift response to the pandemic and strict health and safety protocols enforced over the last two years. In 2021, Los Cabos welcomed an approximate 2.8 million travelers achieving a complete recovery of its tourism activity. In March 2022, Los Cabos recorded nearly 325,000 tourist arrivals - marking a successful and historic month with a record increase of 18 percent in arrivals when compared to 2019. Los Cabos’ business model combining private and public funding allowed the destination to focus on the implementation of state-wide safety measures, heighten its health and security protocols, and elevate its marketing and communication strategy to keep visitors, consumers, industry partners, and the local community informed throughout the destination’s phased recovery. The strategic approach has led to a significant increase in demand, especially from affluent travelers, which has strengthened Los Cabos’ position as Mexico’s top luxury travel destination. “As a destination that has been challenged over the past few years by the pandemic and international tourism restrictions, we are glad to see tremendous growth driven by our unique business model and the demand among travelers for exclusive and authentic travel experiences,” said Rodrigo Esponda, Managing Director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board. “The pandemic gave us the opportunity to elevate our tourism offering, create new ways of working with our partners, and fine-tune our business model.” The United States is Los Cabos’ top priority market and American travelers represented about 98 percent of all international travelers that visited Los Cabos in 2021, defying national trends by driving a 5.4 percent growth in visitation from the market. The growth in tourist arrivals led to an expansion of the Los Cabos International Airport which will increase connectivity with the United States by 30 percent to accommodate the steady demand of American travelers. Today, Los Cabos has over 500 weekly flights connecting 26 cities in the United States with the destination. A projected growth of 1.3 million seats is expected to be added during the first half of 2022. Los Cabos Tourism Board forecasts bookings to the destination will remain strong during the spring travel season, with a projected increase of 11 percent in anticipated bookings for the month of April 2022, 22 percent in May, and 10 percent in June. Additional data insights and updates reflecting Los Cabos’ historic turnaround include:
Over 325,000 travelers in March 2022, a record visitation representing an 18 percent increase when compared to 2019.
70 percent average hotel occupancy in Q1 of 2022, with an average hotel daily rate of US$455, the highest in Mexico.
5.4 percent increase of United States travelers in 2021 when compared to 2019, surpassing arrivals of international travelers nationwide and leading the recovery of international travel.
31.6 percent projected increase in seats to Los Cabos from the United States over the next six months when compared to 2019. - Air connectivity is increasing mainly from Los Angeles, Phoenix, Houston, Dallas, Denver and New York.
Close to 80 percent growth in arrivals of international travelers via private aviation in 2021 when compared to 2019, representing 26 percent of all air travel activity.
98 percent of all international travelers come from the United States, Los Cabos’ priority market.
Along with this impressive growth, residents report a change for the better. In a recent report, 58 percent of Los Cabos residents believe that with the tourist growth of the last five years there is greater awareness in the care of the environment and 54 percent report more protection of natural resources and regulation on the subject. This response comes as two new funding measures were announced: The Environmental Sanitation Tax and the Embrace It Contribution. The Environmental Sanitation Tax, led by the Municipality of Baja California Sur, calls for approximately US$1.69 daily, per room to be collected from visitors by hotels, timeshares, and lodging facilities across the destinations. The funding is set to go into effect on June 1, 2022, and will support government investment on environmental infrastructure, sustainability practices, and safety and security, among other projects. In addition, the reinstatement of the Embrace It Contribution went into effect earlier this year. First launched in 2019 under the name “Fund for a Sustainable Baja Sur,” the program was paused in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was reintroduced in February 2022 as the Embrace It Contribution. All international travelers visiting the State of Baja California Sur for more than 24 hours are asked to contribute approximately US$20 to support important initiatives needed to strengthen statewide infrastructure, social projects, and the overall economic progress of the people that live and work in Los Cabos. Contributions can be made via the state’s website or at the kiosks installed at SJD International Airport.
Curacao reports it received 40,539 stopover arrivals in March 2022, 14.4% more than the 35,451 received in February 2022. According to the Curaçao Tourist Board, Curaçao saw a 14.4% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in March, growing from 35,451 stopovers received in February 2022 to 40,539 stopovers received in March 2022. The 40,359 stopovers received in March 2022 were 96.8% of the 41,866 stopovers received in March 2019. Curaçao closed its borders to international visitors as of March 17th, 2020 and reopened its borders to visitors from Europe and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Curaçao received just 10,118 stopover visitors in March 2021. Curacao received 22,252 stopover visitors from the Netherlands in March 2022 and 7,429 stopovers from the USA, 54.9% and 18.3% of all stopovers, respectively. Curacao received 39 cruise ship calls with 60,237 cruise visitors in March 2022. The island re-opened to cruise traffic in June 2021. The 60,237 cruise visitors were 79.4% of the 75,908 received in March 2019. In the first three months of 2022 Curaçao saw a 363.5% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 24,052 visitors in 2021 to 111,481 visitors in the same three months of this year. The number of stopovers from the Netherlands increased by 419.1%, growing from 13,004 visitors during the first three months of 2021, to 67,506 in the same three months of 2022. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 319.7% during the first three months, growing from 3,903 in 2021 to 16,381 in the same three months of 2022. The 111,481 stopovers received in the first three months of 2022 was 87.7% of the 127,170 stopovers received in the same three months of 2019. In the first three months of 2022 Curacao received 118 cruise ship calls which brought 143,813 cruise passengers, 51.7% of the 278,105 cruise visitors brought in the same three months of 2019. Aruba received 95,912 stopover visitors in March 2022, 23.0% more than the 77,961 stopovers received in February 2022. According to Aruba Tourism Authority, Aruba received 95,912 stopover arrivals in March 2022, 23.0% more than the 77,961 stopovers it received in February 2022. Aruba received 48,967 stopover visitors in March 2021. The 95,912 stopovers received in March 2022 were 89.9% of the 106,730 stopovers received in March 2019. Compared with 2019, stopover arrivals from the USA decreased by 6.3%, falling from 83,586 arrivals in March 2019 to 78,358 arrivals in March 2022. Arrivals from the USA comprised 81.7% of all arrivals in March 2022 up from 78.3% in March 2019. Arrivals from Canada decreased by 39.3%, falling from 6,719 in March 2019 to 4,078 stopovers in March 2022. Arrivals from the Netherlands increased by 18.9%, growing from 3,557 in March 2019 to 4,229 in March of this year. Aruba re-opened its ports to visitors in June 2021 and during March 2022 received 41 cruise ship calls and a total of 67,326 cruise passengers. The number of visitors staying in hotels in March 2022 declined by 19.9% compared with March 2019, falling from 53,793 visitors in 2019 to 43,096 in March 2022. The share of visitors staying in hotels fell from 50.4% in March 2019 to 44.9% in March 2022. 26,343 visitors used timeshare accommodation in March 2022, 5.1% fewer than the 27,749 visitors who used such accommodation in March 2019, although the sector’s share grew from 26.0% in 2019 to 27.5% in 2022. Visitors using other accommodation – private homes, condominiums, short term rental accommodation and apartments – increased by 5.1% when comparing March 2019 with March 2022, growing from 25,188 visitors in 2019 to 26,473 in 2022, with the share growing from 23.6% in 2019 to 27.6% in 2022. In March 2022, the primary carrier was JetBlue which brought in 28,892 non-resident visitors, 30.1% of all stopover arrivals, while American Airlines brought in 20,858 non-resident visitors, 21.7% of all visitors. United Airlines brought in 13,607 visitors with Delta bringing in 11,483 visitors. These four carriers brought in 78.0% of all visitors in March of this year. The percentage of visitors 20 years old through 49 years old grew from 42.8% in March 2019 to 46.6% in March 2022. The percentage 60 years old or older fell from 22.3% in March 2019 to 21.1% in March 2022. In the first three months of 2022 Aruba saw a 108.0% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 112,323 visitors in the first three months of 2021 to 233,666 visitors in the first three months of this year. The number of stopovers from the USA grew by 92.0% during the first three months, from 97,387 in the first quarter of 2021 to 187,028 in the same three months of 2022. The 233,666 stopover visitors received in the first three months of 2022 was 79.4% of the 294,183 stopovers received in the first three months of 2019. The 187,028 stopovers received from the USA in the first three months of 2022, was 85.8% of the 217,942 stopovers received from the USA in the first three months of 2019. The share of stopovers from the USA grew from 74.1% in the first quarter of 2019 to 80.0% in the same three months of 2022. The number of visitors staying in hotels in the first three months of 2022 declined by 32.2% compared with the same three months of 2019, falling from 145,481 visitors in 2019 to 98,739 in the same three months of 2022. The share of visitors staying in hotels fell from 49.5% in the first three months of 2019 to 42.3% in the same three months of 2022. In the first three months of 2022 68,711 visitors used timeshare accommodation, 93.9% of the 73,159 visitors who used such accommodation in the first three months of 2019, with the sector’s share growing from 24.9% in 2019 to 29.4% in 2022. Visitors using other accommodation – private homes, condominiums, short term rental accommodation and apartments – fell by 12.2% when comparing the first three months of 2019 with the same three months of 2022, falling from 75,443 visitors in 2019 to 66,216 in 2022, but the share grew from 25.7% in 2019 to 28.3% in 2022. In the first three months of 2022 the primary carrier was JetBlue which brought in 70,349 non-resident visitors, 30.1% of all stopover arrivals, while American Airlines brought in 46,747 non-resident visitors, 20.0% of all visitors. United Airlines brought in 33,156 visitors with Delta bringing in 27,956 visitors. These four carriers brought in 76.3% of all visitors in the first three months of 2022. The percentage of visitors 20 years old through 49 years old grew from 41.0% in the first three months of 2019 to 46.1% in the same three months of 2022. The percentage 60 years old or older fell from 25.3% in 2019 to 21.7% in 2022. Aruba received 121 cruise ship calls in the first three months of 2022 with 155,153 cruise passengers compared with the 118 calls cruise ships made in the same three months of 2019 with 292,922 passengers. The average number of passengers per call fell by 48.3%, from 2,482 visitors in 2019 to 1,282 visitors in 2022.
AHATA reports Aruba’s hotels achieved a 74.1% average room occupancy in March 2022, up 9.7 percentage points from the 64.4% achieved in February. The Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association reports that average hotel room occupancy in Aruba’s hotels in March 2022 was 74.1%, 9.7 percentage points higher than the 64.4% achieved in February 2022. Aruba closed its orders to international travel as of March 17, 2020, and while the borders re-opened as of July 2020, Aruba’s hotels achieved a 35.4% average room occupancy in March 2021. Average occupancy in March 2022 was 14.6 percentage points lower than the 88.7% average room occupancy achieved in March 2019. ADR was $353.51 in March 2022, 23.8% higher than in March 2021, and 4.0% higher than in March 2019. RevPar was $261.68 in March 2022, 159.0% higher than in March 2021 but 13.1% lower than in March 2019. Through the first three months of 2022 AHATA reports that Aruba’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 62.2% compared with 29.6% for the first three months of 2021. Again, compared with the first three months of 2021, ADR grew by 24.5% from $285.47 to $355.34 in the first three months of 2022. RevPar grew by 161.7% from $84.39 in 2021 to $220.85 in 2022. By comparison with the first three months of 2019 average room occupancy was 27.5 percentage points lower in 2022, while ADR was 1.2%, higher and revpar was 29.8% lower. Aruba’s timeshare resorts reported an average occupancy of 90% in March 2022. AHATA is projecting that Aruba’s hotels will achieve an average room occupancy of 79% for April, 79% for May, 78% for June and 74% for 2022 as a whole. Aruba’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 84.4% in CY 2019.
Antigua and Barbuda received 25,468 stopovers in March 2022, 19.5% more than the 21,312 received in February 2022. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 19.5% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in March 2022, growing from 21,312 stopovers received in February 2022 to 25,468 stopovers this March. Antigua and Barbuda re-opened its borders to international travel as of June 4th, 2020, and consequently received 8,271 visitors in March 2021. The 25,468 stopovers received In March 2022 were 82.5% of the 30,854 stopovers Antigua received in March 2019. The 12,109 stopover visitors received from the USA in March 2022 were 29.0% more than the 9,387 stopovers received from the USA in February 2022 and comprised 47.5% of all stopovers received in March. Antigua also received 9,484 stopover visitors from the U.K. in March, 37.2% of all stopovers received during that month. Antigua also received 60,415 cruise visitors in March 2022 and 1,893 visitors who arrived by yacht. Through the first three months of 2022, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 199% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 21,675 stopovers in the first three months of 2021 to 64,877 stopovers in the same three months of 2022. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 76.8%, from 16,047 stopovers in the first three months of 2021 to 28,376 stopovers in the same three months of 2022 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. increased from 2,807 in the first three months of 2021 to 25,733 stopovers in the same three months of 2022. The number of stopovers received in the first three months of 2022 was 71.5% of the 90,754 stopovers received in the same three months of 2019. Antigua received 153,723 cruise visitors in the first three months of 2022 and 6,230 visitors who arrived by yacht. Antigua received 386,025 cruise visitors in the first three months of 2019 and 10,122 visitors who arrived by yacht.
The Maldives reports it received 149,008 stopover visitor arrivals in February 2022, 13.1% more than the 131,764 received in January 2022. The Maldives Government’s Ministry of Tourism recently announced that The Maldives received 149,008 stopover visitors in February 2022, up 13.1% from the 131,764 stopovers received in January 2022. The Maldives closed its borders to tourist arrivals on March 27th 2020 and re-opened to all tourists as of July 15th 2020. Consequently, the Maldives received 96,882 stopover visitors in February 2021. The 149,008 stopovers received in February 2022 were 88.4% of the 168,583 stopovers received in February 2019. In February 2022 Russia was the number one source market and generated 20,082 stopovers (13.5% share of total) while the United Kingdom was number two with 18,072 stopovers (12.1% share). India was number three with 14,769 stopovers. The Maldives saw the overall number of operating accommodation establishments grow by 48.1% from 643 in February 2021 to 952 establishments in February 2022. The number of beds in operation grew by 19.6% from 45,303 in February 2021 to 54,172 in February 2022. Through the end of February 2022 overall average room occupancy had grown by 8.8 percentage points from 60.7% in February 2021 to 69.5% for February 2022. Of the 952 establishments in operation 162 were resorts which offered 38,822 beds. These resorts achieved an 84.5% average room occupancy during February 2022 up from 68.2% for February 2021. The Maldives saw a 48.6% increase in total arrivals in 2022, growing from 188,985 stopovers in the first two months of 2021 to 280,772 stopovers in the same two months of 2022 with Russia (43,429 visitors) and the United Kingdom (31,254 visitors) being the two largest source markets in these two months. The 280,772 visitors received in the first two months of 2022 was 87.7% of the 320,135 visitors received in the first two months of 2019. The Maldives saw the overall number of operating accommodation establishments grow by 51.6% from an average of 628 in the first two months of 2021 to an average of 952 establishments in the same two months of 2022. The number of beds in operation grew by 21.3% from 44,644 in the first two months of 2021 to 54,143 in the same two months of this year. Through the end of February 2022 overall average room occupancy had grown by 8.8 percentage points from 60.7% in 2021 to 69.5% for the first two months of this year. Of the 952 establishments in operation 162 were resorts which offered 38,822 beds. These resorts achieved a 79.4% average room occupancy through the first two months of 2022 up from 70.0% for the first two months of 2021. Through the first two months of 2021 there was an average of 145 resorts in operation offering 34,232 beds.
Mauritius reports it received 66,066 stopover visitors in March 2022, 25.3% more than the 52,724 stopovers received in February 2022. The Mauritius Government’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Development recently reported that the country received 66,066 total stopover arrivals in March 2022, 25.3% more than the 52,724 stopovers received in February 2022. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors. Mauritius reopened its borders to international travel as of October 1st 2021. Mauritius received 15,418 visitors from France in March 2022, 23.3% of the overall total for the month, and the number one producing market. The number two source market was the United Kingdom which generated 10,317 visitors, (15.6%) of the total for the month. South Africa generated 9,961 visitors. Mauritius closed its borders to all international arrivals as of March 19th, 2020, and consequently received just 311 stopovers in March 2021. The 66,066 arrivals received in March 2022 were 57.7% of the 114,419 stopovers received in March 2019. Mauritius saw its stopover arrivals grow from 2,772 in the first three months of 2021 to 158,818 in the first three months of this year. The number one source market in the first three months of 2022 was France with 46,134 stopover visitors followed by the United Kingdom with 23,039 stopovers, and Germany 15,791 stopovers. These three markets together generated 53.5% of all stopovers in 2022. Mauritius received 352,305 stopovers through the first three months of 2019 with the total received during the first three months of 2022 being 45.1% of this total.
Tourism Credits for Aruba grew by 78.6% in 2021 compared with the same twelve months of 2020. The Central Bank of Aruba recently reported the tourism credits numbers for calendar year (CY) 2021. Tourism credits are defined by the IMF and UNWTO to be tourism receipts plus timeshare maintenance fees. The Central Bank states that gross tourism receipts for Aruba increased by 65.5% in CY 2021 compared with the same twelve months of 2020, growing from 1.915 billion florins (US$1.069 billion) in 2020 to 3.170 billion florins (US$1.771 billion) in 2021. 1.79 Aruban florins are equal to one US dollar. The 3.170 billion florins received in 2021 were 84.7% of the 3.742 billion florins received in the first twelve months of 2019. During CY 2021 the total number of stopovers visiting Aruba increased by 119.0%, growing from 368,322 stopovers in CY 2020 to 806,555 in CY 2021. Aruba was closed to international visitors between March 16th and June 30th 2020. The 806,555 stopovers received in 2021 were 72.1% of the 1,118,944 received in CY 2019. Aruba also received 135,953 cruise visitors in CY 2021, down 46.8% compared with the 255,384 cruise visitors received in CY 2020. While Aruba’s borders were closed to visitors for much of the second quarter of 2020 credits earned during those months include income from long stay visitors, crew, and from maintenance and other related fees paid to hotels and timeshare resorts. The Central Bank also reported that once expenditures made by Arubans travelling abroad were deducted (debits) the total net tourism credits increased by 78.6% in CY 2021, growing from 1.436 billion florins (US$ 802.1 million) in CY 2020 to 2.564 billion florins (US$ 1.433 million) in CY 2021. The 2.564 billion florins received in CY 2021 were 81.7% of the 3.137 billion credits received in CY 2019.
IATA chief economist suggests higher air fares might not impact demand. By Lewis Harper | Flight Global | 7 April 2022 The usual correlation between higher air fares and lower demand might not play out in the current travel market, according to IATA chief economist Marie Owens Thomsen. Higher fares are a hot topic in the industry as airlines face cost challenges on a number of fronts – crucially including fuel – amid rising inflation in many regions. Speaking during an IATA media briefing on 6 April, Owens Thomsen describes the likely consumer response to higher fares as “a bit of a mystery” given the unusual position of much of the industry as the pandemic recedes. Owens Thomsen says fares are starting from a low base “In the current environment, sensitivities on the customer side might be lower than usual,” she suggests. That is partly because, in many cases, fares are starting from historically low levels as carriers emerge from the pandemic. “Perhaps we need to come back to the historic price levels before this starts to impact passenger numbers,” says Owens Thomsen. Furthermore, she cites “the seemingly intense desire to travel”, noting that “as soon as restrictions are eased or removed, we see an immediate response in the passenger numbers”. That might mean passengers are more willing to accept the higher ticket prices, following two years of heavily disrupted travel plans. Meanwhile, in terms of the wider strategic approach to cost challenges at airlines, Owens Thomsen says that “the best response” would be “to try to grow the business”. A crucial factor in that regard is “how quickly the remaining [Covid-19] restrictions get lifted”, she says. “If they come off, that will clearly be extremely helpful for airlines’ financial performance this year,” Owens Thomsen states. Seychelles received 28,685 tourist arrivals in March 2022, 4.7% more than the 27,404 arrivals received in February 2022. According to The Seychelles Government’s National Bureau of Statistics, The Seychelles saw a 4.7% increase in visitor arrivals in March 2022, growing from 27,404 arrivals received in February 2022 to 28,685 arrivals in March 2022. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors, and transit visitors. Of the 28,685 arrivals 28,574 were stopover visitors and 111 transit visitors. Seychelles re-opened to international visitors from most countries as of March 25th 2021 with visitors being required to produce evidence of a negative PCR test. Seychelles consequently received just 4,969 tourist arrivals in March 2021. The 28,685 visitor arrivals received in March 2022 were 81.4% of the 25,244 arrivals received in March 2019. The number one source market in March 2022 was France which generated 4,234 visitors (14.8% of the total for the month) followed by Germany, with 3,615 visitors (12.6%). The Seychelles received 221 cruise visitors in March of 2022, the first month Seychelles received cruise visitors since it closed its port to cruise ships in March 2020. In the first three months of 2022 Seychelles saw a 1,044% increase in total visitor arrivals, growing from 6,785 arrivals in the first three months of 2021 to 77,655 arrivals in the first three months of 2022. The 77,655 stopovers received in the first three months of 2022 were 76.5% of the 101,514 received in the first three months of 2019. The number one source market in the first three months of 2022 was Russia which generated 12,174 visitors, 15.7% of all visitor arrivals for those first three months, followed by France which generated 11,109 visitors, 14.3% of the overall total. Cancun saw a 29.3% increase in international air passenger movements in March 2022. According to ASUR, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Cancun Airport saw a 29.3% increase in international passenger movements in March 2022, growing from 1,508,779 movements in February 2022 to 1,951,459 movements in March 2022. Domestic passenger movements increased by 29.8%, from 604,798 passenger movements in February 2022 to 784,985 movements in March 2022. While the 1,951,459 international passenger movements were 122.4% more than the 877,579 handled in March 2021 they were also 9.4% more than the 1,783,841 passengers handled in March 2019. Equally, while the 784,985 domestic passenger movements were 13.3% more than the 692,686 handled in March 2021 they were also 18.5% more than the 662,386 domestic passengers handled in March 2019. In the first three months of 2022, the volume of international air passenger movements increased by 131.9%, growing from 2,138,890 movements in 2021 to 4,960,299 movements in the first three months of 2022, while the volume of domestic air passenger movements increased by 19.2%, from 1,746,176 movements in the first three months of 2021 to 2,081,647 in the same three months of 2022. By comparison with the first three months of 2019 the volume of international air passenger movements in 2022 was 4.2% more than the 2019 total, growing from 4,760,221 movements in 2019 to 4,960,299 movements in the first three months of 2022, while the volume of 2022 domestic air passenger movements was 9.6% more than the 2019 total, growing from 1,899,183 movements in the first three months of 2019 to 2,081,647 in the same three months of 2022. In the first three months of 2022 international passenger movements accounted for 70.4% of all passenger movements, up from 55.1% in 2021, but down from 71.5% achieved in the first three months of 2019.
San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) saw a 26.5% increase in air passenger movements in March 2022. According to ASUR, which manages many airports in Mexico, Colombia and which also manages the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, SJU saw a 26.5% increase in total passenger movements in March 2022, growing from 725,786 movements in February 2022 to 918,236 movements in March 2022. While the 918,236 total passenger movements were 22.1% more than the 751,974 handled in March 2021 they were also 11.8% more than the 821,110 passengers handled in March 2019. In the first three months of 2022 the overall volume of air passenger movements handled at San Juan’s airport increased by 35.5%, from 1,764,873 in 2021 to 2,390,719 in the same three months of 2022. The total for the first three months of 2022 was 3.9% more than the 2,300,508 passengers handled in the same three months of 2019.
Los Cabos handled 463,900 international passenger movements in March 2022, up 35.6% compared with February 2022. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Los Cabos Airport saw a 35.6% increase in international passenger traffic in March 2022, that is enplanements and deplanements, growing from 342,200 international passenger movements in February 2022 to 463,900 international passenger movements in March 2022. Mexico re-opened to international tourist arrivals as of June 8th, 2020, and consequently Los Cabos handled 232,000 international passenger movements in March 2021. The 463,900 international passenger movements seen in March 2022 were 12.9% more than the 410,800 international movements handled in March 2019. Domestic traffic increased by 18.0%, growing from 157,000 passenger movements in February 2022 to 185,300 passenger movements in March 2022. Los Cabos handled 142,200 domestic passenger movements in March 2021. The 185,300 domestic passenger movements seen in March 2022 were 31.5% more than the 140,900 domestic passenger movements handled in March 2019. Through the first three months of 2022 Los Cabos Airport saw international passenger movements increase by 110.5%, from 534,400 in 2021 to 1,124,900 in the first three months of 2022. Domestic passenger movements increased by 22.9% in the first three months of 2022, growing from 417,300 in 2021 to 512,800 in the first three months of 2022. By comparison with the first three months of 2019 international passenger movements were up by 6.5%, while domestic movements increased by 30.0%.
Montego Bay Airport handled 385,700 total passenger movements in March 2022, 40.4% more than the 274,700 handled in February 2022. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Montego Bay Airport increase by 40.4% in March 2022, growing from 274,700 total movements in February 2022 to 385,700 movements in March 2022. The total number of passenger movements in March 2022 was 78.4% of the 491,800 handled in March 2019. It should be noted that Jamaica closed its borders to international visitors as of March 21st, 2020 and re-opened to such visitors as of June 15th 2020. As a result, Montego Bay Airport handled 129,400 passenger movements in March 2021. Through the first three months of 2022 Montego Bay Airport saw total passenger movements increase by 204.5%, from 304,700 in 2021 to 927,700 in the first three months of 2022. The 2022 total of 927,700 movements was 69.3% of the 1,338,000 passenger movements handled in the first three months of 2019. Thus far in 2022 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
Kingston, Jamaica Airport handled 98,400 total passenger movements in March 2022, an increase of 27.0% compared with February 2022. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Kingston Jamaica’s Airport increase by 27.0% in March 2022, growing from 77,500 total movements in February 2022 to 98,400 total passenger movements in March 2022. Numbers for March 2019 are not available. While Kingston Airport re-opened to international travelers as of June 15th, 2020, the total number of passenger movements in March 2021 was 36,700 passengers. Through the first three months of 2022 Kingston’s Airport saw total passenger movements grow by 131.3%, from 115,500 in 2021 to 267,100 in the first three months of 2022. Thus far, in 2022, international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements. Cancun saw its hotels achieve an average hotel room occupancy of 68.9% in February 2022, an increase of 4.6 percentage points from the 64.3% reported for January 2022. Sedetur, the Department of Tourism of the state of Quintana Roo, recently released the hotel occupancy numbers for the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos and Riviera Maya for February 2022. In February, the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos saw a 4.6 percentage point increase in average hotel room occupancy from 64.3% in January 2022 to 68.9% in February 2022. Cancun’s hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 33.8% in February 2021. The 68.9% average room occupancy for February 2022 was 14.3 percentage points lower than the 83.2% achieved in February 2019. The hotels in Riviera Maya saw a 6.7 percentage point increase in average hotel room occupancy growing from 65.9% in January 2022 to 72.6% in February 2022. The hotels in Riviera Maya averaged a 22.5% room occupancy in February 2021. The same hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 84.0% in February 2019. Through the first two months of 2022 the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos achieved a 66.6% average room occupancy, up 31.9 percentage points from the 34.7% achieved in the same two months of 2021. The hotels achieved an average occupancy of 79.6% in the first two months of 2019. For the first two months of 2022 the hotels in Riviera Maya achieved an average room occupancy of 69.3%, up 45.5 percentage points from the 23.8% achieved in the same two months of 2021. The hotels achieved an average occupancy of 81.8% in the first two months of 2019. As of February 2022, Riviera Maya/Tulum has 446 hotels offering 52,511 hotel rooms while the Cancun/Puerto Morelos area has 268 hotels offering 47,471 hotel rooms. Barbados received 37,033 stopovers in February 2022, 15.1% more than the 32,175 stopovers received in January 2022. According to the Barbados Statistical Service, Barbados saw a 15.1% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in February 2022, growing from 32,175 stopover arrivals in January 2022 to 37,033 stopover arrivals in February 2022. Barbados received 38,922 cruise visitors in February 2022 both landed passengers (disembarking) and in-transit (calling at the port for the day). Barbados reopened its ports to cruise ships in April 2021. Barbados imposed a mandatory 14-day quarantine on all visitor arrivals as of March 22nd 2020 which remained in place until November 24th 2021. Barbados consequently received 1,880 stopover arrivals in February 2021. The 37,033 stopovers received in February 2022 were 54.0% of the 68,609 stopovers received in February 2019. Barbados received 18,999 stopover arrivals from the United Kingdom in February 2022, 51.3% of all arrivals, and 7,789 stopovers from the USA. Through the first two months of 2021, Barbados saw stopover arrivals increase from 5,427 in the first two months of 2021 to 69,208 in the first two months of 2022. The number of stopovers from the USA increased from 1,924 stopovers in the first two months of 2021 to 14,350 in the same two months of 2022 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. increased from 1,273 in the first two months of 2021 to 36,608 stopovers in the same two months of 2022. The 69,208 stopovers received in the first two months of 2022 were 50.1% of the 138,105 stopovers received in the first two months of 2019. Barbados received 86,071 cruise visitors in the first two months of 2022 compared with 255,341 received in the same two months of 2019.
European inflation soars to record 7.5% on fuel, food costs. LONDON (AP) April 1st 2022 — Inflation in Europe soared to another record, according to new EU figures released Friday, in a fresh sign that rising energy prices fueled by Russia’s war in Ukraine are squeezing consumers and adding pressure on the central bank to raise interest rates. Consumer prices in the 19 countries that use the euro currency rose by an annual rate of 7.5% in March, according to the European Union statistics agency, Eurostat. The latest reading smashed the high set just last month, when it hit 5.9%. It's the fifth straight month that inflation in the eurozone has set a record, bringing it to the highest level since recordkeeping for the euro began in 1997. Rising consumer prices are a growing problem around the world, making it more difficult for people to afford everything from groceries to their utility bills. Spiking energy costs are the main factor driving inflation in Europe, with those prices surging 44.7% last month, up from 32% in February, Eurostat said. Oil and gas prices had already been rising because of increasing demand from economies recovering from the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic. They jumped higher after Russia, a major oil and gas producer, invaded Ukraine, on fears that sanctions and export restrictions could crimp supplies. It's also getting more expensive to eat in Europe. Food costs, including alcohol and tobacco, rose 5%, compared with 4.2% in the prior month. Mina Agib, who runs an Egyptian restaurant called Meya Meya in Berlin, said prices for frying oil and meat have shot up by 70% to 100% recently. “Who isn’t affected?” Agib replied, when asked whether he’s feeling the impact of rising prices. Two weeks ago, one of his suppliers said meat prices would increase by 70 euro cents (77 cents) per kilogram, Agib said. “They told us to expect another increase next week.” To avoid losing money, Agib has had to raise the price of some dishes. One customer, angry at having to pay half a euro more for a plate of sliced meat, dips and salad, posted a negative online review — the first since his restaurant opened over a year ago. “We’re between a rock and a hard place,” he said. “We want to keep customers happy with high-quality ingredients and homemade food. But we also have to pay the prices our suppliers demand.” At an outdoor market this week in Cologne, Germany, shopper Andreas Langheim also bemoaned how life was getting more expensive. “I can see the effect of increasing prices, especially here at the market,” Langheim, 62, said as he picked up some bread from a bakery van. “Everything is more expensive now.” Prices also increased for goods like clothing, appliances, cars, computers and books, up 3.4% from the 3.1% set the month before, and for services, which were up 2.7% from 2.5%. The latest figures make it more urgent for the European Central Bank to get off the sidelines and take action, analysts said. The bank is balancing record inflation with the threat that the war may hurt an economy under pressure. Last month, it sped up its exit from economic stimulus efforts to combat inflation, but has not taken more drastic steps. “We think that the ECB will soon conclude that it can’t wait any longer before starting to raise interest rates,” Jack Allen-Reynolds, senior Europe economist at Capital Economics, said in a report. Other central banks have started raising rates, including in the U.S., where inflation has soared to a 40-year high of 7.9%. European countries that don’t use the euro, including Britain, Norway and the Czech Republic have done the same. Italian Premier Mario Draghi, a former European Central Bank president, outlined how the problem hits households. “Inflation is rising because raw materials prices are going up, in particular those for foodstuffs. Those are the ones that hit hardest a family’s buying power,’’ Draghi told foreign journalists Thursday. “Shortages in some raw materials creates a bottleneck in production and forces further price hikes.’’ Draghi said that as long as inflation remains temporary, governments can respond with budgetary measures, such as payments to help low-income families with higher heating and electricity costs. But if it becomes a longer-term issue, the response will have to be structural, he said. Italy’s construction industry has raised the alarm over how jobs at thousands of public and private construction sites are at risk from inflation. It warned that the sector could not only slow down but come to a complete halt because of soaring costs for fuel and raw materials, including iron, reinforced concrete and steel, which has doubled in price. consumer prices are a growing problem around the world, making it more difficult for people to afford.
President of the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten revises economic outlook; High inflation to persist in 2022 WILLEMSTAD, PHILIPSBURG April 1st 2022 - According to Richard Doornbosch, President of the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (CBCS), the economies of Curaçao and Sint Maarten are still expected to continue their recovery path in 2022 with economic activity accelerating in both countries. However, higher than initially projected inflation on the back of rising international commodity prices and continued supply chain bottlenecks has induced a downward revision of 0.5 percentage point to 6.1% for Curaçao and 0.3 percentage point to 14.3% for Sint Maarten. Contrary to the December 2021 outlook that envisioned a decline of inflation across the monetary union, inflation is now projected to rise further over the course of 2022. “For Curaçao, the inflation forecast has been revised upward by 1.5 percentage points to 4.9% while in Sint Maarten inflation is expected to remain elevated at 4.1%, 1.3 percentage points higher than previously projected. The higher inflation will curb disposable income and, as a result, affect private consumption in both countries”, Doornbosch explains in the March 2022 issue of the Bank's Economic Bulletin. Doornbosch warns that the current global events have significantly increased inflation risks. “Spillover effects from the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia, including higher international prices of crude oil and grain products and heightened supply bottlenecks could further fuel inflation across the monetary union and, as a consequence, inhibit growth. Also, higher inflation could affect disposable income in the United States and the Netherlands, the two main source markets for tourism in Sint Maarten and Curaçao and, hence, affect the projected increase in tourism arrivals. In addition, a strong depreciation of the euro vis-à-vis the dollar amid the conflict in Ukraine will make Curaçao and Sint Maarten more expensive for European tourists”, he explains.
Tulum International Airport: Mexico's Next Airport Project Last week, the Mexican president revealed the plans to build a new international airport that would help support the tourist demand in the Caribbean region and help ease the saturation levels at Cancun International Airport, the most important gateway into the country. Tulum International Airport The Mexican government and army will build a new hub called Tulum International Airport. It will be located in the municipality of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Once inaugurated, the new airport could attract many airlines, from low-cost operators like Volaris and Viva Aerobus to legacy carriers like Delta Air Lines. Earlier this week, the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, announced the new project and said he expects it to be opened next year. The president said that the new hub would have a capacity to receive up to four million passengers and be built close enough to key touristic destinations like Cancun. Similar to the recently inaugurated Felipe Ángeles International Airport (IATA code NLU), the Tulum Airport will be built by the Mexican army. It will also be a mixed military base and commercial airport. How much will it cost? The Mexican army expects the airport to be built in only one year and to have an operational life of around 31 years. According to a document published by local media outlet Froji, building the new Tulum airport requires an investment of 950 million pesos (around US$48 million). The Tulum International Airport will help the development of the Mayan Riviera, which includes destinations like Puerto Morelos, Akumal, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Xel-Há, Xcaret, Cobá, and others. Does Cancun need a new airport? In 2021, Cancún International Airport received 22.3 million passengers, according to data provided by the Mexican Government. The airport (IATA code CUN) remained the country’s main port of entry for international travelers, with 35% of the market share (in comparison, Mexico City International receives around 27% of all the international travelers). Cancún has quickly rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the airport has received 5.5 million passengers, which is the same number it had in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, many airlines (mainly from the United States, but also a few others like TAP Air Portugal and Viva Colombia) have launched non-stop routes to Cancun in the last few months. Besides being one of the top touristic destinations worldwide, Cancun is also close to most cities in North America, which increases its appeal. Nonetheless, Cancun International Airport is near its saturation point. In 2019, Peter Cerdá, regional vice-president at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for the Americas, said, “The hubs at Cancun, Guadalajara, and Monterrey urgently need new investments to expand their capacities, as they are near their limits.” Peter Cerdá urged the Cancun airport authorities to grow responsibly, but he also urged the authorities to evaluate the master plans going forward. He said there should be a project which enables the airport to grow into the future.
Minister of Tourism admits flights to the Dominican Republic “are extremely expensive” According to the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, improving air connectivity is one of the significant challenges facing the Dominican Republic to become a much more competitive tourist destination. The Minister of Tourism emphasized that flights to the Dominican Republic “are costly.” Collado indicated that in his administration, he had changed the modality of presenting the country by traveling with his team to different states of the United States and the world to sell the Dominican Republic directly to tour operators and travel agencies. However, he emphasized that the subject always mentioned to him is connectivity and airfares. Because of the high cost of airfares, the Dominican government is focused on supporting the launching of new airlines that can offer fares at a much more competitive price. Another of the challenges of the industry that the Minister of Tourism recently addressed while participating in the Encounter of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic (AMCHAMDR) is to continue strengthening security in the tourist centers, understanding that the projects of the beaches with security cameras must continue to be implemented. Likewise, he believes it is necessary to strengthen and create a business brigade in the tourist police, where the agents receive salary increases and the one who earns the least is 40,000 or 50,000 pesos. He also expressed the need for 30,000 new hotel rooms and refurbishing part of the existing ones. U.S. citizens’ outbound travel from the USA to international destinations fell by 33.5% in January 2022 compared to December 2021. The United States Government’s Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) recently released the figures for U.S. citizens outbound travel from the USA to international destinations for January 2022.
The overall number of trips taken by US citizens to international destinations declined by 33.5% in January 2022, falling from 6,060,417 trips in December 2021 to 4,029,838 trips in January 2022.
The number of trips taken to the Caribbean declined by 50.8%, falling from 760,386 trips in December 2021 to 504,289 trips in January 2022.
Given that many countries had restrictions in place in January 2021, limiting international arrivals, only 228,185 US citizens visited Caribbean countries in January 2021.
The 504,289 trips taken to the Caribbean in January 2022 were 67.5% of the 747,505 trips taken to the Caribbean in January 2019. The Caribbean’s share of all international trips increased however from 11.4% in January 2019 to 12.5% in January 2022.
Trips to Europe declined by 43.6% in January, falling from 649,396 trips in December 2021 to 366,403 trips in January 2022. Trips to Europe were 9.1% of trips taken by US citizens in January 2022. The 366,403 trips taken by US citizens to Europe in January 2022 were 44.2% of the 829,621 trips taken to Europe in January 2019.
The number of trips taken to Mexico by air declined by 31.1%, falling from 1,241,731 trips in December 2021 to 855,823 trips in January 2022. The 855,823 trips were 8.8% more than the 786,397 trips taken to Mexico by air by US citizens in January 2019.
The percentage share of trips taken by air to Mexico increased from 12.0% in January 2019 to 21.2% in January 2022.
Please note the NTTO’s definition of the Caribbean does not include Puerto Rico or the United States Virgin Islands as, for the purposes of the study, they are deemed to be US territories and the focus of the system (APIS) is non-stop air traffic (segmented here for U.S. citizens) to foreign countries.
Hawaii reports the state received 623,691 out-of-state tourists in February 2022, 10.0% more than the 567,179 received in January 2022. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 10.0% in February 2022, growing from 567,179 air arrivals received in January 2022 to 623,691 arrivals in February 2022. However, according to preliminary visitor statistics released by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), total spending for visitors arriving in February 2022 was $1.310 billion, down 6.3% compared with January 2022 and 5.6% lower than in February 2019. Cruise operations in February saw four cruise ships bring in 6,956 visitors to the state. April 2020 was the first full month of travel restrictions to keep the community safe, following the State of Hawai‘i’s 14-day mandatory travel quarantine for all passengers (effective March 26, 2020). Consequently, the number of out of state air arrivals was 235,283 for February 2021. The 623,691 arrivals received in February 2022 were 81.6% of the 764,513 arrivals received in February 2019. Hawaii received 563,519 air arrivals from the mainland USA in February 2022, 90.4% of the overall total, 29,046 arrivals from Canada, 2,181 arrivals from Japan and 28,945 air arrivals from other markets. Overall person per trip expenditures grew by 15.8% from $1,809.40 in February 2019 to $2,096.10 in February 2022. Through the first two months of 2022 Hawaii saw a 192.4% increase in the volume of air arrivals, growing from 407,259 air arrivals in the first two months of 2021 to 1,190,870 air arrivals in the same two months of 2022. Air arrivals in the first two months of 2022 were 75.8% of the 1,570,080 received in the first two months of 2019. For the first two months of 2022, total visitor spending was estimated to be $2.707 billion, 90.1% of the $3.005 billion spent in the first two months of 2019. Person per trip spending grew by 19.0% from $1,908.30 per person per trip in the first two months of 2019 to $2,270.10 per person per trip in the first two months of 2022. Air arrivals from the USA increased by 174.3% in the first two months of 2022, growing from 391,568 air arrivals in 2021 to 1,073,979 air arrivals in the same two months of 2022, from Japan grew from 1,859 stopovers in 2021 to 5,031 in the first two months of 2022 and grew from 3,390 stopovers from Canada in 2021 to 52,597 in the same two months of 2022. Hawaii received 13,960 cruise visitors in the first two months of 2022.
Mexico received 1,564,494 international air arrivals in February 2022, up 6.5% compared with January 2022. According to the Government of Mexico’s SECTUR (Department of Tourism) Mexico received 1,564,494 international air arrivals in February 2022, up 6.5% compared with the 1,468,374 arrivals received in January 2022. Mexico’s border with the USA was closed as of March 20, 2020 and consequently Mexico received 545,194 international visitors in February 2021. The 1,564,494 international air arrivals received in February 2022 were 91.8% of the 1,704,217 international air visitors received in February 2019. Mexico received 989,481 air visitors from the USA in February 2022, 63.2% of the total. Canada was the second biggest market (162,086 visitors) with Colombia third largest (53,058 visitors). Cancun Airport received 753,836 international air visitor arrivals in February 2022, 48.2% of the overall total. Los Cabos received 174,634 international air arrivals with Puerto Vallarta receiving 159,625 air visitors. In the first two months of 2022 the volume of international air arrivals to Mexico increased by 152.3%, from 1,201,878 arrivals in 2021 to 3,032,869 arrivals in the same two months of 2022. The 3,032,869 arrivals received in the first two months of 2022 were 88.9% of the 3,410,546 international arrivals received in the first two months of 2019. The volume of air arrivals from the USA increased by 116.1% in the first two months of 2022, from 865,424 air arrivals in 2021 to 1,870,205 air arrivals in the first two months of 2022 while the volume from Canada grew from 27,656 in 2021 to 296,275 in the first two months of 2022. Cancun Airport saw a 149.7% increase in international air arrivals in the first two months of 2022, growing from 579,613 arrivals in 2021 to 1,447,031 arrivals in the first two months of 2022 while Los Cabos saw a 129.6% increase growing from 139,491 international air arrivals in 2021 to 320,276 air arrivals in the first two months of 2022. Puerto Vallarta saw a 242.4% increase, growing from 87,895 international arrivals in 2021 to 300,978 international arrivals in the same two months of 2022.
Antigua and Barbuda received 21,312 stopovers in February 2022, 17.8% more than the 18,097 received in January 2022. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 17.8% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in February 2022, growing from 18,097 stopovers received in January 2022 to 21,312 stopovers this February. Antigua and Barbuda re-opened its borders to international travel as of June 4th, 2020, and consequently received 5,635 visitors in February 2021. The 21,312 stopovers received In February 2022 were 71.8% of the 29,669 stopovers Antigua received in February 2019 and 63.8% of the 33,383 stopovers received in February 2020. The 9,387 stopover visitors received from the USA in February 2022 were 36.4% more than the 6,880 stopovers received from the USA in January 2022 and comprised 44.0% of all stopovers received in February. Antigua also received 8,511 stopover visitors from the U.K. in February, 39.9% of all stopovers received during that month. Antigua also received 44,558 cruise visitors in February 2022 and 2,287 visitors who arrived by yacht. Through the first two months of 2022, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 194.0% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 13,404 stopovers in the first two months of 2021 to 39,409 stopovers in the same two months of 2022. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 82.9%, from 8,893 stopovers in the first two months of 2021 to 16,267 stopovers in the same two months of 2022 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. increased from 2,326 in the first two months of 2021 to 16,249 stopovers in the same two months of 2022. The number of stopovers received in the first two months of 2022 was 65.8% of the 59,900 stopovers received in the same two months of 2019. Antigua received 93,308 cruise visitors in the first two months of 2022 and 4,337 visitors who arrived by yacht. Antigua received 277,112 cruise visitors in the first two months of 2019 and 7,407 visitors who arrived by yacht. 2022 Development Update: The Maldives The Indian Ocean nation of the Maldives, with its 26 atolls linking 1,192 coral islands dotted across 35,000 square miles, has long been an idyllic getaway for travelers looking for rest and relaxation. Though with development in recent years impacted by the pandemic, inbound travel remains steady as demand for private beach and over-water villas has never been stronger. “The Maldives have become a very compelling luxury destination with no rate ceiling,” says Bruce Ford, senior vice president and director of global business development at Lodging Econometrics. This year, data benchmarking company STR reports that the Maldives is expected to see 11 new properties with 1,797 rooms. (The Maldives currently has 162 resort properties which offer 19,400 rooms (38,822 beds)). Among those are the Alila Kothaifaru in Raa Atoll, starring 80 beach and waterfront villas by Singapore-based Studiogoto; Minor Hotels Group’s Avani+ on Fares Island in Baa Atoll, scheduled to open in August; and later this year, the Six Senses Kanuhura, comprising 80 over-water and beach villas, will join its sister property in Laamu. Further ahead, Mandarin Oriental is developing a resort across three private islands on the Bolidhuffaru Reef in the South Malé Atoll scheduled for 2025, and Accor has plans for the SO/ Maldives. Overlooking Emboodhoo Lagoon in Kaafu Atoll, the property will showcase 80 luxury villas, courtesy of Signapore’s eco.id, when it opens in 2023 Hilton is also making moves in the Maldives: the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi (led by Stickman Tribe) and the Bill Bensley-designed SAii Lagoon Maldives, a Curio Collection by Hilton hotel, opened in 2019. They were joined this February by the multimillion-dollar relaunch of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. From New York-based Yuki Yamazaki Architecture, the resort includes 50 reimagined over-water villas, the Muraka underwater suite, and new culinary venues like undersea restaurant Ithaa that channel an elevated barefoot luxury. Orlando saw a 14.7 percentage point increase in average room occupancy in February 2022, growing from 59.0% in January 2022 to 73.7% this February. According to STR Orlando had 126,493 hotel rooms in February 2022 and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 73.7%, up 14.7 percentage points compared with January 2022 (59.0%), and an ADR of $154.98 up 14.9% compared with January 2022 ($134.83). Orlando’s theme parks closed to visitors as of March 15th, 2020 and consequently Orlando’s hotels experienced an average room occupancy of 43.4% in February 2021. In the first two months of 2022 Orlando’s hotels saw an average hotel room occupancy of 66.0%, up 26.8 percentage points from the 39.2% achieved in the first two months of 2021. ADR increased by 62.0% from $89.84 for the first two months of 2021 to $145.51 for the first two months of 2022.
Orlando’s Airports saw a 3.5% decline in international deplanements in February 2022. Orlando, Florida is served by two primary airports, Orlando International (MCO) and Sanford International Airport (SFB). In February 2022, the two airports combined saw a decrease of 3.5% in international deplanements, falling from 153,051 deplanements from international airports in January 2022 to 147,624 international deplanements in February 2022. Orlando International handled 98.9% of all international deplanements. International deplanements made up 7.5% of total deplanements in February 2022. The two airports combined saw an 11.2% increase in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, growing from 1,643,340 domestic deplanements in January 2022 to 1,828,172 in February 2022. In the first two months of 2022, the two airports combined saw an increase of 356.7% in international deplanements, growing from 65,836 deplanements from international airports in the first two months of 2021 to 300,675 international deplanements in the first two months of 2022. The two airports combined saw a 73.1% increase in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, growing from 2,005,764 domestic deplanements in the first two months of 2021 to 3,471,512 in the same two months of 2022. The two airports combined saw an 82.1% increase in total deplanements, growing from 2,071,600 deplanements in the first two months of 2021 to 3,772,187 in the first two months of 2022.
Las Vegas received 2,616,600 visitors in February 2022, 5.7% more than the 2,474,800 received in January 2022. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Las Vegas saw the volume of visitors increase by 5.7% in February 2022, growing from 2,474,800 arrivals in January 2022 to 2,616,600 in February of 2022. The state of Nevada ordered the closure of all casinos as of March 17th, 2020 but re-opened all casinos as of June 4th, 2020. Consequently, Las Vegas received 1,540,100 visitors in February 2021. The 2,616,600 arrivals received in February 2022 were 82.0% of the 3,189,900 arrivals received in February 2019. Las Vegas had a weighted average of 150,702 open hotel rooms in February 2022 (up 3.7% compared with February 2021) and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 69.3% (42.0% in February 2021), an ADR of $149.52 and a RevPar of $103.62 Gaming revenue increased by 50.4% in February 2022, from $631.64 million in February 2021 to $949.87 million in the same two months of 2022. Gaming revenue in February 2022 was 6.4% higher than the $892.73 million in gaming revenue generated in February 2019. Through the first two months of 2022 Las Vegas saw a 79.6% increase in the volume of visitors, growing from 2,834,200 arrivals in the first two months of 2021 to 5,091,400 visitors in the same two months of 2022. The total number of visitors for the first two months of 2022 was 71.1% of the 6,602,000 received in the same two months of 2019. Las Vegas achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 64.1% in the first two months of 2022 (up 27.6 percentage points compared with the first two months of 2021), an ADR of $147.43 (up 55.7% compared with the same two months of 2021) and a RevPar of $94.50 up 173.4%, also compared with the same two months of 2021. Gaming revenue increased by 50.4% in the first two months of 2022, from $1.249 billion in 2021 to $1.879 billion in the same two months of 2022. Gaming revenue in the first two months of 2022 was 7.1% higher than the $1.754 billion in gaming revenue generated in the first two months of 2019.
The Bahamas reports the islands received 90,002 stopovers in February 2022, 45.6% more than the 61,833 stopovers received in January 2022. According to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, The Islands of The Bahamas received 90,002 stopover visitors in February 2022, 45.6% more than the 61,833 stopovers received in January 2022, The 90,002 stopovers received in February 2022 were 54.6% of the 164,875 stopovers received in February 2019. The Bahamas closed its borders to foreign visitors as of March 24th 2020 and re-opened its borders as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, The Bahamas received 26,972 stopover visitors in February 2021. Of the 90,002 stopover visitors who arrived in February, 81,282 (90.3%) were from the USA with 3,369 coming from Canada and 3,924 from Europe. During February 2022 72,602 stopovers stayed in Nassau/Paradise Island, (80.7% of all stopovers), with 2,979 stopovers (3.3%) staying in Grand Bahama, and 14,421 stopovers (16.0%) staying in The Out Islands. During the first two months of 2022 The Bahamas saw a 226.8% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 46,458 stopover visitors in the first two months of 2021 to 151,835 stopovers in the same two months of 2022. Stopover traffic to The Bahamas in the first two months of 2022 was 50.0% of the 303,793 stopovers received in the same two months of 2019. The number of visitors from the USA increased by 214.5% in the first two months of 2022, growing from 42,956 stopovers in 2021 to 135,077 stopovers in the same two months of 2022. The number from Canada grew from 587 in 2021 to 5,100 in the first two months of 2022, while the number from Europe grew from 1,123 in the first two months of 2021 to 6,955 in the same two months of 2022. Traffic from the USA in the first two months of 2022 was 89.0% of all stopover visitors compared to 76.8% of total stopover visits in the same two months of 2019. Nassau/Paradise Island saw a 352.5% increase in stopover arrivals in the first two months of 2022, growing from 24,208 stopovers in 2021 to 109,550 stopovers in the same two months of 2022, while Grand Bahama Island saw a 215.8% increase in stopover traffic, growing from 2,331 stopovers in 2021 to 7,362 in the same two months of 2022. Stopover traffic to the Out Islands increased by 75.3%, growing from 19,919 stopover visitors in 2021 to 34,923 in the same two months of 2022. Traffic to Nassau/Paradise Island in the first two months of 2022 was 48.2% of the total for the same two months of 2019, while traffic to Grand Bahama was 40.8% of the total for the same two months of 2019, and traffic to the Out Islands was 59.9% of the total for the same two months of 2019. The Bahamas received 235,964 cruise visitors in January 2022, 42.5% of the 555,280 received in January 2020 and 47.3% of the 498,913 cruise visitors received in January 2019. Cruise visitor numbers for February 2022 are not yet available. Please note these numbers are preliminary and may be subject to change.
Jamaica received 131,730 stopover visitors in January 2022, 41.0% fewer than the 223,333 stopovers received in December 2021. According to the Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica received 131,730 stopover arrivals in January 2022, 41.0% fewer than the 223,333 stopovers received in December 2021 and 60.8% of the 216,509 stopovers received in January 2019. Jamaica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and reopened again on June 15th 2020. Jamaica consequently had 43,831 arrivals in January 2021. Stopover arrivals from the USA totaled 98,827 in January 2022, that is 74.6% of the 132,508 stopovers received from the USA in January 2019. Stopover arrivals from the USA comprised 75.0% of all stopover arrivals received in January 2022. Jamaica re-opened its ports to cruise ships in August 2021 and received 21,110 cruise passengers during January 2022. Belize received 30,238 stopover visitors in February 2022, 17.8% more than the 25,661 received in January 2022. According to the Belize Tourism Board, Belize received 30,238 stopover visitors in February 2022, up 17.8% from the 25,661 received in January 2022. Belize closed its borders as of April 5th 2020, and consequently just received 7,938 stopover visitors in February 2021. The country reopened to visitors arriving by air as of October 1st 2020 and to visitors arriving by land and sea on May 31st 2021. The 30,238 stopover visitors received in February 2022 were 60.6% of the 49,868 stopover visitors received in February 2019. Belize received 23,880 stopover arrivals from the USA in February 2022, 2,273 from Europe, 1,713 from Canada and 179 from Mexico. Belize received 41 cruise ship calls in February 2022 with 58,239 cruise visitors. Belize re-opened to cruise visitors as of July 2021. In the first two months of 2022 Belize saw the number of stopovers increase by 276.5%, from 14,846 visitors in the first two months of 2021 to 55,899 in the first two months of 2022. The 55,899 visitors received in 2022 were 55.6% of the 100,458 received in the first two months of 2019. Stopovers from the USA increased by 281.4% in the first two months of 2022, from 11,599 in 2021 to 44,243 in the same two months of 2022. Stopovers from Canada grew by 731.6% in the first two months, to 2,977 arrivals, while stopovers from Europe grew by 820.7% in the same two months, to 4,143 arrivals. Belize received 105,393 cruise visitors in the first two months of 2022, down 66.4% compared with the 313,811 cruise visitors received in the first two months of 2019. UNWTO Reports Tourism Enjoys Strong Start To 2022 While Facing New Uncertainties UNWTO | 25th March 2022 International tourism continued its recovery in January 2022, with a much better performance compared to the weak start to 2021. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine adds pressure to existing economic uncertainties, coupled with many Covid-related travel restrictions still in place. Overall confidence could be affected and hamper the recovery of tourism. Based on the latest available data, global international tourist arrivals more than doubled (+130%) in January 2022 compared to 2021 - the 18 million more visitors recorded worldwide in the first month of this year equals the total increase for the whole of 2021. While these figures confirm the positive trend already underway last year, the pace of recovery in January was impacted by the emergences of the Omicron variant and the re-introduction of travel restrictions in several destinations. Following the 71% decline of 2021, international arrivals in January 2022 remained 67% below the pre-pandemic levels of January 2019. The Caribbean (-38% lower than January 2019) and Southern and Mediterranean Europe (-41%) have shown the fastest rates of recovery towards 2019 levels. Indeed, several islands in the Caribbean and Asia and the Pacific, together with some small European and Central American destinations recorded the best results compared to 2019: Aruba and Saint Lucia (both -37%), Seychelles (-27%), Puerto Rico Non-Resident Hotel registrations (-22%), Bulgaria and Curaçao (both -20%), El Salvador (-19%), Serbia and Maldives (both -13%), Dominican Republic (-11%), Albania (-7%) and Andorra (-3%). Bosnia and Herzegovina (+2%) even exceeded pre-pandemic levels. For full report and UNWTO Tourism Barometer Volume 20 | Issue 2 | March 2022 click here.
Puerto Rico saw average hotel room occupancy drop to 47.3% in January 2022 falling by 17.7 points from the 65.0% achieved in December 2021. According to the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC), the hotels and resorts endorsed by the PRTC saw the number of non-resident hotel registrations decline by 28.5% in January 2022, falling from 151,352 non-resident registrations in December 2021 to 108,177 registrations in January 2022. Registrations by local residents decreased by 22.5%, falling from 51,096 in December 2021 to 39,586 in January 2022. The 108,177 non-resident hotel registrations achieved in January 2022 were 22.1% fewer than the 138,897 non-resident registrations achieved in January 2019. The PRTC reports that the number of hotel/resort available room nights decreased by 6.7%, falling from 424,775 in December 2021 to 396,144 in January 2022. The number of room nights available in January 2022 was 8.7% higher than in January 2019. The number of occupied room nights decreased by 31.0%, falling from 279,253 in December 2021 to 192,704 in January 2022. The number of occupied room nights achieved in January 2022 was 80.4% of the total achieved in January 2019. Average room occupancy dropped by 17.7 percentage points from the 65.0% achieved in December 2021 to 47.3% in January 2022. Average room occupancy in January 2019 was 65.8%. ADR increased by 25.8% growing from $222.81 in December 2021 to $280.37 in January 2022 and was 57.1% higher than the $178.48 achieved in January 2019. Punta Cana received 316,672 tourists in February 2022, 7.7% more than the 293,939 tourists who visited in January 2022. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, received 316,672 stopovers in February 2022, 7.7% more than the 293,939 stopovers received in January 2022 and 10.1% fewer than the 352,212 stopovers received in February 2019. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and re-opened to tourists as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Punta Cana received just 69,923 visitors in February 2021. Punta Cana received 118,122 stopover arrivals from the USA in February 2022, 37.3% of all tourist arrivals and 17.9% more than the 100,195 stopovers received in January 2022. Arrivals from the USA increased by 157.2% in February 2022, growing from 45,926 arrivals in February 2021 to 118,122 arrivals in February 2022. Traffic from Canada increased from 136 arrivals in February 2021 to 43,269 arrivals in February 2022. Traffic from Russia grew from 316 arrivals in February 2021 to 17,104 arrivals in February 2022. As well, traffic from France grew from 310 stopovers in February 2021 to 26,365 in February this year while traffic from Germany grew from 546 arrivals in February 2021 to 12,627 in February 2022. Arrivals from the UK grew from 19 in February 2021 to 12,051 in February 2022. Colombia generated 8,311 stopovers in February 2022 while Argentina generated 11,462. In February 2022, stopover arrivals to Punta Cana made up 55.9% of all non-resident arrivals to the Dominican Republic compared with 35.2% in February 2021. During the first two months of 2022 Punta Cana saw a 314.3% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 147,399 arrivals in the first two months of 2021 to 610,611 non-resident arrivals in the first two months of 2022. However, the total for 2022 was 87.1% of the 701,058 stopovers received in the first two months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 171.7% in the first two months of 2022, growing from 80,439 arrivals in the first two months of 2021 to 218,317 arrivals in the same two months of 2022. Traffic from Canada grew from 4,167 arrivals in the first two months of 2021 to 72,154 arrivals in the first two months of 2021. Traffic also increased from the UK, growing from 91 arrivals in the first two months of 2021 to 23,252 stopovers in the same two months of 2022. Traffic increased by 237.5% from Colombia, was up 1,039.4% from Germany, up 303.9% from Spain and up 412.4% from France. In the first two months of 2022, stopover arrivals to Punta Cana made up 55.7% of all non-resident arrivals to the Dominican Republic compared with 36.5% in the same two months of 2021.
The Dominican Republic received 566,235 tourists in February 2022, 6.6% more than the 530,956 tourists who visited in January 2022. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, received 566,235 stopovers in February 2022, 6.6% more than the 530,956 stopovers received in January 2022 but 6.4% fewer than the 604,977 stopovers received in February 2019. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and re-opened to tourists as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, the Dominican Republic received 198,485 stopover visitors in February 2021. The Dominican Republic received 188,447 stopover arrivals from the USA in February 2022, 33.3% of all tourist arrivals and 21.8% more than the 154,748 stopovers received in January 2022. Arrivals from the USA increased by 120.8% in February 2022, growing from 85,360 arrivals in February 2021 to 188,447 arrivals in February 2022. Traffic from Canada grew from 246 arrivals in February 2021 to 52,712 arrivals in February 2022. Traffic from Russia grew from 367 arrivals in February 2021 to 42,705 arrivals in February 2022. As well, traffic from France grew from 936 stopovers in February 2021 to 33,453 in February this year while traffic from Germany grew from 1,209 arrivals in February 2021 to 16,277 in February 2022. Arrivals from the UK grew from 161 in February 2021 to 12,664 in February 2022. Colombia generated 10,561 stopovers in February 2022 while Argentina generated 12,665. In February 2022 16.2% of all non-resident tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic were non-resident Dominicans returning home, down from 36.2% of all arrivals in February 2021. In the first two months of 2022 the Dominican Republic saw a 171.7% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 403,796 arrivals in the first two months of 2021 to 1,097,191 non-resident arrivals in the same two months of 2022. Non-resident arrivals from the USA increased by 123.2% in the first two months of 2022, growing from 153,793 arrivals in 2021 to 343,195 arrivals from the USA in the first two months of 2022. Stopover arrivals from Canada grew from 5,738 in the first two months of 2021 to 89,369 in the same two months of 2022. The 1,097,191 stopovers received in the first two months of 2022 were 91.2% of the 1,203,175 stopovers received in the first two months of 2019. In the first two months of 2022 17.0% of all non-resident tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic were non-resident Dominicans returning home, down from 36.4% in the same two months of 2021. Hawaii’s hotels report a 6.7 percentage point increase in average room occupancy in February 2022 compared with January 2022, growing from 65.4% to 72.1% According to the Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report published by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), statewide hotel room occupancy grew by 6.7 percentage points from 65.4% in January 2022 to 72.1% in February of this year. ADR fell by 1.7% from $357.22 in January to $350.98 in February, while revpar increased by 8.5%, from $233.46 in January 2022 to $253.18 in February of this year. Hawai‘i’s quarantine order for travelers due to the COVID-19 pandemic began on March 26, 2020, which immediately resulted in dramatic declines for the hotel industry. Many properties closed or reduced operations starting in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hotel sector posted an average room occupancy of 30.5% in February 2021. Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide fell by 1.3%, from $398.7 million in January 2022 to $393.7 million in February 2022. Room demand increased by 0.5%, from 1,116,100 room nights in January 2022 to 1,121,600 room nights in February 2022 while room supply declined by 8.9%, from 1,707,700 room nights in January 2022 to 1,554,900 room nights in February. In February 2022, domestic passengers could bypass the State’s mandatory five-day self-quarantine if they were up-to-date on their vaccination or with a negative COVID-19 pre-travel test result from a Trusted Testing Partner through the Safe Travels program. Passengers arriving on direct international flights were subjected to federal U.S. entry requirements which included proof of an up-to-date vaccination document and negative COVID-19 test result taken within one day of travel, or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days, prior to their flight. For the first two months of 2022 statewide hotel room occupancy increased by 42.1 percentage points from 26.4% in 2021 to 68.5% in the first two months of 2022. ADR increased by 37.3% from $256.61 in 2021 to $352.29 in 2022 while revpar grew by 256.1%, from $67.86 in the first two months of 2021 to $241.62 in the first two months of this year. By comparison with the first two months of 2019, average room occupancy fell from 81.4% in 2019 to 68.5% in 2022. ADR however improved by 19.6% from $294.69 in the first two months of 2019 to $352.59 in the same two months of 2022, while RevPar grew by just 0.8%, from $239.81 in 2019 to $241.62 in the same two months of 2022. In the first two months of 2021, Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide increased by 285.4% from $205.5 million in 2021 to $791.9 million in the first two months of this year. Total rooms revenues for the first two months of 2022 were 3.6% higher than for the same two months of 2019. Room demand increased by 180.5%, from 800,800 room nights in 2021 to 2,246,000 in the same two months of 2022. Room supply grew by 8.2% to 3,277,500 available room nights also in the first two months. Room demand in 2022 was 13.5% less than for the same two months of 2019 while room supply was 2.7% higher. The Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report is produced using hotel survey data compiled by STR, Inc., the largest survey of its kind in Hawai‘i. The survey generally excludes properties with under 20 lodging units, such as small bed and breakfasts, youth hostels, single-family vacation rentals, cottages, individually rented vacation condominiums and sold timeshare units no longer available for hotel use. The data has been weighted both geographically and by class of property to compensate for any over and/or under representation of hotel survey participants by location and type. For February 2022, the survey included 148 properties representing 46,796 rooms, or 84.3 percent of all lodging properties with 20 rooms or more in the Hawaiian Islands, including full service, limited service, and condominium hotels. The February survey included 76 properties on O‘ahu representing 29,092 rooms (94.9%); 40 properties in the County of Maui, representing 9,631 rooms (72.6%); 16 properties on the island of Hawai‘i, representing 4,887 rooms (69.7%); and 16 properties on Kaua‘i, representing 3,186 rooms (69.3%).
Trinidad and Tobago received 11,352 stopover visitors in February 2022, 29.8% more than the 8,748 stopover visitors received in January 2022. According to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s Central Statistical Office Trinidad and Tobago received 11,352 stopover visitors in February 2022, an increase of 29.8% compared with the 8,748 stopovers received in January 2022. Trinidad received 10,596 stopover visitors in February 2022 with Tobago receiving 756. Trinidad and Tobago closed its borders as of March 23rd 2020, and consequently just received a total of 423 stopover visitors in February 2021. The country reopened its borders to visitors as of July 17th 2021. The 11,352 stopover visitors received in February 2022 were 27.1% of the 41,830 stopover visitors received in February 2019 and 23.9% of the 47,438 stopovers received in February 2020. Trinidad and Tobago received 5,691 stopover arrivals from the USA in February 2022, 2,144 from Europe, 1,154 from Canada and 2,363 from the rest of the world. In the first two months of 2022 Trinidad and Tobago saw the number of stopovers increase from 820 in the first two months of 2021 to 20,100 in the first two months of 2022. The 20,100 visitors received in 2022 were 28.7% of the 70,100 received in the first two months of 2019. Stopovers from the USA grew from 288 in the first two months of 2021 to 9,181 in the same two months of 2022. Stopovers from Canada increased from 69 stopovers in the first two months of 2021, to 2,012 in the same two months of 2022 while stopovers from Europe grew from 200 in 2021 to 3,931 in the same two months of 2022. Trinidad received 18,978 stopovers in the first two months of 2022, 94.4% of the overall total, with Tobago receiving 1,122 stopovers. Aruba Airport Authority reports it handled 77,599 departing passengers in February 2022, 1.1% more than the 76,741 departing passengers handled in January 2022. The Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) reports that in February 2022 77,599 Revenue Generating Passengers (RGPs) travelled out of the Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA Airport) to its various markets. This was 1.1% more than the 76,741 RGPs who departed in January 2022. A revenue generating passenger is an outbound traveler leaving Aruba and includes tourists returning to their homes as well as Arubans departing for trips overseas. While Aruba reopened to travel to and from Bonaire and Curacao as of June 15th, 2020, the country did not reopen to travel from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean until July 1st, 2020, and from the USA until July 10th, 2020. Consequently, the airport had just 33,874 RGPs in February 2021. The airport also handled 8,592 passengers in transit in February 2022 as well as 693 transferring passengers. In February 2022 61,033 passengers (pax) travelled to the USA, 1,553 pax to Canada, 6,062 pax to Europe, 6,420 pax to Latin America and 2,531 pax to the Dutch Caribbean. The airlines provided 123,752 outbound seats in February 2022, 17.1% fewer than the 149,216 seats provided in February 2019. Airlines flying to the USA in February experienced an average load factor of 68.7%, 75.8% to Canada, while flights to Europe averaged a 91.0% load factor. The overall average load factor for all flights for February was 70.8%. In the first two months of 2022 the airport handled a total of 154,340 RGPs, up 91.9% compared with the 80,422 handled in the first two months of 2021. Traffic to the USA increased by 81.0%, from 64,104 RGPs in the first two months of 2021 to 116,002 in the same two months of 2022. Traffic to Canada grew from 901 RGPs in 2021 to 4,573 RGPs, while traffic to Europe increased by 105.2%, from 6,842 RGPS in the first two months of 2021 to 14,041 RGPs this year. Seat capacity increased by 52.5% through the first two months of 2022 from 172,966 available seats in the first two months of 2021 to 263,704 seats in the same two months of 2022. The 263,704 seats available in 2022 were 82.4% of the 320,158 seats available in the first two months of 2019. The overall average load factor of outbound flights grew from 46.5% in the first two months of 2021 to 66.0% in the same two months of 2022. The average load factor of flights to the USA grew from 49.0% in the first two months of 2021 to 62.0% in the same two months of 2022. On March 16th 2022, the airport issued a revised forecast for the number of available seats for CY 2022 and projects a total of 1,583,026 available seats for CY 2022, 6.9% fewer than the 1,701,062 seats provided in 2019. They forecast that the airport will handle 1,128,572 seats from the USA, 8.3% more than the 1,041,252 seats handled from the USA in 2019. The AAA also forecast that the airport will handle a total of 1,122,479 RGPs in CY 2022 and 1,237,272 RGPs in CY 2023. The 2022 total is 88.7% of the 1,265,965 RGPs handled in CY 2019. The AAA stated that these projections are preliminary and subject to change.
The USVI saw a 123% increase in the number of cruise visitors in February 2022. According to the USVI Bureau of Economic Research, the USVI saw the volume of cruise visitor arrivals increase by 123% in February 2022, growing from 33,899 cruise visitors from 27 calls in January 2022 to 75,515 cruise visitors from 53 calls in February 2022. The USVI reopened to cruise ships in July 2021. The USVI received 109,414 cruise passengers from 80 calls during the first two months of 2022. While there were no cruise ship call in the first two months of 2021 this total is just 33.5% of the 327,018 cruise visitors received in the first two months of 2019.
Cuba announces it received 99,266 international stopover visitors in February 2022, 14.8% more than the 86,483 received in January 2022. The Cuban Government’s Office of National Statistics and Information (ONEI) recently announced that total international tourist arrivals increased by 14.8% in February 2022, growing from 86,483 international stopover arrivals in January 2022 to 99,266 arrivals in February 2022. This number includes both stopover visitors and cruise visitors. Cuba closed its borders to international tourist arrivals on March 20 2020 re-opening in November 2021 and consequently received just 13,204 international stopovers in February 2021. The 99,266 stopovers received in February 2022 were 21.6% of the 459,417 international visitors received in February 2019. Cuba received 24,759 stopovers from Canada in February 2022, 24.9% of all stopovers received for the month and 16,437 stopovers from Russia (16.6% of all stopovers). In the first two months of 2022 Cuba saw a 422% increase in total international arrivals, growing from 35,553 arrivals in 2021 to 185,749 stopovers this year. The 185,749 arrivals were 19.6% of the 949,035 international visitors received in the first two months of 2019. Total tourist arrivals from Canada grew from 2,193 stopovers in the first two months of 2021, to 40,821 in the same two months of 2022 and was the number one source market. Stopovers from Russia grew from 13,819 in the first two months of 2021 to 35,871 in the same two months of 2022. Canada generated 22.0% of all stopovers in the first two months of 2022 with Russia generating 19.3%. Delta Air Lines Believes Fuel Cost Could Increase Ticket Prices By 5 - 10% By Daniel Martínez Garbuno | March 18 2022 | Simple Flying. Flying this summer could be more expensive due to higher fuel costs. The oil and fuel rising costs could lead to a 10% increase in airfares worldwide, according to Delta Air Line’s head, Ed Bastian. In the last few weeks, oil prices have reached a 14-year high after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Higher costs, higher fares In the last few weeks, fuel and oil prices worldwide have skyrocketed, and the airline industry is starting to feel the pressure. According to the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) jet fuel price monitor, the price for fuel is 19.5% higher in March than a month ago and 82.5% higher than a year ago. While some carriers, like American Airlines, believe rising fuel prices will not have a long-term impact on the industry, others, like Delta Air Lines, expect higher fares. Domestically, the rise in fuel prices could lead to an increase between 5% to 10% in fares, or around US$25 per ticket, said Ed Bastian to the BBC. On international flights, the increase could be a bit higher, he added. Delta is planning to introduce fuel surcharges on international flights “as the market conditions permit” and increase US ticket prices. Long-term impact? Ed Bastian believes it is too early to draw any conclusions regarding the impact of the rising fuel prices. Earlier this week, he said to the Financial Times, “It’s a little early to tell what’s going to happen to oil prices and consumer demand over the summer. You’d never want to be in a position of cutting capacity when you’re having such robust demand.” That’s a similar approach to American Airlines, which stated that the company will continue to be fully exposed to fluctuations in aircraft fuel prices. Nonetheless, American Airlines’ CEO, Doug Parker, said earlier this week that the industry will continue to make money, despite the higher oil prices. He added, “In 2010, oil prices were around US$80 per barrel; the airline industry made US$4.8 billion, which was a record in earnings for the industry. Next year, oil prices went up to US$111.26 per barrel. Earnings fell. It takes a while to react. The reaction to higher oil prices is less capacity and higher prices. So when it runs up quickly like it just did, it takes a while to respond, but we respond, and indeed, in 2012, we got back nearly to 2010 revenue levels. We can make money with oil prices of US$100 or higher, and we will. That’s not a long-term impact on the industry’s ability to make money.” Fuel in advance Fuel represents somewhere between 22% and 38% of an airline’s total expenses. Along with labor, it is among a carrier's highest costs. For airlines, it is essential to operate fuel-efficient aircraft and execute other strategies that can help them mitigate the volatility of the jet fuel price. Many airlines undertake fuel hedging strategies, seeking to acquire fuel at a specific fixed price. Nonetheless, these strategies have risks, especially if airlines misinterpret the market and future oil prices. British Airways and easyJet both said recently that they had bought fuel in advance, acquiring up to 60% of their fuel needs, told the BBC. Meanwhile, Delta will not undertake these fuel hedging strategies because “sometimes you win, and often you lose,” said Bastian. Cuba continues to bet on tourism as pandemic subsides Havana - New hotels have popped up across Cuba during the Covid-19 pandemic, as the Caribbean island continues to bet on tourism to drive economic growth. Maria Rodriguez, who runs a traditional restaurant in central Havana, an area once bustling with foreign tourists taking snapshots of the eclectic architecture, hopes the newly-opened hotels will attract visitors and help with the economic recovery. "We need more tourists to arrive in Cuba," said Rodriguez, 32. "The pandemic will not last forever. The hotels are a stake in the future of this country." Earlier this week, the Cuban government opened the Grand Aston La Habana Hotel in the city's entertainment district. Overlooking Havana's famed seafront, the Malecon, a 600-room four-star hotel, features panoramic views of the ocean. Other hotels are in different stages of development in colonial towns and seaside resorts throughout Cuba to boost the range of accommodations and services available. Victor Manuel Lemagne, the secretary-general of the National Hotel and Tourism Workers Union, told the state TV: "As the tourism industry rebounds, we are called on to help the country get higher earnings from tourism through better-quality service." While Cuba received only about 500,000 foreign tourists in 2021, a fraction of the four million annual visitors seen prior to the pandemic, tourism authorities reported a rise in international arrivals in the first two months of 2022 compared to the same period last year. The government has included tourism as a strategic sector in its new portfolio of investment opportunities for foreign capital. Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Garcia said more needs to be done to draw private entrepreneurs to provide hotel facilities with a variety of services. "Small and medium-sized enterprises can provide our facilities with maintenance, repair, and design work of very high quality," Garcia said. With new hotels slated to open in the coming months, Cuba's National Assembly of People's Power has earmarked 24 percent of the country's 2022 national budget to the development of the tourism sector. The government aims to build over 4,600 new hotel rooms by the end of the year, local media reported. Jose Luis Perello, a university professor and tourism expert, said the recovery of the sector is fundamental for Cuba amid stepped up US-led economic sanctions against the island. "No country should rely only on tourism to achieve development, but the island's tourism investment policy is on the right track," Perello said. Costa Rica received 200,164 stopover arrivals in February 2022, 6.4% more than the 188,200 stopovers received in January 2022. According to the Costa Rica Institute of Tourism (ICT), Costa Rica received 200,164 stopovers in February 2022, 6.4% more than the 188,200 stopovers received in January 2022. Costa Rica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and reopened to international tourists arriving by air as of January 2021. It reopened its land borders in April 2021. Costa Rica consequently received 55,252 stopovers in February 2021. The 200,164 stopovers received in February 2022 were 64.0% of the 312,774 stopovers received in February 2019 and 58.7% of the 341,088 stopovers received in February 2020. Costa Rica received 107,529 stopovers from the USA in February 2022, 53.7% of the overall total, up from 42.2% share in February 2019, and 10,102 stopovers from Central America, whose share dropped from 17.6% in February 2019 to 5.0% in February 2022. The volume of stopovers increased by 230.7% in the first two months of 2022, growing from 117,452 stopovers in the first two months of 2021 to 388,364 stopovers in the first two months of 2022. The 388,364 stopover visitors were 58.1% of the 668,095 stopovers received in the first two months of 2019. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 183.3% in the first two months of 2022, from 73,120 stopovers in 2021 to 207,163 in 2022 while the number from Central America increased by 305.2%, growing from 5,619 in the first two months of 2021 to 22,767 in the same two months of 2022. The share of visitors from the USA fell from 62.3% in the first two months of 2021 to 53.3% in the first two months of 2022. Aruba received 77,961 stopover visitors in February 2022, 30.4% more than the 59,793 stopovers received in January 2022. According to Aruba Tourism Authority, Aruba received 77,961 stopover arrivals in February 2022, 30.4% more than the 59,793 stopovers it received in January 2022. Aruba received 31,982 stopover visitors in February 2021. The 77,961 stopovers received in February 2022 were 83.6% of the 93,209 stopovers received in February 2019. Compared with 2019, stopover arrivals from the USA decreased by 8.4%, falling from 68,922 arrivals in February 2019 to 63,114 arrivals in February 2022. Arrivals from the USA comprised 81.0% of all arrivals in February 2022 up from 73.9% in February 2019. Arrivals from Canada decreased by 58.9%, falling from 6,518 in February 2019 to 2,678 stopovers in February 2022. Arrivals from the Netherlands increased by 16.6%, growing from 3,769 in February 2019 to 4,395 in February of this year. Aruba re-opened its ports to visitors in June 2021 and during February 2022 received 39 cruise ship calls and a total of 42,447 cruise passengers. The number of visitors staying in hotels in February 2022 declined by 28.7% compared with February 2019, falling from 45,650 visitors in 2019 to 32,576 in February 2022. The share of visitors staying in hotels fell from 49.0% in February 2019 to 41.8% in February 2022. 23,002 visitors used timeshare accommodation in February 2022, 1.0% more than the 22,777 visitors who used such accommodation in February 2019, with the sector’s share growing from 24.4% in 2019 to 29.5% in 2022. Visitors using other accommodation – private homes, condominiums, short term rental accommodation and apartments – fell by 9.6% when comparing February 2019 with February 2022, falling from 24,752 visitors in 2019 to 22,383 in 2022, with the share growing from 26.6% in 2019 to 28.7% in 2022. In February 2022, the primary carrier was JetBlue which brought in 25,220 non-resident visitors, 32.3% of all stopover arrivals, while American Airlines brought in 14,454 non-resident visitors, 18.5% of all visitors. United Airlines brought in 10,796 visitors with Delta bringing in 9,462 visitors. These four carriers brought in 76.7% of all visitors in February of this year. The percentage of visitors 20 years old through 49 years old grew from 39.2% in February 2019 to 44.6% in February 2022. The percentage 60 years old or older fell from 26.4% in 2019 to 21.4% in 2022. In the first two months of 2022 Aruba saw a 117.6% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 63,316 visitors in the first two months of 2021 to 137,754 visitors in the first two months of this year. The number of stopovers from the USA grew by 101.3% during the first two months, from 53,995 in 2021 to 108,670 through the end of February 2022. The 137,754 stopover visitors received in the first two months of 2022 was 73.5% of the 187,453 stopovers received in the first two months of 2019. There were 108,670 stopovers from the USA in the first two months of 2022, 80.9% of the 134,356 received from the USA in the first two months of 2019. The number of visitors staying in hotels in the first two months of 2022 declined by 39.4% compared with the same two months of 2019, falling from 91,788 visitors in 2019 to 55,643 in the same two months of 2022. The share of visitors staying in hotels fell from 49.0% in the first two months of 2019 to 40.4% in the same two months of 2022. In the first two months of 2022 42,368 visitors used timeshare accommodation, 93.3% of the 45,410 visitors who used such accommodation in the first two months of 2019, with the sector’s share growing from 24.2% in 2019 to 30.8% in 2022. Visitors using other accommodation – private homes, condominiums, short term rental accommodation and apartments – fell by 20.9% when comparing the first two months of 2019 with the same two months of 2022, falling from 50,255 visitors in 2019 to 39,743 in 2022, with the share growing from 26.8% in 2019 to 28.9% in 2022. In the first two months of 2022 the primary carrier was JetBlue which brought in 41,457 non-resident visitors, 30.1% of all stopover arrivals, while American Airlines brought in 25,889 non-resident visitors, 18.8% of all visitors. United Airlines brought in 19,549 visitors with Delta bringing in 16,473 visitors. These four carriers brought in 75.1% of all visitors in the first two months of 2022. The percentage of visitors 20 years old through 49 years old grew from 40.2% in the first two months of 2019 to 45.6% in the same two months of 2022. The percentage 60 years old or older fell from 26.9% in 2019 to 22.1% in 2022. Aruba received 80 cruise ship calls in the first two months of 2022 with 87,827 cruise passengers compared with the 86 calls cruise ships made in 2019 and 214,509 passengers. Curacao reports it received 35,451 stopover arrivals in February 2022, slightly down from the 35,489 received in January 2022. According to the Curaçao Tourist Board, Curaçao saw slight change in stopover visitor arrivals in February, falling from 35,489 stopovers received in January 2022 to 35,451 stopovers received in February 2022. The 35,451 stopovers received in February 2022 were 86.2% of the 41,148 stopovers received in February 2019. Curaçao closed its borders to international visitors as of March 17th, 2020 and reopened its borders to visitors from Europe and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Curaçao received just 8,144 stopover visitors in February 2021. Curacao received 21,624 stopover visitors from the Netherlands in February 2022 and 5,492 stopovers from the USA, 61.0% and 15.5% of all stopovers, respectively. Curacao received 40 cruise ship calls with 43,601 cruise visitors in February 2022. The island re-opened to cruise traffic in June 2021. The 43,601 cruise visitors were 53.3% of the 81,839 received in February 2019. In the first two months of 2022 Curaçao saw a 409% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 13,934 visitors in 2021 to 70,940 visitors in the same two months of this year. The number of stopovers from the Netherlands increased by 442.0%, growing from 8,350 visitors during the first two months of 2021, to 45,255 in the same two months of 2022. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 388% during the first two months, growing from 1,834 in 2021 to 8,951 in the same two months of 2022. The 70,940 stopovers received in the first two months of 2022 was 83.4% of the 85,304 stopovers received in the same two months of 2019. In the first two months of 2022 Curacao received 79 cruise ship calls which brought 83,576 cruise passengers, 41.3% of the 202,197 cruise visitors brought in the same two months of 2019. Cuba announces it received 86,483 international stopover visitors in January 2022, 14.8% fewer than the 101,548 received in December 2021. The Cuban Government’s Office of National Statistics and Information (ONEI) recently announced that total international tourist arrivals declined by 14.8% in January 2022, falling from 101,548 international stopover arrivals in December 2021 to 86,483 arrivals in January 2022. This number includes both stopover visitors and cruise visitors. Cuba closed its borders to international tourist arrivals on March 20 2020 re-opening in November 2021 and consequently received just 22,349 international stopovers in January 2021. The 86,483 stopovers received in January 2022 were 17.7% of the 489,618 international visitors received in January 2019. Cuba received 16,062 stopovers from Canada in January 2022, 18.6% of all stopovers received for the month and 19,434 stopovers from Russia (22.5% of all stopovers).
Mauritius reports it received 52,724 stopover visitors in February 2022, 31.7% more than the 40,028 stopovers received in January 2021. The Mauritius Government’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Development recently reported that the country received 52,724 total stopover arrivals in February 2022, 31.7% more than the 40,028 stopovers received in January 2022. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors. Mauritius reopened its borders to international travel as of October 1st 2021. Mauritius received 19,536 visitors from France in February 2022, 37.1% of the overall total for the month, and the number one producing market. The number two source market was the United Kingdom which generated 7,382 visitors, (14.0%) of the total for the month. Germany generated 4,494 visitors. Mauritius closed its borders to all international arrivals as of March 19th, 2020, and consequently received just 1,229 stopovers in February 2021. The 52,724 arrivals received in February 2022 were 47.3% of the 111,560 stopovers received in February 2020 and 45.6% of the 115,613 stopovers received in February 2019. In the first two months of 2022 Mauritius saw a 3,667% increase in total stopover arrivals, growing from 2,461 arrivals in the first two months of 2021 to 92,752 arrivals in the first two months of this year. The number one source market in the first two months of 2022 was France with 30,716 stopover visitors followed by the United Kingdom with 12,722 stopovers. These two markets together generated 46.8% of all stopovers in 2022. Mauritius received 237,886 stopovers through the first two months of 2019 with the total received during the first two months of 2022 being 39.0% of this total.
Jamaica received 1,464,399 stopover visitors in CY 2021, 54.6% of the 2,680,920 stopovers received in CY 2019. According to the Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica received 223,333 stopover arrivals in December 2021, a 46.8% increase compared with the 152,097 stopovers received in November 2021 and 79.4% of the 281,115 stopovers received in December 2019. Jamaica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and reopened again on June 15th 2020. Jamaica consequently had 90,164 arrivals in December 2020. Stopover arrivals from the USA totaled 170,192 in December 2021, that is 45.5% more than the 116,952 stopover visitors received from the USA in November 2021. Stopover arrivals from the USA comprised 76.2% of all stopover arrivals received in December 2021. Jamaica re-opened its ports to cruise ships in August 2021 and received 29,666 cruise passengers during December from 20 cruise ship calls. During calendar year (CY) 2021 Jamaica saw a 66.3% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 880,404 stopover arrivals in CY 2020 to 1,464,399 arrivals in the same twelve months of 2021. The 1,464,399 stopovers received in CY 2021 were 54.6% of the 2,680,920 stopovers received in CY 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 100.6% in CY 2021, growing from 637,505 arrivals in 2020 to 1,278,679 arrivals in the same twelve months of 2021. The USA’s share of all stopover arrivals grew from 72.4% in CY 2020 to 87.3% in the same twelve months of 2021. Jamaica received 70,766 cruise passengers between August and December 2021, 70.3% fewer than the 449,271 received in CY 2020.
AHATA reports Aruba’s hotels achieved a 64.4% average room occupancy in February 2022, up 16.2 percentage points from the 48.2% achieved in January. The Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association reports that average hotel room occupancy in Aruba’s hotels in February 2022 was 64.4%, 16.2 percentage points higher than the 48.2% achieved in January 2022. Aruba closed its orders to international travel as of March 17, 2020, and while the borders re-opened as of July 2020, Aruba’s hotels achieved a 28.1% average room occupancy in February 2021. Compared with February 2020, the average room occupancy in February 2022 was 24.9 percentage points lower, falling from 89.3% in February 2020 to 64.4% in February this year. It was also 27.4 percentage points lower than the 91.8% average room occupancy achieved in February 2019. ADR was $356.69 in February 2022, 32.3% higher than in February 2021, but 7.7% less than in February 2020 and 0.8% lower than in February 2019. RevPar was $229.74 in February 2022, 203.1% higher than in February 2021 but 33.4% lower than in February 2020 and 30.4% lower than in February 2019. Through the first two months of 2022 AHATA reports that Aruba’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 55.9% compared with 26.5% for the first two months of 2021. Again, compared with the first two months of 2021, ADR grew by 32.3% from $285.54 to $356.76 in the first two months of 2022. RevPar grew by 163.8% from $75.55 in 2021 to $199.32 in 2022 By comparison with the first two months of 2019 average room occupancy was 34.3 percentage points lower in 2022, while ADR fell by 0.1%, and revpar was 38.1% lower. Aruba’s timeshare resorts reported an average occupancy of 86% in February 2022. AHATA is projecting that Aruba’s hotels will achieve an average room occupancy of 73% for March, 77% for April, 76% for May and 73% for 2022 as a whole. St. Vincent and the Grenadines received 20,565 stopover visitors in 2021. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank St. Vincent and the Grenadines received 20,565 stopover visitors in calendar year (CY) 2021, down 22.5% from the 26,550 received in CY 2020 and just 24.0% of the 85,546 visitors who arrived in CY 2019. Of the 20,565 visitors 47.4% (9,756) arrived from the USA while 21.7% arrived from the United Kingdom, 7.2% arrived from Canada and 12.5% were from the Caribbean itself. St. Vincent and the Grenadines also received 14,101 cruise visitors in CY 2021 with the island opening its cruise port in August 2021. This total was 5.5% of the 255,225 cruise visitors who arrived in CY 2019. St. Vincent and the Grenadines also received 5,658 visitors who arrived by yacht in CY 2021, 9.1% of the 62,051 visitors who arrived by yacht in CY 2019.
St. Kitts and Nevis received 20,139 stopover visitors in 2021. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank St. Kitts and Nevis received 20,139 stopover visitors in calendar year (CY) 2021, down 32.2% from the 29,695 received in CY 2020 and just 16.8% of the 120,142 visitors who arrived in CY 2019. Of the 20,139 visitors 73.4% (14,780) arrived from the USA while 5.8% arrived from the United Kingdom, 5.1% arrived from Canada and 10.2% were from the Caribbean itself. St. Kitts and Nevis also received 101,897 cruise visitors in CY 2021 with the island opening its cruise port in July 2021. This total was 9.7% of the 1,053,389 cruise visitors who arrived in CY 2019. St. Kitts and Nevis also received 47 visitors who arrived by yacht in CY 2021, 1.1% of the 4,224 visitors who arrived by yacht in CY 2019.
Grenada received 42,099 stopover visitors in 2021. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Grenada received 42,099 stopover visitors in calendar year (CY) 2021, down 3.9% from the 43,815 received in CY 2020 and just 25.8% of the 162,902 visitors who arrived in CY 2019. Of the 42,099 visitors 49.3% (20,754) arrived from the USA while 14.5% arrived from the United Kingdom, 5.4% arrived from Canada and 6.4% were from the Caribbean itself. Grenada also received 25,027 cruise visitors in CY 2021 with the island opening its cruise port in November 2021. This total was 7.4% of the 337,912 cruise visitors who arrived in CY 2019. Grenada also received 4,735 visitors who arrived by yacht in CY 2021, 19.2% of the 24,611 visitors who arrived by yacht in CY 2019.
Dominica received 14,728 stopover visitors in 2021. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Dominica received 14,728 stopover visitors in calendar year (CY) 2021, down 31.9% from the 21,615 received in CY 2020 and just 16.5% of the 89,264 visitors who arrived in CY 2019. Of the 14,728 visitors 34.9% arrived from the USA while 7.7% arrived from the United Kingdom, 2.9% arrived from Canada and 43.5% (6,404 visitors) were from the Caribbean itself. Dominica also received 50,829 cruise visitors in CY 2021 with the island opening its cruise port in July 2021. This total was 22.1% of the 229,747 cruise visitors who arrived in CY 2019. Dominica also received 540 visitors who arrived by yacht in CY 2021, 4.0% of the total who arrived by yacht in CY 2019. U.S. citizens’ outbound travel from the USA to international destinations grew by 28.1% in December 2021. The United States Government’s Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) recently released the figures for U.S. citizens outbound travel from the USA to international destinations for December 2021.
The overall number of trips taken by US citizens to international destinations increased by 28.1% in December 2021, growing from 4,730,920 trips in November 2021 to 6,060,417 trips in December 2021.
The number of trips taken to the Caribbean increased by 33.2%, growing from 570,780 trips in November 2021 to 760,386 trips in December 2021.
The 760,386 trips to the Caribbean were 12.5% of all international trips taken by US citizens in December 2021 to all international destinations.
Given that many countries had restrictions in place in December 2020, limiting international arrivals, only 382,206 US citizens visited Caribbean countries in December 2020.
The 760,386 trips taken to the Caribbean in December 2021 were 91.6% of the 830,181 trips taken to the Caribbean in December 2019.
Trips to Europe increased by 15.0% in December, growing from 564,548 trips in November 2021 to 649,396 trips in December 2021. Trips to Europe were 10.7% of trips taken by US citizens in December 2021. The 649,396 trips taken by US citizens to Europe in December 2021 were 50.4% of the 1,288,911 trips taken to Europe in December 2019.
The number of trips taken to Mexico by air increased by 30.9%, growing from 948,733 trips in November 2021 to 1,241,731 trips in December 2021.This segment’s share of all trips taken by US citizens was 20.5% in December 2021. The 1,241,731 trips were 17.9% more than the 1,052,845 trips taken to Mexico by air by US citizens in December 2019.
Please note the NTTO’s definition of the Caribbean does not include Puerto Rico or the United States Virgin Islands as, for the purposes of the study, they are deemed to be US territories and the focus of the system (APIS) is non-stop air traffic (segmented here for U.S. citizens) to foreign countries.
In calendar year (CY) 2021
The overall number of trips taken by US citizens to international destinations increased by 46.6% in CY 2021, growing from 33.5 million trips in the first twelve months of 2020 to 49.1 million trips in the same twelve months of 2021.
The 49,096,891 total international trips taken in CY 2021 were 49.5% of the 99,270,496 trips taken in CY 2019.
The number of trips taken to the Caribbean increased by 106.5% in CY 2021, growing from 3,098,060 trips in CY 2020, to 6,398,693 trips in CY of 2021. The share of trips taken to the Caribbean grew from 9.2% in 2020 to 13.0% in CY 2021.
The 6,398,693 trips taken to the Caribbean in CY 2021 were 68.3% of the 9,367,829 trips taken by US residents to the Caribbean in CY 2019.
Trips to Europe increased by 102.9%, growing from 2,582,245 trips in CY 2020 to 5,238,121 in the same twelve months of 2021. The 5,238,121 trips taken in CY 2021 were 27.5% of the 19,049,368 trips taken to Europe in CY 2019.
The number of trips taken to Mexico by air grew by 100.9%, from 5,016,245 trips in CY 2020 to 10,076,894 in the same twelve months of 2021. The 10,076,894 trips were 99.7% of the 10,106,672 trips taken by US citizens by air to Mexico in CY 2019. This segment’s share of all trips grew from 15.0% in CY 2020 to 20.5% in the same twelve months of 2021.
Belize received 25,661 stopover visitors in January 2022, 12.3% more than the 22,848 received in December 2021. According to the Belize Tourism Board, Belize received 25,661 stopover visitors in January 2022, up 12.3% from the 22,848 received in December 2022. Belize closed its borders as of April 5th 2020, and consequently just received 6,908 stopover visitors in January 2021. The country reopened to visitors arriving by air as of October 1st 2020 and to visitors arriving by land and sea on May 31st 2021. The 25,661 stopover visitors received in January 2022 were 50.7% of the 50,590 stopover visitors received in January 2019. Belize received 20,363 stopover arrivals from the USA in January 2022, 1,870 from Europe, 1,264 from Canada and 146 from Mexico. Belize received 25 cruise ship calls in January with 40,805 cruise visitors. Belize re-opened to cruise visitors as of July 2021.
Cancun Airport saw a 0.6% increase in international air passenger movements in February 2022. According to ASUR, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Cancun Airport saw a 0.6% increase in international passenger movements in February 2022, growing from 1,500,061 movements in January 2022 to 1,508,779 movements in February 2022. Domestic passenger movements fell by 12.6%, from 691,864 passenger movements in January 2022 to 604,798 movements in February 2022. While the 1,508,779 international passenger movements were 174.5% more than the 549,582 handled in February 2021 they were 96.5% of the 1,563,194 passengers handled in February 2020 but 3.1% more than the 1,463,274 passengers handled in February 2019. Equally, while the 604,798 domestic passenger movements were 27.1% more than the 475,677 handled in February 2021 they were 99.0% of the 611,072 domestic passengers handled in February 2020 but 7.6% more than the 562,037 domestic passengers handled in February 2019. In the first two months of 2022, the volume of international air passenger movements increased by 138.5%, growing from 1,261,311 movements in 2021 to 3,008,840 movements in the first two months of 2022, while the volume of domestic air passenger movements increased by 23.1%, from 1,053,490 movements in the first two months of 2021 to 1,296,662 in the same two months of 2022. By comparison with the first two months of 2019 the volume of international air passenger movements in 2022 was 1.1% more than the 2019 total, growing from 2,976,380 movements in 2019 to 3,008,840 movements in the first two months of 2022, while the volume of 2022 domestic air passenger movements was 4.8% more than the 2019 total, growing from 1,236,797 movements in the first two months of 2019 to 1,296,662 in the same two months of 2022. In the first two months of 2022 international passenger movements accounted for 69.9% of all passenger movements, up from 54.7% in 2021, but down from 70.5% in the first two months of 2020 and 70.6% in the first two months of 2019.
San Juan Airport, Puerto Rico (SJU) saw a 2.8% decline in air passenger movements in February 2022. According to ASUR, which manages many airports in Mexico, Colombia and which also manages the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, SJU saw a 2.8% decrease in total passenger movements in February 2022, falling from 746,697 movements in January 2022 to 725,786 movements in February 2022. While the 725,786 total passenger movements were 50.8% more than the 481,270 handled in February 2021 they were 91.6% of the 792,317 passengers handled in February 2020 but 6.3% more than the 682,520 passengers handled in February 2019. In the first two months of 2022 the overall volume of air passenger movements at San Juan’s airport increased by 45.4%, from 1,012,899 in 2021 to 1,472,483 in the same two months of 2022. The total for the first two months of 2022 was 99.5% of the total for the same two months of 2019, that is 1,472,483 in 2022 of the 1,479,398 passengers handled in the first two months of 2019. The 2022 total was 12.4% less than the 1,680,329 passengers handled in the first two months of 2020.
Seychelles received 27,404 tourist arrivals in February 2022, 27.1% more than the 21,566 arrivals received in January 2022. According to The Seychelles Government’s National Bureau of Statistics, The Seychelles saw a 27.1% increase in visitor arrivals in February 2022, growing from 21,566 arrivals received in January 2022 to 27,404 arrivals in February 2022. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors, and transit visitors. Of the 27,404 arrivals 27,314 were stopover visitors and 90 transit visitors. Seychelles re-opened to international visitors from most countries as of March 25th 2021 with visitors being required to produce evidence of a negative PCR test. Seychelles consequently received just 708 tourist arrivals in February 2021. The 27,404 visitor arrivals received in February 2022 were 71.9% of the 38,114 visitors received in February 2020 and 74.5% of the 36,807 arrivals received in February 2019. The number one source market in February 2022 was France which generated 4,664 visitors (17.0% of the total for the month) followed by Russia, with 4,534 visitors (16.6%). In the first two months of 2022 Seychelles saw a 2,597% increase in total visitor arrivals, growing from 1,816 arrivals in the first two months of 2021 to 48,970 arrivals in the first two months of 2022. The 48,970 stopovers received in the first two months of 2022 were 73.9% of the 66,270 received in the first two months of 2019. The number one source market in the first two months of 2022 was Russia which generated 10,159 visitors, 20.7% of all visitor arrivals for those first two months, followed by France which generated 6,875 visitors, 14.0% of the overall total. The Seychelles received no cruise visitors in the first two months of 2022. Seychelles foresees worse economic crisis as Russia-Ukraine conflict affects tourism markets Seychelles foresees an economic crisis worse than the one brought by the COVID-19 pandemic with the impact of the Russia and Ukraine conflict on its eastern European tourism markets, said a top official on Friday. The Minister for Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde, said that the conflict will affect tourism arrivals from Russia, currently Seychelles' leading tourism market. In 2021, the market brought 32,000 tourists to Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean. Seychelles tapped into the eastern European markets after a downturn in travel caused by the COVID-19 affected arrivals from traditional markets in western Europe, namely Germany, France, and Italy. “International flights operated by Aeroflot, Emirates, and Turkish Airlines are still connecting Russia with Seychelles. Looking at the current figures, we see that there have been some cancellations, but not to the level we thought they would be. With the war on its eighth day, sanctions placed by the U.S. and EU countries are still fresh and as such have not fully kicked in. When they do, we will truly see the impacts," said Radegonde. The tourism department noted that Aeroflot is still coming in at almost full occupancy and close to 250 passengers landed in Seychelles on Friday. However, Russian visitors are disembarking in Seychelles with cash only, as payments through SWIFT, MasterCard, and VisaCard are no longer possible for them due to the imposed sanctions. "As the sanctions bite in, you will see that Aeroflot will naturally stop operating, but this will not mean that Russians will not come to Seychelles. Russians will find other means to reach Seychelles," said Radegonde. He further noted that there is also a risk of Russian-owned businesses in Seychelles ceasing their operations in the country if their head office is based in Russia. Overnight, hundreds of Seychellois might find themselves without a job as these businesses will not be able to pay salaries because of the sanctions. There are currently two Russian-owned tourism establishments in Seychelles - Savoy and Coral Strand - with the third one under construction. Ukraine, currently Seychelles' fourth leading market, has closed its airspace. "To be able to leave Ukraine for a holiday to Seychelles, they really have to be willing to do so. Their priority right now is security. Local tourism establishments have shared with us today that there are clients calling from bunkers to cancel their reservations," said Radegonde. He added that although there are cancellations from the two countries, new bookings from western European countries are filling in the spaces as restrictions have been lifted. France is currently Seychelles' second leading market. The tourism department is also eyeing countries such as Israel and Saudi Arabia as a way to diversify and supplement its basket should things worsen in Europe. With the current situation, Seychelles will not attain its 258,000 visitors arrival goal set for 2022.
Mexico received 1,468,374 international air arrivals in January 2022, down 23.5% compared with December 2021. According to the Government of Mexico’s SECTUR (Department of Tourism) Mexico received 1,468,374 international air arrivals in January 2022, down 23.5% compared with the 1,919,972 arrivals received in December 2021. Mexico’s border with the USA was closed as of March 20, 2020 and consequently Mexico received 656,684 international visitors in January 2021. The 1,468,374 international air arrivals received in January 2022 were 86.1% of the 1,706,329 international air visitors received in January 2019. Mexico received 880,724 air visitors from the USA in January, 60.0% of the total. Canada was the second biggest market (134,188 visitors) with Colombia third largest (62,217 visitors). Cancun Airport received 693,195 international air visitor arrivals in January 2022, 47.2% of the overall total. Los Cabos received 145,642 international air arrivals with Puerto Vallarta receiving 141,353 air visitors.
Los Cabos handled 342,200 international passenger movements in February 2022, up 7.3% compared with January 2022. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Los Cabos Airport saw a 7.3% increase in international passenger traffic in February 2022, that is enplanements and deplanements, growing from 318,800 international passenger movements in January 2022 to 342,200 international passenger movements in February 2022. Mexico re-opened to international tourist arrivals as of June 8th, 2020, and consequently Los Cabos handled 130,400 international passenger movements in February 2021. The 342,200 international passenger movements seen in February 2022 were 7.0% more than the 319,800 international movements handled in February 2019 and 95.2% of the 359,500 passenger movements handled in February 2020. Domestic traffic declined by 7.9%, falling from 170,500 passenger movements in January 2022 to 157,000 passenger movements in February 2022. Los Cabos handled 102,900 domestic passenger movements in February 2021. The 157,000 domestic passenger movements seen in February 2022 were 31.7% more than the 119,200 domestic passenger movements handled in February 2019 and 17.1% more than the 134,100 handled in February 2020. Through the first two months of 2022 Los Cabos Airport saw international passenger movements increase by 118.6%, from 302,400 in 2021 to 661,000 in the first two months of 2022. Domestic passenger movements increased by 19.1% in the first two months of 2022, growing from 274,900 in 2021 to 327,500 in the first two months of 2022. By comparison with the first two months of 2019 international passenger movements were up by 2.4%, while domestic movements increased by 29.1%.
Montego Bay Airport handled 274,700 total passenger movements in February 2022, 2.7% more than the 267,300 handled in January 2022. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Montego Bay Airport increase by 2.7% in February 2022, growing from 267,300 total movements in January 2022 to 274,400 movements in February 2022. The total number of passenger movements in February 2022 was 67.6% of the 406,400 handled in February 2019 and 64.3% of the 426,700 passengers handled in February 2020. It should be noted that Jamaica closed its borders to international visitors as of March 21st, 2020 and re-opened to such visitors as of June 15th 2020. As a result, Montego Bay Airport handled just 75,600 passenger movements in February 2021. Through the first two months of 2022 Montego Bay Airport saw total passenger movements increase by 209.2%, from 175,300 in 2021 to 542,000 in the first two months of 2022. The 2022 total of 542,000 movements was 64.1% of the 846,200 passenger movements handled in the first two months of 2019. Thus far in 2022 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
Kingston, Jamaica Airport saw 77,500 total passenger movements in February 2022, a decline of 15.0% compared with January 2022. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Kingston Jamaica’s Airport decrease by 15.0% in February 2022, falling from 91,200 total movements in January 2022 to 77,500 total passenger movements in February 2022. Kingston Airport handled 122,600 passenger movements in February 2020. Numbers for February 2019 are not available. While Kingston Airport re-opened to international travelers as of June 15th, 2020, the total number of passenger movements in February 2021 was 30,100 passengers. Through the first two months of 2021 Kingston’s Airport saw total passenger movements grow by 114.1%, from 78,800 in 2021 to 168,700 in the first two months of 2022. Thus far, in 2022 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
Barbados received 39,284 stopovers in January 2022, little changed from the 39,356 stopovers received in December 2021. According to the Barbados Statistical Service, Barbados saw 72 fewer stopover visitor arrivals in January 2022, falling from 39,356 stopovers in December 2021 to 39,284 stopovers in January 2022. Barbados received 15,718 landed cruise visitors in January 2022. Barbados reopened its ports to cruise ships in April 2021. Barbados imposed a mandatory 14-day quarantine on all visitor arrivals as of March 22nd 2020 which remained in place until November 24th 2021. Barbados consequently received 3,547 stopover arrivals in January 2021. The 39,284 stopovers received in January 2022 were 56.5% of the 69,496 stopovers received in January 2019. Barbados received 21,325 stopover arrivals from the United Kingdom in January 2022, 54.3% of all arrivals, and 8,670 stopovers from the USA. IATA Expects Caribbean Passenger Numbers to not recover until 2025. Geneva - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects overall traveler numbers to reach 4.0 billion in 2024 (counting multi-sector connecting trips as one passenger), exceeding pre-COVID-19 levels (103% of the 2019 total). Expectations for the shape of the near-term recovery have shifted slightly, reflecting the evolution of government-imposed travel restrictions in some markets. The overall picture presented in the latest update to IATA’s long-term forecast, however, is unchanged from what was expected in November, prior to the Omicron variant. “The trajectory for the recovery in passenger numbers from COVID-19 was not changed by the Omicron variant. People want to travel. And when travel restrictions are lifted, they return to the skies. There is still a long way to go to reach a normal state of affairs, but the forecast for the evolution in passenger numbers gives good reason to be optimistic,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. The February update to the long-term forecast includes the following highlights:
In 2021, overall traveler numbers were 47% of 2019 levels. This is expected to improve to 83% in 2022, 94% in 2023, 103% in 2024 and 111% in 2025.
In 2021, international traveler numbers were 27% of 2019 levels. This is expected to improve to 69% in 2022, 82% in 2023, 92% in 2024 and 101% in 2025.
This is a slightly more optimistic near-term international recovery scenario compared to November 2021, based on the progressive relaxation or elimination of travel restrictions in many markets. This has seen improvements in the major North Atlantic and intra-European markets, strengthening the baseline for recovery. Asia-Pacific is expected to continue to lag the recovery with the region’s largest market, China, not showing any signs of relaxing its severe border measures in the near future.
In 2021, domestic traveler numbers were 61% of 2019 levels. This is expected to improve to 93% in 2022, 103% in 2023, 111% in 2024 and 118% in 2025.
The outlook for the evolution of domestic traveler numbers is slightly more pessimistic than in November. While the US and Russian domestic markets have recovered, the same is not true for the other major domestic markets of China, Canada, Japan and Australia. Caribbean: The recovery of traffic to and within the Caribbean has grown slowly relative to other regions and traffic will only reach 92% of 2019 levels by 2024 and not exceed 2019 levels (101%) until 2025. For full report click here
The Maldives reports it received 131,764 stopover visitor arrivals in January 2022, 19.8% fewer than the 164,284 received in December 2021. The Maldives Government’s Ministry of Tourism recently announced that The Maldives received 131,764 stopover visitors in January 2022, down 19.8% from the 164,284 stopovers received in December 2021. The Maldives closed its borders to tourist arrivals on March 27th 2020 and re-opened to all tourists as of July 15th 2020. Consequently, the Maldives received 92,103 stopover visitors in January 2021. The 131,764 stopovers received in January 2022 were 86.9% of the 151,552 stopovers received in January 2019 and 76.0% of the 173,347 stopovers received in January 2020. In January 2022 Russia was by far the number one source market and generated 23,347 stopovers (17.7% share of total) while the United Kingdom was number two with 13,182 stopovers (10.0% share). India was number three with 10,751 stopovers. The Maldives saw the overall number of operating accommodation establishments grow by 55.1% from 613 in January 2021 to 951 establishments in January 2022. The number of beds in operation grew by 23.0% from 43,984 in January 2021 to 54,114 in January 2022. Through the end of January 2022 overall average room occupancy had grown by 5.0 percentage points from 61.3% in January 2021 to 66.3% for January 2022. Of the 951 establishments in operation 162 were resorts which offered 38,822 beds. These resorts achieved a 74.2% average room occupancy during January 2022 up from 71.9% for January 2021. Hawaii reports the state received 567,179 out-of-state tourists in January 2022, 24.7% fewer than the 753,670 received in December 2021. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii saw the volume of air arrivals decrease by 24.7% in January 2022, falling from 753,670 air arrivals received in December 2021 to 567,179 arrivals in January 2022. And according to preliminary visitor statistics released by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT),total spending for visitors arriving in January 2022 was $1.398 billion, down 15.6% compared with December 2021 and 13.9% lower than in January 2019. Cruise operations resumed in January 2022 with the arrival of seven cruise ships that brought another 7,004 visitors to the state. In January 2022, passengers arriving from out-of-state could bypass the State’s mandatory 10-day self-quarantine if they were fully vaccinated in the United States or with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner prior to their departure through the Safe Travels program. Passengers arriving on direct international flights were subjected to federal U.S. entry requirements which included proof of a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 24 hours of travel or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days, prior to their flight. April 2020 was the first full month of travel restrictions to keep the community safe, following the State of Hawai‘i’s 14-day mandatory travel quarantine for all passengers (effective March 26, 2020). Consequently, the number of out of state air arrivals was 171,976 for January 2021. The 567,179 arrivals received in January 2022 were 70.1% of the 809,098 arrivals received in January 2019. Hawaii received 510,640 air arrivals from the mainland USA in January 2022, 90.0% of the overall total, 23,551 arrivals from Canada, 2,850 arrivals from Japan and 30,318 air arrivals from other markets. Overall person per trip expenditures grew by 21.5% from $2,003.40 in January 2019 to $2,434.90 in January 2022. Barbados received 144,833 stopovers CY 2021, 20.3% of the 712,946 stopovers received in CY 2019. According to the Barbados Statistical Service, Barbados saw a 65.7% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in December 2021, growing from 23,749 stopovers in November 2021 to 39,356 stopovers in December 2021. Barbados received 16,087 landed cruise visitors in December. Barbados reopened its ports to cruise ships in April 2021. Barbados imposed a mandatory 14-day quarantine on all visitor arrivals as of March 22nd 2020 which remained in place until November 24th 2021. Barbados consequently received 18,195 stopover arrivals in December 2020. The 39,356 stopovers received in December 2021 were 51.5% of the 76,354 stopovers received in December 2019. Barbados received 15,882 stopover arrivals from the United Kingdom in December 2021, and 13,407 stopovers from the USA. During calendar year (CY) 2021, Barbados saw a 25.8% drop in the number of stopover visitors, falling from 195,102 stopovers in CY 2020 to 144,833 stopovers in the same twelve months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 3.7%, growing from 43,222 in CY 2020 to 44,804 in the same twelve months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. declined by 9.4%, falling from 64,456 in 2020 to 58,426 stopovers in the same twelve months of 2021. The 144,833 stopovers received in CY 2021 were 20.3% of the 712,946 stopovers received in CY 2019. Barbados received 27,451 landed cruise visitors in CY 2021 compared with 93,249 landed cruise visitors received in the same twelve months of 2020.
Bonaire received 130,190 tourists arriving by air in CY 2021, 67.8% of the 191,960 received in CY 2019. According to Central Bureau of Statistics of the Government of the Netherlands, Bonaire received 130,190 tourists who arrived by air in calendar year (CY) 2021, 62.9% more than the 79,940 received in CY 2020 and 67.8% of the 191,960 visitors who arrived by air in CY 2019. In CY 2021 Bonaire’s Flamingo Airport handled a total of 130,190 passenger arrivals (visitors and returning residents) and 129,690 total passenger departures (visitors and departing residents). Las Vegas received 2,474,800 visitors in January 2022, 17.6% fewer than the 3,004,500 received in December 2021. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Las Vegas saw the volume of visitors decrease by 17.6% in January 2022, falling from 3,004,500 arrivals in December 2021 to 2,474,800 in January of 2022. The state of Nevada ordered the closure of all casinos as of March 17th, 2020 but re-opened all casinos as of June 4th, 2020. Consequently, Las Vegas received 1,294,100 visitors in January 2021. The 2,474,800 arrivals received in January 2022 were 72.5% of the 3,412,100 arrivals received in January 2019. Las Vegas had a weighted average of 150,487 open hotel rooms in January 2022 (up 3.6% compared with January 2021) and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 59.3% (31.6% in January 2021), an ADR of $145.22 and a RevPar of $86.12. Gaming revenue increased by 50.4% in January 2022, from $617.39 million in January 2021 to $928.72 million in the same twelve months of 2022. Gaming revenue in January 2022 was 7.9% higher than the $860.87 million in gaming revenue generated in January 2019. The Aruba Airport Authority reports it handled 76,741 departing passengers in January 2022, 15.7% fewer than the 91,086 departing passengers handled in December 2021. The Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) reports that in January 2022 76,741 Revenue Generating Passengers (RGPs) travelled out of the Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA Airport) to its various markets. This was 15.7% fewer than the 91,086 RGPs who departed in December 2021. A revenue generating passenger is an outbound traveler leaving Aruba and includes tourists returning to their homes as well as Arubans departing for trips overseas. While Aruba reopened to travel to and from Bonaire and Curacao as of June 15th, 2020, the country did not reopen to travel from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean until July 1st, 2020, and from the USA until July 10th, 2020. Consequently, the airport had just 46,548 RGPs in January 2021. The airport also handled 7,757 passengers in transit in January 2022 as well as 126 transferring passengers. In January 2022 54,969 passengers (pax) travelled to the USA, 3,020 pax to Canada, 7,979 pax to Europe, 8,313 pax to Latin America and 2,460 pax to the Dutch Caribbean. The airlines provided 139,952 outbound seats in January 2022, 18.1% fewer than the 170,942 seats provided in January 2019. Airlines flying to the USA in January experienced an average load factor of 56.5%, 51.5% to Canada, while flights to Europe averaged an 81.7% load factor. The overall average load factor for all flights for January was 61.1%. On February 9th 2022, the airport issued a revised forecast for the number of available seats for 2022 and projects a total of 1,614,589 available seats for 2022, 5.1% fewer than the 1,701,062 seats provided in 2019. The AAA stated that these seat projections are preliminary and subject to change.
Saint Lucia received 21,864 stopovers in January 2022, down 26.5% compared with the 29,737 stopovers received in December 2021. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Saint Lucia saw a 26.5% decrease in stopover visitor arrivals in January 2022, falling from 29,737 stopovers received in December 2021 to 21,864 stopovers received in January 2022. Saint Lucia received 32,937 cruise visitors in January from 38 cruise ship calls. Saint Lucia reopened its ports to cruise ships in June 2021. Saint Lucia also received 1,001 visitors in January 2022 who arrived by yacht. Saint Lucia closed its borders to international visitor arrivals on March 23rd 2020 and re-opened its borders in June 2020. Saint Lucia consequently received 6,357 stopover arrivals in January 2021. The 21,864 stopovers received in January 2022 were 63.3% of the 34,546 stopovers received in January 2019. Saint Lucia received 11,844 stopover arrivals from the USA in January 2022, 30.7% fewer than the 17,097 stopovers received in December 2021 with the 11,844 stopovers comprising 54.2% of all stopover arrivals in January 2022. Saint Lucia also received 7,462 visitors from the United Kingdom in January 2022.
Hawaii’s hotels report a 7.3 percentage point decline in average room occupancy in January 2022 compared with December 2021, falling from 72.7% to 65.4% According to the Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report published by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), statewide hotel room occupancy fell by 7.3 percentage points from 72.7% in December 2021 to 65.4% in January of this year. ADR fell by 14.8% from $419.24 in December to $357.22 in January, as did revpar which fell by 23.4%, from $304.75 in December 2021 to $233.46 in January of this year. Hawai‘i’s quarantine order for travelers due to the COVID-19 pandemic began on March 26, 2020, which immediately resulted in dramatic declines for the hotel industry. Many properties closed or reduced operations starting in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hotel sector posted an average room occupancy of 22.8% in January 2021. Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide fell by 23.0%, from $518.0 million in December 2021 to $398.7 million in January 2022. Room demand fell by 9.7%, from 1,235,500 room nights in December 2021 to 1,116,100 room nights in January 2022 while room supply grew by 0.4% from 1,699,600 room nights in December 2021 to 1,707,700 room nights in January. In January 2022, domestic passengers could bypass the State’s mandatory five-day self-quarantine if they were up-to-date on their vaccination or with a negative COVID-19 pre-travel test result from a Trusted Testing Partner through the Safe Travels program. Passengers arriving on direct international flights were subjected to federal U.S. entry requirements which included proof of an up-to-date vaccination document and negative COVID-19 test result taken within one day of travel, or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days, prior to their flight. The Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report is produced using hotel survey data compiled by STR, Inc., the largest survey of its kind in Hawai‘i. The survey generally excludes properties with under 20 lodging units, such as small bed and breakfasts, youth hostels, single-family vacation rentals, cottages, individually rented vacation condominiums and sold timeshare units no longer available for hotel use. The data has been weighted both geographically and by class of property to compensate for any over and/or under representation of hotel survey participants by location and type. For January 2022, the survey included 149 properties representing 46,771 rooms, or 84.9 percent of all lodging properties with 20 rooms or more in the Hawaiian Islands, including full service, limited service, and condominium hotels. The January survey included 76 properties on O‘ahu representing 29,092 rooms (94.9%); 40 properties in the County of Maui, representing 9,603 rooms (73.2%); 17 properties on the island of Hawai‘i, representing 4,890 rooms (71.2%); and 16 properties on Kaua‘i, representing 3,186 rooms (71.6%).
Punta Cana received 293,939 tourists in January 2022, 19.5% fewer than the 365,108 tourists who visited in December 2021. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, received 293,939 stopovers in January 2022, 19.5% fewer than the 365,108 stopovers received in December 2021 and 15.7% fewer than the 348,846 stopovers received in January 2019. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and re-opened to tourists as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Punta Cana received just 77,476 visitors in January 2021. Punta Cana received 100,195 stopover arrivals from the USA in January 2022, 34.1% of all tourist arrivals and 23.1% fewer than the 130,226 stopovers received in December 2021. Arrivals from the USA increased by 191.1% in January 2022, growing from 34,423 arrivals in January 2021 to 100,195 arrivals in January 2022. Traffic was up 616.6% from Canada, growing from 4,031 arrivals in January 2021 to 28,885 arrivals in January 2022. Traffic from Russia grew from 708 arrivals in January 2021 to 21,983 arrivals in January 2022. As well, traffic from France grew by 127.4%, from 8,694 stopovers in January 2021 to 19,770 in January this year while traffic from Germany grew by 696.5%, from 1,868 arrivals in January 2021 to 14,879 in January 2022. Arrivals from the UK grew from 72 in January 2021 to 11,201 in January 2022. Traffic increased by 234.5% from Colombia and was up by 202.9% from Argentina. In January 2022, stopover arrivals to Punta Cana made up 55.4% of all non-resident arrivals to the Dominican Republic compared with 37.7% in January 2021.
The Dominican Republic received 530,952 tourists in January 2022, 27.1% fewer than the 728,334 tourists who visited in December 2021. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, received 530,952 stopovers in January 2022, 27.1% fewer than the 728,334 stopovers received in December 2021 and 11.2% fewer than the 598,198 stopovers received in January 2019. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and re-opened to tourists as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, the Dominican Republic received 205,311 stopover visitors in January 2021. The Dominican Republic received 154,744 stopover arrivals from the USA in January 2022, 29.1% of all tourist arrivals and 27.8% fewer than the 214,315 stopovers received in December 2021. Arrivals from the USA increased by 126.1% in January 2022, growing from 68,433 arrivals in January 2021 to 154,744 arrivals in January 2022. Traffic was up 567.5% from Canada, growing from 5,492 arrivals in January 2021 to 36,657 arrivals in January 2022. Traffic from Russia grew from 770 arrivals in January 2021 to 50,323 arrivals in January 2022. As well, traffic from France grew by 134.1%, from 9,958 stopovers in January 2021 to 23,315 in January this year while traffic from Germany grew by 615.4%, from 2,476 arrivals in January 2021 to 17,714 in January 2022. Arrivals from the UK grew from 128 in January 2021 to 11,545 in January 2022. Traffic increased by 206.6% from Colombia and was up by 213.4% from Argentina. In January 2022 17.8% of all non-resident tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic were non-resident Dominicans returning home, down from 36.6% of all arrivals in January 2021.
Cancun saw its hotels achieve an average hotel room occupancy of 64.3% in January 2022, a decline of 11.4 percentage points from the 75.7% reported for December 2021. Sedetur, the Department of Tourism of the state of Quintana Roo, recently released the hotel occupancy numbers for the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos and Riviera Maya for January 2022. In January, the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos saw an 11.4 percentage point decrease in average hotel room occupancy from 75.7% in December 2022 to 64.3% in January 2022. Cancun’s hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 35.6% in January 2021. The 64.3% average room occupancy for January 2022 was 11.6 percentage points lower than the 75.9% achieved in January 2019. The hotels in Riviera Maya saw a 9.9 percentage point decline in average hotel room occupancy falling from 75.8% in December 2021 to 65.9% in January 2022. The hotels in Riviera Maya averaged a 25.1% room occupancy in January 2021. The same hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 79.6% in January 2019. As of December 2021, Riviera Maya/Tulum has 446 hotels offering 52,511 hotel rooms while the Cancun/Puerto Morelos area has 268 hotels offering 47,471 hotel rooms. The United States Virgin Islands received 824,460 air arrivals in CY 2021, 28.6% more than the 640,886 air visitors received in CY 2019. According to numbers published by the USVI Bureau of Economic Research, the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 34.3% in December 2021, growing from 64,339 air arrivals in November 2021 to 86,420 air arrivals in December of this year. The 86,420 air arrivals received in December 2021 were 25.8% more than the 68,723 received in December 2019. The USVI closed its borders to air arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and re-opened as of July 1st 2020. The USVI received 54,845 air arrivals in December 2020. The USVI received 127,640 cruise visitors in December 2021 from 77 cruise ship calls. During calendar year (CY) 2021 the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 96.7%, from 419,247 air arrivals in CY 2020 to 824,460 air arrivals in CY 2021. The 864,420 arrivals received in CY 2021 were 28.6% higher than the 640,886 air arrivals received in CY 2019. The USVI reopened to cruise visitors in July 2021 and between July and December 2021 received 245,695 cruise visitors, 55.6% of the 442,027 cruise visitors received in the first three months of 2020. Trinidad and Tobago received 8,748 stopover visitors in January 2022, 33.7% fewer than the 13,203 stopover visitors received in December 2021. According to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s Central Statistical Office Trinidad and Tobago received 8,748 stopover visitors in January 2022, a decline of 33.7% compared with the 13,203 stopovers received in December 2021. Trinidad received 8,382 stopover visitors in January with Tobago receiving 366. Trinidad and Tobago closed its borders as of March 23rd 2020, and consequently just received 397 stopover visitors in January 2021. The country reopened its borders to visitors as of July 17th 2021. The 8,748 stopover visitors received in January 2022 were 31.0% of the 28,270 stopover visitors received in January 2019. Trinidad and Tobago received 3,490 stopover arrivals from the USA in January 2022, 1,787 from Europe, 858 from Canada and 2,613 from the rest of the world.
Anguilla received 28,376 stopover visitors in 2021, 29.8% of the 95,375 stopover visitors received in CY 2019. According to the Government of Anguilla’s Statistics Department Anguilla received 6,698 visitors in December 2021, up 48.7% from the 4,506 received in November 2021. Visitors include both stopover arrivals (staying for 24 hours or more) and excursionists (day visitors). Of the 6,698 visitors, 2,341 arrived by air and 4,357 arrived by sea. Anguilla closed its borders as of March 20th 2020, and consequently just received 135 1,321 visitors in December 2020. The country reopened to visitors as of May 25th 2021. The 6,698 visitors received in December 2021 were 40.6% of the 16,493 visitors received in December 2019. During calendar year (CY) 2021 Anguilla saw the number of stopovers increase by 11.8%, growing from 25,381 stopover visitors in CY 2020 to 28,376 in the same twelve months of 2021. The 28,376 stopover visitors received in CY 2021 were 29.8% of the 95,375 stopover visitors received in CY 2019. Stopovers from the USA increased by 32.3% in CY 2021, growing from 17,615 in CY 2020 to 23,297 in the same twelve months of 2021. Stopovers from Canada fell by 40.1% in Cy 2021, to 936 stopovers while stopovers from the UK grew by 1.1% in the same twelve months, to 999 stopover arrivals. Of the 28,696 total visitors received in CY 2021 7,808 (27.2%) arrived by air and 20,888 (72.8%) arrived by sea.
Curacao reports it received 35,489 stopover arrivals in January 2022, 16.1% fewer than the 42,281 stopovers received in December 2021. According to the Curaçao Tourist Board, Curaçao saw a 16.1% decline in stopover visitor arrivals in January, falling from 42,281 stopovers received in December 2021 to 35,489 stopovers received in January 2022. The 35,489 stopovers received in January 2022 were 80.4% of the 44,156 stopovers received in January 2019. Curaçao closed its borders to international visitors as of March 17th, 2020 and reopened its borders to visitors from Europe and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Curaçao received just 5,790 stopover visitors in January 2021. Curacao received 23,631 stopover visitors from the Netherlands in January 2022 and 3,459 stopovers from the USA, 66.6% and 9.7% of all stopovers, respectively. Curacao received 39 cruise ship calls with 39,975 cruise visitors in January 2022. The island re-opened to cruise traffic in June 2021. The 39,975 cruise visitors were 33.2% of the 120,358 received in January 2019. Costa Rica received 188,200 stopover arrivals in January 2022, 13.2% fewer than the 216,678 stopovers received in December 2021. According to the Costa Rica Institute of Tourism (ICT), Costa Rica received 188,200 stopovers in January 2022, 13.2% fewer than the 216,678 stopovers received in December 2021. Costa Rica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and reopened to international tourists arriving by air as of December 2020. It reopened its land borders in April 2021. Costa Rica consequently received 62,200 stopovers in January 2021. The 188,200 stopovers received in January 2022 were 53.0% of the 355,321 stopovers received in January 2019. Costa Rica received 99,634 stopovers from the USA in January 2022, 52.9% of the overall total, up from 35.5% share in January 2019, and 12,665 stopovers from Central America, whose share dropped from 25.9% in January 2019 to 6.7% in January 2022.
Florida received 122,374,000 tourist arrivals in CY 2021, 93.4% of the 131,069,000 tourists received in CY 2019. Visit Florida’s Research Department recently announced that the state of Florida saw a 61.9% increase in the number of tourist arrivals in the fourth quarter of 2021, with total arrivals growing from 19,076,000 in the fourth quarter of 2020 to 30,878,000 arrivals in the fourth quarter of 2021. These numbers include visitors arriving by land and by air. Domestic arrivals were up by 57.0%, from 18,488,000 arrivals in the fourth quarter of 2020 to 29,028,000 in the fourth quarter of 2021, while arrivals from Canada grew by 313% from 87,000 in the fourth quarter of 2020 to 359,000 in the same quarter of 2021. Arrivals from overseas grew by 198%, from 501,000 arrivals in the fourth quarter of 2020 to 1,491,000 in the same three months of 2021. During calendar year (CY) 2021 Florida saw total visitor arrivals grow by 54.6%, from 79,180,000 in CY 2020 to 122,374,000 in CY 2021. Domestic arrivals grew by 56.1%, from 75,413,000 in CY 2020 to 117,729,000 in the same twelve months of 2021. Arrivals from Canada fell by 56.9% to 586,000 visitors while visitors from overseas increased by 68.6% from 2,408,000 visitors in CY 2020 to 4,059,000 in the same twelve months of 2021. By comparison with CY 2019 total arrivals fell by 6.6%, from 131,069,000 visits in CY 2019 to 122,374,000 in the same twelve months of 2021. International traffic fell by 58.6%, from 9,800,000 visitors in CY 2019 to 4,059,000 in CY 2021 while traffic from Canada fell by 85.7%, from 4,088,000 visitors in CY 2019 to 586,000 visitors in the same twelve months of 2021. All of the above numbers are preliminary and subject to change. Aruba received 59,793 stopover visitors in January 2022, 33.2% fewer than the 89,541 stopovers received in December 2021. According to Aruba Tourism Authority, Aruba received 59,793 stopover arrivals in January 2022, 33.2% fewer than the 89,541 stopovers it received in December 2021. Aruba received 31,374 stopover visitors in January 2021. The 59,793 stopovers received in January 2022 were 63.4% of the 94,244 stopovers received in January 2019. Compared with 2019, stopover arrivals from the USA decreased by 30.4%, falling from 65,434 arrivals in January 2019 to 45,566 arrivals in January 2022. Arrivals from the USA comprised 76.2% of all arrivals in January 2022 up from 69.4% in January 2019. Arrivals from Canada decreased by 62.1%, from 6,443 in January 2019 to 2,444 stopovers in January 2022. Arrivals from the Netherlands decreased by 1.8%, falling from 4,152 in January 2019 to 4,079 in January of this year. Aruba re-opened its ports to visitors in June 2021 and during January 2022 received 41 cruise ship calls and a total of 45,380 cruise passengers. The number of visitors staying in hotels in January 2022 declined by 49.9% compared with January 2019, falling from 46,108 visitors in 2019 to 23,081 in January 2022. The share of visitors staying in hotels fell from 48.9% in January 2019 to 38.6% in January 2022. 19,366 visitors used timeshare accommodation in January 2022, 85.6% of the 22,633 visitors who used such accommodation in January 2019, with the sector’s share growing from 24.0% in 2019 to 32.4% in 2022. Visitors using other accommodation – private homes, condominiums, short term rental accommodation and apartments – fell by 32.0% when comparing January 2019 with January 2022, falling from 25,503 visitors in 2019 to 17,346 in 2022, with the share growing from 27.1% in 2019 to 29.0% in 2022. In January 2022, the primary carrier was JetBlue which brought in 16,237 non-resident visitors, 27.2% of all stopover arrivals, while American Airlines brought in 11,435 non-resident visitors, 19.1% of all visitors. United Airlines brought in 8,753 visitors with Delta bringing in 7,011 visitors. These four carriers brought in 72.6% of all visitors in January of this year. The percentage of visitors 20 years old through 49 years old grew from 41.0% in January 2019 to 46.9% in January 2022. The percentage 60 years old or older fell from 27.4% in 2019 to 23.1% in 2022. Bermuda announces it received 72,153 air visitor arrivals in CY 2021, 26.8% of the 269,478 air visitors received in CY 2019. The Bermuda Tourism Authority recently released its fourth quarter 2021 tourist arrival numbers and announced that Bermuda received 16,289 air visitors in the fourth quarter of 2021, 31.1% of the 52,331 air arrivals received in the fourth quarter of 2019. Bermuda received 464 visitors arriving by yacht in the fourth quarter of 2021, 77.6% of the 598 visitors arriving by yacht in the fourth quarter of 2019. And there were 9,920 visitors who arrived by cruise ship in the fourth quarter of 2021. The 10,439 air visitors received from the number one market the USA in the fourth quarter of 2021 was 28.4% of the 36,738 visitors received from the USA in the fourth quarter of 2019. During calendar year (CY) 2021 Bermuda received 72,153 air visitors 71.5% more than the 42,071 visitors who arrived by air in CY 2020 but just 26.8% of the 269,478 visitors who arrived by air in CY 2019. Bermuda received 57,770 air visitors from the USA in CY 2021, 28.5% of the 202,460 air visitors received from the USA in CY 2019. The Ministry of Tourism reports that the airlines serving Bermuda achieved an average load factor of 54.9% in CY 2021, up 2.7 percentage points from the 52.2% average load factor achieved in CY 2020. The airlines had an average load factor of 75.2% in CY 2019. The Ministry further reports that in CY 2021 air visitors spent an estimated US$122,587,947, up 77.8% compared with the US$68,945,076 spent in CY 2020. The 2021 expenditure was 30.7% of the US$399,765,223 spent by air visitors in CY 2019. Bermuda received 1,777 visitors who arrived by yacht in CY 2021 36.8% more than the 1,299 who arrived by yacht in CY 2020, but 55.5% of the 3,203 visitors who arrived by yacht in CY 2019. 12,630 visitors arrived by cruise ship in CY 2021, up 34.8% compared with the 9,366 cruise visitors who arrived in CY 2020 but just 2.4% of the 535,561 cruise passengers who visited Bermuda in CY 2019.
Puerto Rico saw 1,664,866 non-resident hotel registrations in CY 2021, 3.2% more than the 1,613,066 achieved in CY 2019. According to the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC), the hotels and resorts endorsed by the PRTC saw the number of non-resident hotel registrations increase by 13.0% in December 2021, growing from 133,957 non-resident registrations in November 2021 to 151,352 registrations in December 2021. Registrations by local residents increased by 3.9%, growing from 49,177 in November 2021 to 51,096 in December 2021. The 151,352 non-resident hotel registrations achieved in December 2021 were 2.2% less than the 154,831 registrations achieved in December 2019. The PRTC reports that the number of hotel/resort available room nights increased by 5.4%, growing from 402,929 in November 2021 to 424,775 in December 2021. The number of occupied room nights increased by 10.4%, growing from 252,876 in November 2021 to 279,253 in December 2021. Average room occupancy increased by 2.2 percentage points from the 62.8% achieved in November 2021 to 65.0% in December 2021. ADR increased by 17.3% growing from $189.92 in November 2021 to $222.81 in December 2021. In calendar year 2021 the number of non-resident hotel registrations increased by 108.4%, growing from 798,842 non-resident registrations in CY 2020 to 1,664,866 registrations in CY 2021. Registrations by local residents grew by 91.7% from 340,747 in CY 2020 to 653,293 in the same twelve months of 2021. The number of hotel/resort available room nights increased by 17.1% in CY 2021, growing from 4,083,161 in CY 2020 to 4,783,168 in CY 2021. The number of occupied room nights increased by 104.2%, growing from 1,489,875 in CY 2020 to 3,042,870 in CY 2021. The overall average room occupancy grew by 27.1 percentage points from 36.5% in CY 2020 to 63.6% in the same twelve months of 2021. ADR grew by 20.9% from $157.38 in 2020 to $190.35 in the same twelve months of 2021. The 1,664,866 non-resident hotel registrations achieved in CY 2021 were 3.2% higher than the 1,613,066 non-resident hotel registrations achieved in CY 2019. Tourism Credits for Aruba grew by 53.4% in the first three quarters of 2021 compared with the same nine months of 2020. The Central Bank of Aruba recently reported the tourism credits numbers for the first nine months of 2021. Tourism credits are defined by the IMF and UNWTO to be tourism receipts plus timeshare maintenance fees. The Central Bank states that gross tourism receipts for Aruba increased by 48.2% in the first nine months of 2021 compared with the same nine months of 2020, growing from 1.431 billion florins (US$779.3 million) in 2020 to 2.120 billion florins (US$1.184 billion) in 2021.1.79 Aruban florins are equal to one US dollar. The 2.120 billion florins received in 2021 were 76.7% of the 2.765 billion florins received in the first nine months of 2019. During the first three-quarters of 2021 the total number of stopovers visiting Aruba increased by 107.1%, growing from 273,790 stopovers in the first three-quarters of 2020 to 567,073 in the first three-quarters of 2021. Aruba was closed to international visitors between March 16th and June 30th 2020. The 567,073 stopovers received in 2021 were 66.8% of the 848,841 received in the first nine months of 2019. Aruba also received 29,480 cruise visitors in the first nine months of 2021, down 88.5% compared with the 255,384 cruise visitors received in the first nine months of 2020. While Aruba’s borders were closed to visitors for much of the second quarter of 2020 credits earned during those months include income from long stay visitors, crew, and from maintenance and other related fees paid to hotels and timeshare resorts. The Central Bank also reported that once expenditures made by Arubans travelling abroad were deducted (debits) the total net tourism credits increased by 53.4% in the first nine months of 2021, growing from 1.093 billion florins (US$ 610.6 million) in 2020 to 1.676 billion florins (US$ 936.6 million) in the same nine months of 2021. The 1.676 billion florins received in 2021 were 72.2% of the 2.323 billion credits received in the first nine months of 2019.
Orlando saw a 5.4 percentage point increase in average room occupancy in December 2021, growing from 63.4% in November 2021 to 68.8% this December. According to STR Orlando had 126,493 hotel rooms in December 2021 and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 68.8%, up 5.4 percentage points compared with November 2021 (63.2%), and an ADR of $148.94 up 12.4% compared with November 2021 ($132.55). Orlando’s theme parks closed to visitors as of March 15th, 2020 and consequently Orlando’s hotels experienced an average room occupancy of 39.3% in December 2020. In calendar year 2021 Orlando’s hotels saw an average hotel room occupancy of 57.8%, up 16.1 percentage points from the 41.7% achieved in CY 2020. ADR increased by 10.1% from $110.30 for CY 2020 to $121.40 for CY 2021. Mauritius reports it received 40,028 stopover visitors in January 2022, a 19.9% decline from the 49,964 stopovers received in December 2021. The Mauritius Government’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Development recently reported that the country received 40,028 total stopover arrivals in January 2022, 19.9% fewer than the 49,964 stopovers received in December 2021. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors. Mauritius reopened its borders to international travel as of October 1st 2021. Mauritius received 11,180 visitors from France in January 2022, 27.9% of the overall total for the month, and the number one producing market. The number two source market was the United Kingdom which generated 5,340 visitors, (13.3%) of the total for the month. Germany generated 4,386 visitors. Mauritius closed its borders to all international arrivals as of March 19th, 2020, and consequently received just 1,232 stopovers in January 2021. The 40,028 arrivals received in January 2022 were 29.1% of the 137,419 stopovers received in January 2020 and 32.7% of the 122,273 stopovers received in January 2019. Saint Lucia received 199,347 stopovers in CY 2021, 47.0% of the 423,736 stopovers received in CY 2019. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Saint Lucia saw a 25.6% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in December 2021, growing from 23,678 stopovers in November 2021 to 29,737 stopovers in December 2021. Saint Lucia received 54,506 cruise visitors in December from 74 cruise ship calls. Saint Lucia reopened its ports to cruise ships in June 2021. Saint Lucia also received 2,751 visitors in December 2021 who arrived by yacht. Saint Lucia closed its borders to international visitor arrivals on March 23rd 2020 and re-opened its borders in June 2020. Saint Lucia consequently received 14,384 stopover arrivals in December 2020. The 29,737 stopovers received in December 2021 were 68.3% of the 43,569 stopovers received in December 2019. Saint Lucia received 17,097 stopover arrivals from the USA in December 2021, 23.9% more than the 13,803 stopovers received in November 2021 with the 17,097 stopovers comprising 57.5% of all stopover arrivals in December 2021. Saint Lucia also received 8,254 visitors from the United Kingdom in December 2021. During calendar year (CY) 2021, Saint Lucia saw a 52.4% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 130,781 stopovers in CY 2020 to 199,347 stopovers in the same twelve months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 124.0%, from 67,967 in CY 2020 to 152,248 in the same twelve months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. increased by 18.1% from 28,221 in CY 2020 to 33,316 stopovers in the same twelve months of 2021. The 199,347 stopovers received in CY 2021 were 47.0% of the 423,736 stopovers received in CY 2019. Saint Lucia received 93,610 cruise visitors in CY 2021 compared with 297,885 received in 2020 and received 4,666 visitors who arrived by yacht compared with 22,323 in CY 2020. AHATA reports Aruba’s hotels achieved a 48.2% average room occupancy in January 2022, down 20.8 percentage points from the 69.0% achieved in December. The Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association reports that average hotel room occupancy in Aruba’s hotels in January 2022 was 48.2%, 20.8 percentage points lower than the 69.0% achieved in December 2021 and 27.8 percentage points lower than previously forecast. Aruba closed its orders to international travel as of March 17, 2020, and while the borders re-opened as of July 2020, Aruba’s hotels achieved a 25.0% average room occupancy in January 2021. Compared with January 2020, the average room occupancy in January 2022 was 35.2 percentage points lower, falling from 83.4% in January 2020 to 48.2% in January this year. It was also 40.5 percentage points lower than the 88.7% average room occupancy achieved in January 2019. ADR was $356.84 in January 2022, 18.3% higher than in January 2021, but 2.9% less than in January 2020 and just 0.4% higher than in January 2019. Revpar was $172.12 in January 2022, 128.5% higher than in January 2021 but 43.9% lower than in January 2020 and 45.4% lower than in January 2019.. Aruba’s timeshare resorts reported an average occupancy of 75% in January 2022. AHATA is projecting that Aruba’s hotels will achieve an average room occupancy of 61% for February 2022, 65% for March, 74% for April and 71% for 2022 as a whole.
The Seychelles received 21,566 tourist arrivals in January 2022, 11.9% fewer than the 24,472 arrivals received in December 2021. According to The Seychelles Government’s National Bureau of Statistics, The Seychelles saw an 11.9% decline in visitor arrivals in January 2022, falling from 24,472 arrivals received in December 2021 to 21,566 arrivals received in January 2022. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors, and transit visitors. Of the 21,566 arrivals 21,490 were stopover visitors and 76 transit visitors. The Seychelles re-opened to international visitors from most countries as of March 25th 2021 with visitors being required to produce evidence of a negative PCR test. The Seychelles consequently received just 1,108 tourist arrivals in January 2021. The 21,566 visitor arrivals received in January 2022 were 65.9% of the 32,731 visitors received in January 2020 and 73.2% of the 29,463 arrivals received in January 2019. The number one source market in January 2022 was Russia which generated 5,625 visitors (26.1% of the total for the month) followed by France, with 2,211 visitors (10.3%).
Cancun saw an 8.2% decrease in international air passenger movements in January 2022. According to ASUR, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Cancun Airport saw an 8.2% decrease in international passenger movements in January 2022, falling from 1,633,990 movements in December 2021 to 1,500,061 movements in January 2022. Domestic passenger movements fell by 20.5%, from 870,643 passenger movements in December 2021 to 691,864 movements in January 2022. While the 1,500,061 international passenger movements were 110.8% more than the 711,729 handled in January 2021 they were 95.4% of the 1,572,774 passengers handled in January 2020 and 99.1% of the 1,513,106 passengers handled in January 2019. Equally, while the 691,864 domestic passenger movements were 19.7% more than the 577,813 handled in January 2021 they were 98.2% of the 704,340 domestic passengers handled in January 2020 and 2.5% more than the 674,760 domestic passengers handled in January 2019.
San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) saw a 19.0% decline in air passenger movements in January 2022. According to ASUR, which manages many airports in Mexico, Colombia and which also manages the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, SJU saw a 19.0% decrease in total passenger movements in January 2022, falling from 921,944 movements in December 2021 to 746,697 movements in January 2022. While the 746,697 total passenger movements were 40.5% more than the 531,629 handled in January 2021 they were 84.1% of the 888,012 passengers handled in January 2020 and 93.7% of the 796,878 passengers handled in January 2019.
Europe's National Tourism Authorities Convene To Discuss Omicron's Impact And The Road To Recovery Leading by example, tourism directors from all over Europe travelled to Switzerland and met in person to plan how to revive the struggling travel sector Brussels, 7 February 2022: Last week's Annual Meeting of the European Travel Commission (ETC) in Engelberg, Switzerland brought together the Board of Directors of national tourism authorities and their marketing and research teams from across Europe. Over 70 participants from throughout the continent convened at the meeting hosted by Switzerland Tourism. In the wake of the Omicron variant, the gathering provided an exceptional platform for industry leaders to discuss the most recent Covid-19 developments and the path to recovery. Participants reviewed the latest data illustrating the impact of the Omicron variant on the winter travel season and put their heads together to tackle the challenges that lie ahead for the sector as it struggles to recover from the pandemic. It was noted during the meeting that one of the key challenges is the mass exodus of skilled workers from the hospitality sector over the past two years. As such, a priority for Europe's tourism authorities in 2022 will be attracting talent back to the hospitality sector, ensuring it is an attractive employment option. Commenting on the meeting, Luís Araújo, ETC's President, said: "As we learn to live with Covid-19 and manage the health risks, it is imperative that European governments do everything in their power to revive travel. Alignment on travel rules across Europe is critical to boost consumer confidence and restart mobility. Clear communication and decisive action informed by data is also essential if pre-pandemic levels of European travel are to be achieved". Strategic agenda for Destination Europe towards 2030 Also top of the agenda was the sustainable and digital transition of tourism in Europe. This year's meeting launched intensive work and laid the foundation to develop ETC Strategy 2030. The upcoming strategy will define how the organisation and its members can contribute to the green and digital transition of European tourism in the coming years and better support the sector's recovery following the impacts of the pandemic. This discussion was timely in light of the EU Transition Pathway for Tourism which was published at the end of last week. Understanding the crucial role of national tourism authorities in supporting the sector's transformation and involving all relevant local stakeholders, ETC members agreed that the organisation should align its strategic priorities and actively contribute to the implementation of the Transition Pathway for Tourism. For a copy of the 57-page report click here Participants also acknowledged the emergency of climate change, and the need to align ETC's actions over the next decade with the European Green Deal. There was an agreement that as Europe recovers from the pandemic there is an opportunity to build back stronger, ensuring that the region is driving green and sustainable tourism practices globally. A clear consensus was also reached on the importance of timely research and new sustainable KPIs to measure the sector's transition. During the meeting, the national tourism authorities in attendance got a sneak peek at ETC's latest studies and upcoming reports, including its quarterly report 'European Tourism Trends & Prospects' due to be published next week. This report analyses trends and prospects for Q4/2021 and highlights how cross-border travel recovery stalled during winter months following the re-imposition of travel restrictions and lockdown measures across Europe. The report also predicts trends for the resumption of intra-European and long-haul travel. ETC's Associate Members and partners representing the private industry such as CrowdRiff, the European Tourism Association (ETOA), Euronews, MINDHAUS, MMGY Global and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) were also in attendance, providing informative presentations to participants. The Cayman Islands received 17,308 stopover visitors in 2021, just 3.4% of the 502,739 visitors received in CY 2019. According to the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism The Cayman Islands received 17,308 stopover visitors in calendar year (CY) 2021, down 85.8% compared with the 121,819 stopovers received in CY 2020. The 17,308 stopover visitors received in CY 2021 were just 3.4% of the 502,739 stopovers received in CY 2019. The Cayman Islands put strict protocols in place regarding international visitation from March 2020 onwards. These protocols were relaxed towards the end of 2021 with the islands receiving 7,637 stopover visitors in December 2021. Of the 17,308 visitors received in CY 2021, 55.0% (9,528 visitors) came from the USA, 11.0% (1,903 visitors) came from the United Kingdom and 10.4% (1,802 visitors) came from Canada. The Cayman Islands did not receive any cruise visitors in 2021. The islands received 538,140 cruise visitors in the first three months of 2020, and 1,831,011 cruise visitors in 2019.
Antigua and Barbuda received 18,097 stopovers in January 2022, 26.3% fewer than the 24,541 stopovers received in December 2021. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 26.3% decline in stopover visitor arrivals in January 2022, falling from 24,541 stopovers received in December 2021 to 18,097 stopovers received in January 2022. Antigua and Barbuda re-opened its borders to international travel as of June 4th, 2020, and consequently received 7,769 visitors in January 2021. The 18,097 stopovers received In January 2022 were 59.9% of the 30,231 stopovers Antigua received in January 2019. The 6,880 stopover visitors received from the USA in January 2022 were 42.5% less than the 11,961 stopovers received from the USA in December 2021 but comprised 38.0% of all stopovers received in January. Antigua also received 7,738 stopover visitors from the U.K. in January 2022, 42.8% of all stopovers received during that month. Antigua received 48,750 cruise passengers in January 2022. Antigua did not receive any cruise passengers in January 2021. Dubai posts 32% increase in 2021 visitor numbers as tourism sector recovers The emirate hosted 7.28 million international overnight visitors last year Feb 3, 2022 Dubai hosted 7.28 million international overnight visitors between January and December 2021, as global tourism industry continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. The visitor numbers to the emirate last year were up 32 per cent year-over-year, Dubai Media Office said in a statement on Thursday, citing data from Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). International visitors to the emirate crossed 3.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, which is 74 per cent of the total pre-pandemic tourist arrivals in the same period in 2019. “Our ability and agility in achieving a remarkable turnaround amid continuing global challenges has cemented Dubai’s position as the destination of choice for international travellers,” said Helal Al Marri, director general of DET. “Dubai’s success in 2021 is testament to the carefully calibrated strategy and decisive measures that were put in place at the outset to counter and manage the pandemic across all sectors including trade and tourism.” Dubai’s success in 2021 is testament to the carefully calibrated strategy and decisive measures that were put in place at the outset to counter and manage the pandemic across all sectors including trade and tourism In December, Dubai International Airport retained its position as the world's busiest for international passengers, overtaking major hubs such as London's Heathrow, as passenger traffic surged during the busy travel period. The emirate held on to the top spot with 3.54 million seats, about one million more than the next busiest airport, Heathrow, according to aviation consultancy OAG. The growth in international visitors last year was led by India with 910,000 visitors, followed by 491,000 travellers from Saudi Arabia, and Russia and the UK accounting for 444,000 visitors and 420,000 visitors, respectively, according to DET. The Middle East and North Africa and GCC markets collectively contributed to 26 per cent of Dubai’s total international visitor volumes, while western Europe accounted for 22 per cent of total visitors in 2021. The emirate’s hotels, meanwhile, outperformed pre-pandemic levels across all measurements in the fourth quarter of 2021, with occupancy levels exceeding 81.4 per cent compared to 80.7 per cent occupancy during Q4, 2019. Average occupancy reached 67 per cent in 2021 compared to 54 per cent in the previous year, the statement said. Expo 2020 Dubai continues to serve as a catalyst for drawing more visitors to the city, attracting 11.6 million visits by residents and global travellers in the space of four months, it added. “Dubai’s well-coordinated, consistent, proactive and creative approach enabled it to lay the groundwork for an accelerated recovery that received a major boost with the opening of Expo 2020 Dubai and the UAE Golden Jubilee celebrations,” Mr Al Marri said. Dubai also continued to score high across international indices in 2021, further reinforcing its global appeal. The emirate was ranked No 1 in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region and No 12 globally in Julius Baer's Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report 2021, while in the Global Talent Competitive Index Dubai ranks the third most desirable destination to live and work. The Gallup Global Law and Order 2021 report ranked the UAE as the No 2 safest country in the world, the media office said. “In showcasing Dubai as a must-visit destination to an international audience and maintaining momentum, we have leveraged and depended on a combination of factors including our focus on a diversified multi-geographic approach to markets, the strong public-private sector partnerships and global campaigns designed to create awareness of Dubai,” said Issam Kazim, chief executive of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing. Across 2021, and now in 2022, Dubai continues to reap the benefits of the series of measures that were put in place at the outset of the pandemic. With more than 94 per cent of the UAE population vaccinated, the country topped Bloomberg's Covid Resilience Ranking in January this year. “As we move forward throughout 2022, we are confident that the significant momentum now gathered will accelerate even further to continue to attract not just tourists but also investors, entrepreneurs and innovators to Dubai,” Mr Al Marri said. Royal Caribbean Reveals 2021 Results, Shifts Focus to Profitability in 2022 DONALD WOOD | Travel Pulse | February 04, 2022 Royal Caribbean Cruises announced the Omicron variant of coronavirus slowed down the cruise industry’s recovery and pushed back expectations of returning to profitability by a few months. During a conference call revealing the financial results for the 2021 fiscal year, Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said bookings for the fourth quarter were higher than the prior quarter, but bookings fell in December and were down during the winter holiday period. Preliminary data suggests bookings have started to bounce back and the cruise company is reporting four consecutive weeks of increases since the start of 2022, with Royal Caribbean officials saying bookings have returned to pre-Omicron levels. “2021 marked the beginning of our return to our mission of delivering the very best vacation experiences,” Liberty said. “During 2021, we made significant progress toward our recovery with over 85 percent of our capacity returning to operations and delivering safe and memorable experiences to approximately 1.3 million guests at record guest satisfaction scores.” “Our team has worked tirelessly to execute our successful and healthy return, and we are grateful for their extraordinary efforts,” Liberty continued. By the end of 2021, the cruise company had returned 50 out of 61 ships to operations across its five brands, representing over 85 percent of its worldwide capacity. Royal Caribbean carried approximately 1.3 million passengers across the five brands, achieving record guest satisfaction scores and onboard spend per passenger. Liberty said company officials expect to return the full fleet of ships before the summer season of 2022 and load factors approaching historical levels in the third quarter of 2022. The report suggests advance bookings for the second half of 2022 are within historical ranges and at higher prices, with and without future cruise credits (FCCs). The company expects to be operating cash flow positive in late spring, with a return to profitability in the second half of 2022. For the full report click here
Los Cabos handled 318,800 international passenger movements in January 2022, down 17.0% compared with December 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Los Cabos Airport saw a 17.0% decline in international passenger traffic in January 2022, that is enplanements and deplanements, falling from 384,200 international passenger movements in December 2021 to 318,800 international passenger movements in January 2022. Mexico re-opened to international tourist arrivals as of June 8th, 2020, and consequently Los Cabos handled 172,000 international passenger movements in January 2021. The 318,800 international passenger movements seen in January 2022 were 97.9% of the 325,600 international movements handled in January 2019 and 89.9% of the 354,800 passenger movements handled in January 2021. Domestic traffic declined by 13.8%, falling from 197,800 passenger movements in December 2021 to 170,500 passenger movements in January 2022. Los Cabos handled 172,000 domestic passenger movements in January 2021. The 170,500 domestic passenger movements seen in January 2022 were 26.8% more than the 134,500 domestic passenger movements handled in January 2019 and 12.1% more than the 152,100 handled in January 2020.
Montego Bay Airport handled 267,300 total passenger movements in January 2022, down 21.6% from the 341,100 handled in December 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Montego Bay Airport decline by 21.6% in January 2022, falling from 341,100 total movements in December 2021 to 267,300 movements in January 2022. The total number of passenger movements in January 2022 was 60.8% of the 439,800 handled in January 2019 and 60.0% of the 445,700 passengers handled in January 2020. It should be noted that Jamaica closed its borders to international visitors as of March 21st, 2020 and re-opened to such visitors as of June 15th 2020. As a result, Montego Bay Airport handled just 99,700 passenger movements in January 2021. In 2022 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
Kingston, Jamaica Airport saw 91,200 total passenger movements in January 2022, a decline of 16.0% compared with December 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Kingston Jamaica’s Airport decrease by 16.0% in January 2022, falling from 108,600 total movements in December 2021 to 91,200 total passenger movements in January 2022. Kingston Airport handled 159,200 passenger movements in January 2020. Numbers for January 2019 are not available. While Kingston Airport re-opened to international travelers as of June 15th, 2020, the total number of passenger movements in January 2021 was 48,700 passengers. In 2022 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
Aruba received 135,953 cruise visitors in 2021, 16.3% of the 832,001 cruise visitors received in 2019. According to the Central Bank of Aruba, Aruba received 48,003 cruise visitors in December 2021, 8.0% more than the 44,467 cruise visitors received in November 2021. Cruise ships made 35 calls at Aruba in December 2021, up from 30 calls made in November. Aruba reopened its port to cruise traffic in June 2021 and between June and December 2021 received a total of 135,953 cruise visitors from 97 calls. The volume of cruise passengers received in 2021 was 16.3% of the 832,001 cruise passengers received in calendar year 2019. Cruise ships made 324 calls to Aruba in 2019. In calendar year 2020 Aruba received 255,384 cruise visitors from 98 calls. These numbers are very similar to Curaçao which received 146,231 cruise visitors in 2021 from 98 calls, 256,033 cruise visitors from 100 calls in 2020, and 809,874 cruise visitors from 313 calls in 2019.
Cuba announces it received 356,470 international stopover visitors in 2021, just 8.3% of the 4,275,558 received in 2019. The Cuban Government’s Office of National Statistics and Information (ONEI) recently announced that total international tourist arrivals increased by 98.7% in December 2021, growing from 51,116 international stopover arrivals in November 2021 to 101,548 arrivals in December 2021. This number includes both stopover visitors and cruise visitors. Cuba closed its borders to international tourist arrivals on March 20 2020 and consequently received just 64,929 international stopovers in December 2020. The 101,548 stopovers received in December 2021 were 26.8% of the 378,690 international visitors received in December 2019. Cuba received 35,344 stopovers from Canada in December 2021, 34.8% of all stopovers received for the month and 14,329 stopovers from Russia. In calendar year (CY) 2021 Cuba saw a 67.2% decline in total international arrivals, falling from 1,085,920 arrivals in CY 2020 to 356,470 stopovers in CY 2021. The 356,470 arrivals were just 8.3% of the 4,275,558 international visitors received in CY 2019. Total tourist arrivals from Canada fell by 83.3% in CY 2021, from 413,409 arrivals in CY 2020 to 68,944 in CY 2021. The number one source market in CY 2021 was Russia with 146,151 stopovers, up 97.5% from the 74,019 stopovers received in CY 2020 and 41.0% of all arrivals, up from just 6.8% of all such arrivals in CY 2020.
U.S. citizens’ outbound travel from the USA to international destinations grew by 4.0% in November 2021. The United States Government’s Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) recently released the figures for U.S. citizens outbound travel from the USA to international destinations for November 2021.
The overall number of trips taken by US citizens to international destinations increased by 4.0% in November 2021, growing from 4,436,397 trips in October 2021 to 4,613,416 trips in November 2021.
The number of trips taken to the Caribbean increased by 22.3%, growing from 466,516 trips in October 2021 to 570,780 trips in November 2021.
The 570,780 trips to the Caribbean were 12.4% of all international trips taken by US citizens in November 2021 to all international destinations.
Given that many countries had restrictions in place in November 2020, limiting international arrivals, only 228,451 US citizens visited Caribbean countries in November 2020.
The 570,780 trips taken to the Caribbean in November 2021 were 90.4% of the 631,674 trips taken to the Caribbean in November 2019.
Trips to Europe declined by 13.0% in November, falling from 648,797 trips in October 2021 to 564,548 trips in November 2021. Trips to Europe were 12.2% of trips taken by US citizens in November 2021. The 564,548 trips taken by US citizens to Europe in November 2021 were 51.0% of the 1,107,948 trips taken to Europe in November 2019.
The number of trips taken to Mexico by air increased by 10.5%, growing from 857,428 trips in October 2021 to 948,733 trips in November 2021.This segment’s share of all trips taken by US citizens was 20.6% in November 2021. The 948,733 trips were 20.8% more than the 785,475 trips taken to Mexico by air by US citizens in November 2019.
Please note the NTTO’s definition of the Caribbean does not include Puerto Rico or the United States Virgin Islands as, for the purposes of the study, they are deemed to be US territories and the focus of the system (APIS) is non-stop air traffic (segmented here for U.S. citizens) to foreign countries.
In the first eleven months of 2021
The overall number of trips taken by US citizens to international destinations increased by 39.1% in the first eleven months of 2021, growing from 30.25 million trips in the first eleven months of 2020 to 42.08 million trips in the same eleven months of 2021.
The 42,083,286 total international trips taken in the first eleven months of 2021 were 46.6% of the 90,398,927 trips taken in the first eleven months of 2019.
The number of trips taken to the Caribbean increased by 107.6% in the first eleven months of 2021, growing from 2,715,854 trips in 2020, to 5,638,307 trips in the first eleven months of 2021. The share of trips taken to the Caribbean grew from 9.3% in 2020 to 12.4% in 2021.
The 5,638,307 trips taken to the Caribbean in the first eleven months of 2021 were 66.0% of the 8,537,648 trips taken by US residents to the Caribbean in the first eleven months of 2019.
Trips to Europe increased by 86.6%, growing from 2,459,353 trips in the first eleven months of 2020 to 4,588,725 in the same eleven months of 2021. The 4,588,725 trips taken in 2021 were 25.8% of the 17,760,457 trips taken to Europe in the first eleven months of 2019.
The number of trips taken to Mexico by air grew by 106.6%, from 4,276,686 trips in the first eleven months of 2020 to 8,835,163 in the same eleven months of 2021. The 8,835,163 trips were 97.6% of the 9,053,827 trips taken by US citizens by air to Mexico in the first eleven months of 2019. This segment’s share of all trips grew from 14.1% in the first eleven months of 2020 to 21.0% in the same eleven months of 2021.
The Bahamas reports the islands received 882,141 stopovers in 2021, 48.8% of the 1,806,952 stopovers received in 2019. According to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, The Islands of The Bahamas received 63,358 stopover visitors in December 2021, 13.5% fewer than the 73,278 stopovers received in November 2021, The 63,358 stopovers received in December 2021 were 42.8% of the 148,138 stopovers received in December 2019. The Bahamas closed its borders to foreign visitors as of March 24th 2020 and re-opened its borders as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, The Bahamas received 18,057 stopover visitors in December 2020. Of the 63,358 stopover visitors who arrived in December, 56,879 (89.8%) were from the USA with 2,275 coming from Canada and 2,295 from Europe. During December 53,871 stopovers stayed in Nassau/Paradise Island, (85.0% of all stopovers), with 1,334 stopovers (2.1%) staying in Grand Bahama, and 8,153 stopovers (12.9%) staying in The Out Islands. The Bahamas also received 373,289 cruise visitors in December 2021. During calendar year (CY) 2021 The Bahamas saw a 94.9% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 452,678 stopover visitors in CY 2020 to 882,141 stopovers in the same twelve months of 2021. The number of visitors from the USA increased by 125.8% in CY 2021, growing from 365,708 stopovers in 2020 to 825,905 stopovers in CY 2021. The number from Canada fell by 73.3%, falling from 43,125 in 2020 to 11,512 in the same twelve months of 2021, while the number from Europe fell by 29.1%, falling from 25,223 in CY 2020 to 17,873 in the same twelve months of 2021. Traffic from the USA in CY 2021 was 93.6% of all stopover visitors compared to 81.5% of total stopover visits in the same twelve months of 2019. Nassau/Paradise Island saw an 85.4% increase in CY 2021, growing from 337,743 stopovers in CY 2020 to 626,151 stopovers in CY 2021, while Grand Bahama Island saw a 76.8% increase in stopover traffic, growing from 22,994 stopovers in CY 2020 to 40,653 in the same twelve months of 2021. Stopover traffic to the Out Islands increased by 134.2%, growing from 91,941 stopover visitors in CY 2020 to 215,337 in CY 2021. Stopover traffic to The Bahamas in CY 2021 was just 48.8% of the 1,806,952 stopovers received in CY 2019. Traffic to Nassau/Paradise Island in CY 2021 was 45.9% of the total for the same twelve months of 2019, while traffic to Grand Bahama was 38.8% of the total for the same twelve months of 2019, and traffic to the Out Islands was 63.7% of the total for the same twelve months of 2019. The Bahamas received a total of 1,115,181 cruise visitors in CY 2021, 84.0% of the 1,327,142 received in 2020 and 20.5% of the 5,433,359 cruise visitors received in CY 2019. Please note these numbers are preliminary and may be subject to change. Mexico received 1,919,972 international air arrivals in December, up 26.3% compared with November 2021. According to the Government of Mexico’s SECTUR (Department of Tourism) Mexico received 1,919,972 international air arrivals in December 2021, up 26.3% compared with the 1,519,684 arrivals received in November 2021. Mexico’s border with the USA was closed as of March 20, 2020 and consequently Mexico received 974,463 international visitors in December 2020. The 1,919,972 international air arrivals received in December 2021 were 93.4% of the 2,060,880 international air visitors received in December 2019. Mexico received 1,250,281 air visitors from the USA in December, 65.1% of the total. Canada was the second biggest market (172,198 visitors) with Colombia third largest (64,309 visitors). Cancun Airport received 842,705 international air visitor arrivals in December 2021, 43.9% of the overall total. Los Cabos received 200,319 international air arrivals with Puerto Vallarta receiving 175,895 air visitors. In calendar year (CY) 2021 the volume of international air arrivals to Mexico increased by 77.6%, from 7,935,518 arrivals in CY 2020 to 14,090,485 arrivals in the same twelve months of 2021. The 14,090,485 arrivals received in CY 2021 were 71.8% of the 19,634,876 international arrivals received in CY 2019. The volume of air arrivals from the USA increased by 104.6% in CY 2021, from 5,151,181 air arrivals in CY 2020 to 10,239,989 air arrivals in CY 2021 while the volume from Canada fell by 48.4%, from 975,697 air arrivals in CY 2020 to 503,589 in CY 2021. Cancun Airport saw a 98.5% increase in international air arrivals in CY 2021, growing from 3,238,106 arrivals in CY 2020 to 6,426,554 arrivals in CY 2021 while Los Cabos saw a 91.4% increase growing from 900,621 international air arrivals in CY 2020 to 1,723,453 air arrivals in CY 2021. Puerto Vallarta saw a 47.2% increase, growing from 734,738 international arrivals in CY 2020 to 1,081,786 international arrivals in the same twelve months of 2021.
Trinidad and Tobago received 40,621 stopover visitors in 2021, just 10.5% of the 388,576 visitors received in CY 2019. According to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s Central Statistical Office Trinidad and Tobago received 13,203 stopover visitors in December 2021, up 53.6% from the 8,593 received in November 2021. Trinidad received all 13,203 visitors in December with Tobago receiving none. Trinidad and Tobago closed its borders as of March 23rd 2020, and consequently just received 365 stopover visitors in December 2020. The country reopened its borders to visitors as of July 17th 2021. The 13,203 stopover visitors received in December 2021 were 35.2% of the 37,514 stopover visitors received in December 2019. Trinidad and Tobago received 7,630 stopover arrivals from the USA in December 2021, 1,721 from Europe, 1,501 from Canada and 2,351 from the rest of the world. In calendar year (CY) 2021 Trinidad and Tobago saw the number of stopovers decrease by 57.4%, falling from 95,280 visitors in CY 2020 to 40,621 in the same twelve months of 2021. The 40,621 visitors received in CY 2021 were just 10.5% of the 388,576 received in CY 2019. Stopovers from the USA decreased by 49.2% in CY 2021, falling from 43,970 in CY 2020 to 22,328 in the same twelve months of 2021. Stopovers from Canada fell by 71.0% in CY 2021, to 4,224 arrivals while stopovers from Europe fell by 64.9% in the same twelve months, to 5,423 arrivals. Trinidad received all 40,621 stopover visitors in 2021 with none registered as having visited Tobago. Trinidad received 367,119 visitors in CY 2019 with Tobago receiving 21,457 also in CY 2019.
The Dominican Republic’s hotels averaged 51.0% room occupancy during 2021, down 20.6 percentage points from the 71.6% achieved in 2019. According to ASONAHORES, the hotel and tourism association of the Dominican Republic, the hotels of the Dominican Republic posted an overall average hotel room occupancy of 75.8% in December 2021, up 6.7 percentage points from the 69.1% achieved in November 2021. The Dominican Republic’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 68.3% in December 2019. At a regional level, the hotels in Punta Cana posted an average room occupancy of 84.1% for December 2021, with hotels in Puerto Plata averaging 48.6% and hotels in Santo Domingo averaging 59.1%, also in December of 2021. The hotel sector posted a combined overall average occupancy of 51.0% for calendar year (CY) 2021 compared with 71.6% for the same twelve months of 2019. At a regional level during CY 2021, the destination Romana Bayahibe recorded the highest occupancy rate at 56.2%. Santiago’s hotels posted an overall average room occupancy of 52.9% with the Punta Cana/Bavaro area posting an average occupancy of 52.6%. while the hotels in Puerto Plata posted an overall average of 42.6%. Hotels in Santo Domingo posted an average room occupancy of 50.5% for CY 2021. Punta Cana’s hotels averaged a 40.3% room occupancy for CY 2020 and 76.2% for CY 2019.
Punta Cana received 2,208,651 tourists in 2021, 62.6% of the 3,526,435 tourists who visited in 2019. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, received 365,108 stopovers in December 2021, 22.3% more than the 298,457 stopovers received in December 2019 and 32.1% more than the 276,415 received in November 2021. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and re-opened to tourists as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Punta Cana received visitors in December 2020. Punta Cana received 130,226 stopover arrivals from the USA in December 2021, 28.8% more than the 101,142 stopovers received in November 2021. Canada was the second largest source market (49,683 stopovers) with Russia third (20,391 stopovers). During calendar year (CY) 2021 Punta Cana saw a 126.2% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 976,482 arrivals in CY 2020 to 2,208,651 non-resident arrivals in CY 2021. However, the total for 2021 was 62.6% of the 3,526,435 stopovers received in CY 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 246.2% in the first twelve months of 2021, growing from 339,468 arrivals in CY 2020 to 1,175,296 arrivals in the same twelve months of 2021. Traffic was down 43.8% from Canada, falling from 241,866 arrivals in CY 2020 to 135,987 arrivals in CY 2021. Traffic was also down 47.8% from the UK, falling from 27,776 arrivals in 2020 to just 14,507 stopovers in the same twelve months of 2021. Traffic increased by 397.3% from Colombia, was up 226.5% from Germany, up 255.0% from Spain, up 201.3% from Russia and up 47.6% from France but was down 26.4% from Argentina. In CY 2021, stopover arrivals to Punta Cana made up 44.2% of all non-resident arrivals to the Dominican Republic compared with 40.6% in the same twelve months of 2020.
The Dominican Republic received 4,994,309 tourists in 2021, 77.5% of the 6,446,036 tourists who visited in 2019. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic the Dominican Republic, received 728,334 stopovers in December 2021, 16.7% more than the 624,268 stopovers received in December 2019 and 40.3% more than the 519,214 received in November 2021. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and re-opened to international visitors as of July 1st 2020 and consequently received 348,464 stopovers in December 2020. The Dominican Republic received 214,315 stopover arrivals from the USA in December 2021, 28.9% more than the 166,134 stopovers received from the USA in November 2021. The Dominican Republic also received 62,084 stopover visitors from Canada in December 2021. 26.4% of the non-resident arrivals in December 2021 were Dominicans living abroad and returning to the Dominican Republic compared with 46.6% in December 2020. In calendar year (CY) 2021 the Dominican Republic saw a 107.6% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 2,405,315 arrivals in CY 2020 to 4,994,309 non-resident arrivals in the same twelve months of 2021. Non-resident arrivals from the USA increased by 191.8% in CY 2021, growing from 709,772 arrivals in 2020 to 2,070,980 arrivals from the USA in the same twelve months of 2021. Stopover arrivals from Canada fell by 54.5%, from 357,952 in CY 2020 to 162,700 in the same twelve months of 2021. The 4,994,309 stopovers received in CY 2021 were 77.5% of the 6,446,036 stopovers received in CY 2019. In CY 2021 26.8% of all non-resident tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic were non-resident Dominicans returning home, down from 29.4% in the same twelve months of 2020.
Cancun saw its hotels achieve an average hotel room occupancy of 53.7% in 2021, an increase of 15.7 percentage points from the 38.0% reported for 2020. Sedetur, the Department of Tourism of the state of Quintana Roo, recently released the hotel occupancy numbers for the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos and Riviera Maya for December 2021. In December, the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos saw a 6.0 percentage point increase in average hotel room occupancy from 65.7% in November 2021 to 75.7% in December 2021. Cancun’s hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 47.1% in December 2020. It should be noted that as of mid-March 2020 the hotels saw a sharp drop in average room occupancies as strict restrictions on international travel came into effect and the hotels saw limited business in April through December 2020. The 75.7% average room occupancy for December 2021 was 4.7 percentage points lower than the 80.4% achieved in December 2019. The hotels in Riviera Maya saw a 0.4 percentage point decline in average hotel room occupancy falling from 75.4% in November 2021 to 75.0% in December 2021. As with Cancun, traffic in April through December of 2020 was extremely limited. In December 2020, the hotels in Riviera Maya averaged a 30.2% room occupancy. The same hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 80.1% in December 2019. During calendar year (CY) 2021 the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos achieved a 55.5% average room occupancy, up 17.5 percentage points from the 38.0% achieved in CY 2020. The hotels achieved an average occupancy of 76.7% in CY 2019. During CY 2021 the hotels in Riviera Maya achieved an average room occupancy of 52.2%, up 19.6 percentage points from the 32.6% achieved in CY 2020. The same hotels achieved an average occupancy of 78.0% in CY 2019. Riviera Maya/Tulum has 52,161 hotel rooms while the Cancun/Puerto Morelos area has 45,869 hotel rooms.
Orlando’s Airports saw a 29.4% increase in international deplanements in December 2021. Orlando, Florida is served by two primary airports, Orlando International (MCO) and Sanford International Airport (SFB). In December 2021, the two airports combined saw an increase of 29.4% in international deplanements, growing from 102,041 deplanements from international airports in November 2021 to 132,052 international deplanements in December 2021. Orlando International handled 99.2% of all international deplanements. International deplanements made up 5.8% of total deplanements in December 2021. The two airports combined also saw an 8.3% increase in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, growing from 1,919,609 domestic deplanements in November 2021 to 2,078,457 in December 2021. The two airports combined saw a 10.7% increase in total deplanements, growing from 2,051,661 deplanements in November 2021 to 2,270,081 in December 2021. The two airports saw just 1,168,846 total deplanements in December 2020. In calendar year (CY) 2021, the two airports combined saw an increase of 26.6% in international deplanements, growing from 797,791 deplanements from international airports in CY 2020 to 1,009,764 international deplanements in CY 2021. The two airports combined saw a 91.1% increase in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, growing from 10,736,108 domestic deplanements in CY 2020 to 20,514,537 in the same twelve months of 2021. The two airports combined saw an 85.8% increase in total deplanements, growing from 11,533,899 deplanements in CY 2020 to 21,524,301 in the same twelve months of 2021. Hyatt outlines Americas growth plans 30 Jan 2022 by Mark Caswell, Business Traveler. Hyatt has outlined plans to enter 11 new leisure markets in the Americas region by 2023, fueled by its recent acquisition of Apple Leisure Group. A total of 45 hotels are set to join the group’s America’s portfolio by next year, including properties under Apple Leisure Group’s AMR Collection brands. During 2022 Hyatt will add Hyatt Centric properties in new destinations including Montreal and San Salvador, as well as Hyatt Place hotels in Monterrey, Gainsville, Montreal, Panama City, St Augustine and Mexico City. The 44-room Numu in Mexico’s San Miguel de Allende is also set to join the group’s Unbound Collection this year. Hyatt also plans to “significantly expand its resort and all-inclusive portfolio” across the Americas, including AMR Collection brands Secrets and Dreams, with 2022 openings including Dreams Cozumel Cape Resort and Spa, Secrets Impression Playa del Carmen, Secrets Tulum Resort and Spa, and Banyan Cay Resort and Golf, which will join the Destination by Hyatt brand. Further ahead the group is expected to open properties including Dreams Grand Island in Cancun, Park Hyatt Los Cabos Hotel and Residences, Hyatt Place New Smyrna Beach, Secrets Baby Beach Aruba, and Thompson South Beach in 2023. Finally, Hyatt will add a number of properties to satisfy demand for “urban leisure and drivable destinations”, including Thompson Austin, Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City, Thompson Denver and Hyatt House Sacramento Midtown. The group is also expected to open the first property under its new lifestyle Caption by Hyatt brand in Memphis later this year. Commenting on the news Jim Chu, Hyatt’s executive vice president, global franchising and development, said: “Listening to our guests, World of Hyatt members, and customers has never been more important. As we continue in our recovery from the pandemic, we remain very intentional about where the Hyatt brand footprint grows to ensure we’re present in markets that matter most to the leisure-focused traveller of today and tomorrow. “Our pipeline of new properties signals that Hyatt is well poised to deliver against the demand for more leisure travel experiences in places like Cozumel, Panama City, Punta Cana, and South Beach, and priority urban destinations, including Denver, Montréal, Oakland, and Memphis, which will welcome the first Caption by Hyatt hotel.”
Travel Value Index and Traveler Value Index 2022 Outlook To better understand what’s coming in 2022, the Expedia Group conducted a study in collaboration with Wakefield Research in November 2021 among 5,500 nationally representative adults ages 18+ across Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the UK, and US. From the data Expedia published two reports The Travel Value Index and The Traveler Value Index 2022 Outlook. The Travel Value Index findings show
More than a third of people would trade a pay raise for more vacation days.
Nearly one in five travelers expect travel to be the thing they spend the most on in 2021
Nearly three-quarters are comfortable with the concept of a vaccine passport
Three-quarters of travelers are likely to select a destination they’ve never been to before
Half of travelers (50%) plan to board a plane in the next 12 months
Nearly three in five are willing to spend extra to make their trip more sustainable.
Nearly two-thirds are more likely to book with travel providers that identify their practices as inclusive.
Travelers will look for ways to get away with more frequent, shorter trips
The findings from the Traveler Value Index 2022 Outlook suggest that after two years of enduring the global pandemic, people value travel and personal time more than ever. Travelers are ranking flex travel at the top of their priorities and focusing intently on traveling for good, including taking steps such as tipping industry workers more and choosing less crowded destinations to limit effects of overtourism. The key six trends are:-
#1 Most people will travel in the next six months — and frequent, quick trips are trending
#2 People will invest more in travel compared to pre-COVID-19.
#3 Travelers will use loyalty points accumulated during the pandemic to help fund trips.
#4 International travel will start to make a comeback.
#5 Great deals and flexibility will remain top priorities for travelers.
#6 People will travel more responsibly and consciously.
Las Vegas received 32,230,600 visitors in CY 2021, 75.8% of the 42.5 million received in CY 2019. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Las Vegas saw the volume of visitors decrease by 3.5% in December 2021, falling from 3,112,200 arrivals in November 2021 to 3,004,500 in December of 2021.Historically Las Vegas receives fewer visitors in December than in November. The state of Nevada ordered the closure of all casinos as of March 17th, 2020 but re-opened all casinos as of June 4th, 2020. Consequently, Las Vegas received 1,247,200 visitors in December 2020. The 3,004,500 arrivals received in December 2021 were 86.7% of the 3,465,700 arrivals received in December 2019. Las Vegas had a weighted average of 150,487 open hotel rooms in December 2021 (up 5.1% compared with December 2020) and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 72.6% (30.9% in December 2020), an ADR of $150.88 and a RevPar of $109.54. During calendar year (CY) 2021 Las Vegas saw a 69.4% increase in the volume of visitors, growing from 19,031,100 arrivals in CY 2020 to 32,230,600 visitors in the same twelve months of 2021. The total number of visitors in CY 2021 was 75.8% of the 42,523,700 received in CY 2019. Las Vegas achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 66.8% in CY 2021 (up 24.7 percentage points compared with CY 2020), an ADR of $137.37 (up 14.2% compared with the same twelve months of 2020) and a RevPar of $91.76 up 81.2%, also compared with the same twelve months of 2020. Gaming revenue increased by 75.1% in CY 2021, from $6.541 billion in CY 2020 to $11.452 billion in the same twelve months of 2021. Gaming revenue in CY 2021 was 10.8% higher than the $10.336 billion in gaming revenue generated in CY 2019.
Hawaii reports the state received 6,777,498 out-of-state tourists in CY 2021, 66.2% of the total received in CY 2019. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 22.9% in December 2021, growing from 613,391 air arrivals received in November 2021 to 753,670 arrivals in December 2021. Total spending for visitors arriving in December 2021 was $1.656 billion, up 47.6% compared with November 2021 but 5.2% lower than in December 2019. In December 2021, passengers arriving from out-of-state could bypass the State’s mandatory 10-day self-quarantine if they were fully vaccinated in the United States or with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner prior to their departure through the Safe Travels program. April 2020 was the first full month of travel restrictions to keep the community safe, following the State of Hawai‘i’s 14-day mandatory travel quarantine for all passengers (effective March 26, 2020). Consequently, the number of out of state air arrivals was 236,575 for December 2020. The 753,670 arrivals received in December 2021 were 80.1% of the 941,128 arrivals received in December 2019. Hawaii received 675,922 air arrivals from the mainland USA in December 2021, 89.7% of the overall total, 36,876 arrivals from Canada, 4,448 arrivals from Japan and 36,424 air arrivals from other markets. During calendar year (CY) 2021 Hawaii saw a 153.1% increase in the volume of air arrivals, growing from 2,678,073 air arrivals in CY 2020 to 6,777,498 air arrivals in the same twelve months of 2021. Air arrivals in CY 2021 were 66.2% of the 10,243,165 received in CY 2019. During CY 2021, total visitor spending was estimated to be $12.996 billion, 73.4% of the $17.716 billion spent in CY 2019. Person per trip spending grew by 11.2% from $1,723.90 per person per trip in CY 2019 to $1,917.50 per person per trip in CY 2021. Air arrivals from the USA increased by 225.3% in CY 2021, growing from 1,987,326 air arrivals in CY 2020 to 6,465,360 air arrivals in CY 2021, but fell by 91.6% from Japan (from 289,137 arrivals in 2020 to 24,232 air arrivals in 2021) and fell by 47.4% from Canada (from 164,393 arrivals in 2020 to 86,491 air arrivals in 2021). Jamaica received 152,097 stopover arrivals in November 2021, a 28.3% increase compared with October 2021. According to the Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica received 152,097 stopover arrivals in November 2021, a 28.3% increase compared with the 118,534 stopovers received in October 2021 and 75.0% of the 202,783 stopovers received in November 2019. Jamaica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and reopened again on June 15th 2020. Jamaica consequently had 49,413 arrivals in November 2020. Stopover arrivals from the USA totaled 116,952 in November 2021, that is 19.9% more than the 97,545 stopover visitors received from the USA in October 2021. Stopover arrivals from the USA comprised 76.9% of all stopover arrivals received in November 2021. Jamaica re-opened its ports to cruise ships in August 2021 and received 24,863 cruise passengers during November from 17 cruise ship calls. Through the first eleven months of 2021 Jamaica saw a 57.0% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 790,240 stopover arrivals in the first eleven months of 2020 to 1,241,066 arrivals in the same eleven months of 2021. The 1,241,066 stopovers received in the first eleven months of 2021 were 51.7% of the 2,399,805 stopovers received in the first eleven months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 97.0% in the first eleven months of 2021, growing from 562,609 arrivals in 2020 to 1,108,487 arrivals in the same eleven months of 2021. The USA’s share of all stopover arrivals grew from 71.2% in the first eleven months of 2020 to 89.3% in the same eleven months of 2021. Jamaica has received 41,100 cruise passengers through November 2021, 90.9% fewer than the 449,271 received in 2020.
Aruba Airport Authority reports it handled 876,580 departing passengers in 2021, 69.2% of the 1,265,965 departing passengers handled in 2019. The Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) reports that in December 2021 91,086 Revenue Generating Passengers (RGPs) travelled out of the Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA Airport) to its various markets. This was 6.7% more than the 85,346 RGPs who departed in November 2021. A revenue generating passenger is an outbound traveler leaving Aruba and includes tourists returning to their homes as well as Arubans departing for trips overseas. While Aruba reopened to travel to and from Bonaire and Curacao as of June 15th, 2020, the country did not reopen to travel from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean until July 1st, 2020, and from the USA until July 10th, 2020. Consequently, the airport had just 38,242 RGPs in December 2020. The airport also handled 7,129 passengers in transit in December 2021 as well as 490 transferring passengers. In December 2021 67,011 passengers (pax) travelled to the USA, 3,764 pax to Canada, 6,963 pax to Europe, 9,756 pax to Latin America and 3,592 pax to the Dutch Caribbean. The airlines provided 147,843 outbound seats in December 2021, 2.2% more than the 144,720 seats provided in December 2019. Airlines flying to the USA in December experienced an average load factor of 65.5%, 62.2% to Canada, while flights to Europe averaged a 71.8% load factor. The overall average load factor for all flights for December was 67.4%. In calendar year (CY) 2021 the airport handled a total of 876,580 RGPs, up 103.6% compared with the 430,496 handled in the same twelve months of 2020. The total for 2021 was 69.2% of the 1,265,965 RGPs handled in CY 2019. Traffic to the USA increased by 116.8% in CY 2021, from 328,537 RGPs in CY 2020 to 712,321 in the same twelve months of 2021. Traffic to Canada fell by 55.2% to 8,275 RGPs, while traffic to Europe increased by 104.3%, from 32,217 RGPS in CY 2020 to 65,818 RGPs in CY 2021. Seat capacity in CY 2021 fell by 20.8% compared with the same twelve months of 2019, from 1,701,062 available seats in CY 2019 to 1,346,980 seats in CY 2021. The overall average load factor of outbound flights fell from 84.9% in CY 2019 to 70.7% in the same twelve months of 2021. The average load factor of flights to the USA fell from 87.1% in CY 2019 to 70.5% in the same twelve months of 2021. The airport received a total of 1,346,980 seats during CY 2021, 79.2% of the 1,701,062 available seats received in 2019. It also estimates that the airport will receive 1,651,581 seats in 2022, that is 97.1% of the 1,701,062 seats received in 2019. The AAA stated that these seat projections are preliminary and subject to change.
Hawaii’s hotels report a 13.0 percentage point increase in average room occupancy in December compared with November, growing from 59.7% to 72.7% According to the Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report published by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), statewide hotel room occupancy grew by 13.0 percentage points from 59.7% in November 2021 to 72.7% in December of this year. ADR grew by 26.0% from $332.65 in November to $419.24 in December, as did revpar which grew by 53.4%, from $198.61 in November 2021 to $304.75 in December of this year. Hawai‘i’s quarantine order for travelers due to the COVID-19 pandemic began on March 26, 2020, which immediately resulted in dramatic declines for the hotel industry. Many properties closed or reduced operations starting in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hotel sector posted an average room occupancy of 23.7% in December 2020. Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide grew by 60.7%, from $322.4 million in November 2021 to $518.0 million in December 2021. Room demand grew by 27.5%, from 969,100 room nights in November to 1,235,500 room nights in December while room supply grew by 4.7% from 1,623,200 room nights in November to 1,699,600 room nights in December. In December 2021, domestic passengers could bypass the State’s mandatory 10-day self-quarantine if they were fully vaccinated in the United States or with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner prior to their departure through the Safe Travels program. Beginning December 6, passengers arriving on direct international flights were subjected to federal U.S. entry requirements which included proof of a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 24 hours of travel or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days, prior to their flight. During calendar year (CY) 2021 statewide hotel room occupancy increased by 20.0 percentage points from 37.6% in CY 2020 to 57.6% in CY 2021. ADR increased by 23.3% from $266.61 in CY 2020 to $328.68 while revpar grew by 89.0%, from $100.21 in CY 2020 to $189.35 in the first twelve months of CY 2021. In CY 2021, Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide increased by 156.1% from $1.432 billion in CY 2020 to $3.667 billion in the first twelve months of CY 2021. Total rooms revenues for CY 2021 were 18.7% lower than for the same twelve months of 2019. Room demand increased by 115.7%, from 5,367,700 in CY 2020 to 11,575,500 room nights in the same twelve months of 2021. Room supply grew by 35.5% from 14,291,600 available room nights in CY 2020 to 17,444,900 available room nights in CY 2021. Room demand was 27.4% less than for the same twelve months of 2019 while room supply was 1.8% lower. The Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report is produced using hotel survey data compiled by STR, Inc., the largest survey of its kind in Hawai‘i. The survey generally excludes properties with under 20 lodging units, such as small bed and breakfasts, youth hostels, single-family vacation rentals, cottages, individually rented vacation condominiums and sold timeshare units no longer available for hotel use. The data has been weighted both geographically and by class of property to compensate for any over and/or under representation of hotel survey participants by location and type. For December, the survey included 148 properties representing 46,751 rooms, or 85.3 percent of all lodging properties with 20 rooms or more in the Hawaiian Islands, including full service, limited service, and condominium hotels. The December survey included 76 properties on O‘ahu representing 29,092 rooms (95.2%); 40 properties in the County of Maui, representing 9,622 rooms (73.8%); 17 properties on the island of Hawai‘i, representing 4,890 rooms (71.3%); and 15 properties on Kaua‘i, representing 3,147 rooms (71.8%).
US Consumer Confidence Fell in January. Index Declines After Three Months of Gains as Consumers’ Short-Term Expectations Weaken The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® declined in January, after an increase in December. The Index now stands at 113.8 (1985=100), down from 115.2 in December. The Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—improved to 148.2 from 144.8 last month. The Expectations Index—based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions—declined to 90.8 from 95.4. “Consumer confidence moderated in January, following gains in the final three months of 2021,” said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. “The Present Situation Index improved, suggesting the economy entered the new year on solid footing. However, expectations about short-term growth prospects weakened, pointing to a likely moderation in growth during the first quarter of 2022. Nevertheless, the proportion of consumers planning to purchase homes, automobiles, and major appliances over the next six months all increased.” “Meanwhile, concerns about inflation declined for the second straight month, but remain elevated after hitting a 13-year high in November 2021. Concerns about the pandemic increased slightly, amid the ongoing Omicron surge. Looking ahead, both confidence and consumer spending may continue to be challenged by rising prices and the ongoing pandemic.” Consumers’ appraisal of current business conditions was more favorable in January.
21.1% of consumers said business conditions were “good,” up from 19.4%.
25.6% of consumers said business conditions were “bad,” down from 27.1%.
Consumers’ optimism about the short-term business conditions outlook declined in January.
23.8% of consumers expect business conditions will improve, down from 25.4%.
19.0% expect business conditions to worsen, up from 18.6%.
Consumers were slightly less positive about their short-term financial prospects.
16.7% of consumers expect their incomes to increase, down from 17.5%.
12.4% expect their incomes will decrease, up from 11.2%.
The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey®, based on an online sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by Toluna, a technology company that delivers real-time consumer insights and market research through its innovative technology, expertise, and panel of over 36 million consumers. The cutoff date for the preliminary results was January 19. The Maldives reports it received 1,321,937 stopover visitor arrivals in CY 2021, 77.6% of the total received in 2019. The Maldives Government’s Ministry of Tourism recently announced that The Maldives received 164,284 stopover visitors in December 2021, up 13.5% from the 144,725 stopovers received in November 2021. The Maldives closed its borders to tourist arrivals on March 27th 2020 and re-opened to all tourists as of July 15th 2020. Consequently, the Maldives received 96,412 stopover visitors in December 2020. The 164,284 stopovers received in December 2021 were 95.9% of the 171,348 stopovers received in December 2019. In December 2021 India was by far the number one source market and generated 32,027 stopovers (19.5% share of total) while Russia was the number two source market and generated 17,609 stopovers (10.7%) while the United Kingdom was number three with 17,038 stopovers. In calendar year (CY) 2021 The Maldives saw a 138.0% increase in total arrivals, growing from 555,494 stopovers in CY 2020 to 1,321,937 stopovers in the same twelve months of 2021 with India (291,787 visitors) and Russia (222,422 visitors) being, by far, the two largest source markets in these twelve months. The 1,321,937 visitors received in CY 2021 was 77.6% of the 1,702,887 visitors received in CY 2019. The Maldives saw the overall number of operating accommodation establishments grow by 100.5% from an average of 389 in CY 2020 to an average of 780 establishments in the same twelve months of 2021. The number of beds in operation grew by 76.5% from 27,745 in CY 2020 to 48,960 in CY 2021. Through the end of December 2021 overall average room occupancy had grown by 29.7 percentage points from 25.7% in 2020 to 55.4% for CY 2021. Of the 780 establishments in operation 154 were resorts which offered 36,320 beds. These resorts achieved a 64.5% average room occupancy during CY 2021 up from 29.0% for CY 2020. Through CY 2020 there was an average of 91 resorts in operation offering 21,446 beds.
Barbados received 23,749 stopovers in November 2021, 28.3% more than the 18,504 stopovers received in October 2021. According to the Barbados Statistical Service, Barbados saw a 28.3% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in November 2021, growing from 18,504 stopovers in October 2021 to 23,749 stopovers in November 2021. Barbados received 8,162 landed cruise visitors in November. Barbados reopened its ports to cruise ships in April 2021. Barbados imposed a mandatory 14-day quarantine on all visitor arrivals as of March 22nd 2020 which remained in place until October 24th 2021. Barbados consequently received 6,669 stopover arrivals in November 2020. The 23,749 stopovers received in November 2021 were 37.5% of the 63,311 stopovers received in November 2019. Barbados received 11,832 stopover arrivals from the United Kingdom in November 2021, and 4,944 stopovers from the USA. Through the first eleven months of 2021, Barbados saw a 40.4% decrease in the number of stopover visitors, falling from 176,907 stopovers in the first eleven months of 2020 to 105,477 stopovers in the same eleven months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA declined by 20.4%, falling from 39,438 in the first eleven months of 2020 to 31,397 in the same eleven months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. fell by 22.8%, falling from 55,099 in 2020 to 42,544 stopovers in the same eleven months of 2021. The 105,477 stopovers received in the first eleven months of 2021 were 16.6% of the 636,592 stopovers received in the first eleven months of 2019. Barbados has received 11,364 landed cruise visitors in the first eleven months of 2021 compared with 93,249 received in the same eleven months of 2020.
Forward bookings for Seychelles' tourism 'positive' in 2022. (Seychelles News Agency) - Seychelles expects to welcome over 200,000 visitors to its shores in 2022 as traditional tourist markets show signs of rebounding faster after the removal of travel restrictions in several European countries, a top official said on Monday January 24th. The Principal Secretary for Tourism, Sherin Francis, made the statement to the press following the start of the annual tourism marketing meeting, which is being held virtually for the second consecutive year. She said that Seychelles in 2022 expects the arrival of 218,000 visitors as a worst-case scenario or 258,000 as the best-case scenario. The best scenario represents 67% of the visitors' arrival numbers of 2019 – the best year so far for the industry – when the island nation welcomed 384,204 stopover visitors to its shores. Seychelles received 182,849 stopover visitors in 2021. "When comparing records up to June 2022 to that of the same period in 2021, we see that there is progress and the forward booking data looks more positive. We see that our traditional markets are showing a sign of rebounding much faster than the top markets that were on the table in 2021," added Francis. The traditional markets of Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, are France, Germany, Italy and the UK. Last year, Seychelles welcomed 182,849 visitors, with Russia as the leading market. "We have also seen that there are a lot of countries thinking about removing some restrictions and measures that were in place when it comes to travelling, with some having already done so. This will impact positively on travel confidence," said Francis. Francis told SNA that the country is expected to be back at its 2019 visitors' arrival level in 2023 while the World Tourism Organisation predicts that this will happen globally in 2024. Meanwhile, during the virtual meeting, tourism minister Sylvestre Radegonde spoke about the island nations' tourism recovery efforts, calling on industry players to work harder to compete with other island destinations. "A fast and rigorous vaccination programme which started in January 2021, set us on our way to becoming one of the first destinations to open up to visitors. In 2022, we cannot sit on our laurels. The advantage is not as clear this year. Other competitive destinations have opened up with bigger budgets than we have, and we have to work smarter," said Radegonde. Among several marketing strategies, the tourism department is considering product development and diversification, such as on cultural or community tourism programmes.
Cuba hoping to receive 6 million visitors annually by 2030. (Caribbean Council) - Cuba’s Minister of Tourism, Juan Carlos García, has said that Cuba hopes to receive annually over 6mn visitors by 2030. Speaking to Spanish businesspeople on 19 January prior to Fitur 2022, Madrid’s international tourism fair, García said that by 2030 the country expects to have a hotel capacity of 95,000 rooms with many created through joint ventures with foreign capital. To reach the planned arrival of over 6mn visitors by then, he said that government intends over the same period to increase real estate associated with golf courses and marinas and developing further, tourism poles in Cienfuegos, Artemisa, Pinar del Río, Holguín, Varadero, Matanzas and Havana. Observing the opportunity Cuba’s tourism plans offered to Spanish investors, García noted that some 62% of joint ventures on the island, 62% are already of Spanish origin. Speaking a day later to the media, García noted that Cuba intends providing the highest quality experience to post-pandemic tourists, aware that future travellers will be "more demanding, more familiar and more serious". To this end, he said, his ministry had developed a new post-coronavirus profile of visitors to the country and was optimistic about the recovery of tourism nationally and globally in the 2022-2023 period. Looking ahead, García noted that Cuba continues to remodel its hotel properties and visitor facilities to diversify its tourism product. In 2022, he said, there will be about 4,000 new hotel beds and that rapidly increasing air frequencies from Europe meant that a fall in air fares was likely. García said that government had used the down time of the pandemic to improve internet connectivity in four- and five-star hotels and at airports. It has also digitized entry documentation allowing travellers to complete health and immigration requirements online to enable access through a QR code. Acknowledging that Cuba needed "to learn to be better communicators", he told the media "We want to convey that there is an offer beyond the sun and the beach". In doing so he noted that Cuba has nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites, fourteen national parks and six biosphere reserves, among other natural and cultural attractions. In his presentation, García highlighted the fact that during the pandemic the Caribbean region had remained a tourism leader in Latin America, experiencing a 55% increase in tourist activity in 2021 over 2020, while maintaining as an objective, full recovery to 2019 levels of arrivals. He recognized however that the process may be slower than hoped for and uneven, due to the variable rates of vaccination in visitor source markets. Despite this he was optimistic about being able to sustain arrivals numbers as Cuba’s two principal markets, Canada, and Russia, had introduced new measures against the omicron variant. Speaking about Cuba’s own situation, Garcia stressed that 93% of the Cuban population was fully vaccinated and when it opened its borders on 15 November had recognized the vaccines developed by all countries, "without discrimination". In addition, he said, medical offices in hotels now had an epidemiologist to ensure that tourists and workers are treated daily. He noted also that the same medical provisions and inspections apply to visitors who stay in Cuba’s 25,000 private tourist facilities (casas particulares). In December, García said that Cuba expects 2.5mn visitors in 2022 and that the main challenge the sector faces is to restore consumer confidence and promote destination Cuba in a manner that customers recognise as providing health security.
Curaçao International Airport – 4th Quarter and 2021 Year End Overview. 24 January 2022 Curaçao International Airport’s 2021 fourth quarter results were the highest since re-opening the borders for commercial passenger traffic in July 2020. Curacao Airport Partners (CAP) manage Curacao International Airport. Departing Traffic during Q4 2021 continued to be driven by The Netherlands with a 58% traffic share; followed by the Caribbean 17%; USA 13% and South America 11%. Monthly traffic figures for Q4 21 indicate overall passenger traffic increased in October by +15% compared to September 2021. November traffic increased by +12% compared to October 2021 and December traffic increased by +20% over November 2021. In comparing Q4 21 to Q3 21, overall passenger traffic grew from 285,676 to 338,766 passenger movements, an increase of +19%. Fall holidays in October, pent up travel demand, restart of air service from Canada and the United States, launch and increase of service from South America (Medellin, Bogota, Paramaribo, and Panama) and a new gateway Brussels, Belgium added to the growth of traffic during the fourth quarter of 2021. However, the rapid rise of a new variant of the virus, Omicron, did have a negative impact on traffic figures in the second half of December 2021. The average monthly Load Factors (occupied seats per flight) was 80% in October 2021; 75% in November 2021 and 72% in December 2021. The average load factor for Q4 2021 was 76%. Traffic recovery compared to the same months in 2019 was 90% for October; 94% for November and 90% for December 2021. With 338,766 passenger movements, an average Load Factor of 76%, an average recovery of 92%, Q4 2021 is the best performing quarter thus far since commercial passenger traffic restarted in July 2020. The impact of the pandemic and the virus mutations continued to influence the recovery and stabilization of CAP’s route network and passenger traffic. CAP however remains cautiously optimistic going into 2022. The rapid recovery from the increase of the Delta variant in Q2 2021 due to drastic government measures and a massive vaccination campaign at the end of March 2021 ensured the continuation of passenger traffic growth from mid-May 2021 onwards and throughout the remainder of the year. Curaçao International Airport YE 2021 traffic figures show total passenger movements at 830,145 compared to 548,000 YE 2020: a 52% increase over 2020. YE 2021 passenger traffic was 57% of the total for YE 2019. According to Airports Council International (ACI), YE 2021 overall traffic recovery worldwide estimates for the airport industry as a whole will be between 45% and 55% compared to 2019. Airline Weekly indicated that industry experts agree that 2021’s pandemic pattern will govern the way airlines operate for the foreseeable future, as Covid-19 goes from being a pandemic to an endemic disease. New variants and outbreaks will continue to occur, and airlines will adjust capacity and schedules in response to demand. A major difference between when the Delta and Omicron variants emerged, however, is the development and deployment of effective vaccines, which began at the end of 2020. CAP foresees recovery to remain volatile until traffic stabilizes and that depends on the continued impact of the pandemic, aircraft and crew availability and travel requirements. CAP continues to work closely with its tourism partners, CTB, CHATA and CASHA in supporting efforts to further stimulate demand and growth in return of visitors to Curaçao.
Belize received 218,991 stopover visitors in CY 2021, 43.5% of the 503,167 received in CY 2019. According to the Belize Tourism Board, Belize received 34,286 stopover visitors in December 2021, up 15.0% from the 22,848 received in November 2021. Belize closed its borders as of April 5th 2020, and consequently just received 9,213 stopover visitors in December 2020. The country reopened to visitors arriving by air as of October 1st 2020 and to visitors arriving by land and sea on May 31st 2021. The 34,286 stopover visitors received in December 2021 were 61.6% of the 55,674 stopover visitors received in December 2019. Belize received 27,904 stopover arrivals from the USA in December 2021, 1,908 from Europe, 1,667 from Canada and 186 from Mexico. Belize received 44 cruise ship calls in December with 88,778 cruise visitors. Belize re-opened to cruise visitors as of July 2021. In calendar year (CY) 2021 Belize saw the number of stopovers increase by 51.9%, from 144,124 visitors in CY 2020 to 218,991 in CY 2021. The 218,991 visitors received in CY 2021 were 43.5% of the 503,167 received in CY 2019. Stopovers from the USA increased by 100.4% in CY 2021, from 91,195 in CY 2020 to 1582,753 in the same twelve months of 2021. Stopovers from Canada fell by 64.4% in CY 2021, to 5,161 arrivals while stopovers from Europe fell by 52.1% in the same twelve months, to 7,744 arrivals. Belize received 210,206 cruise visitors in July through December 2021, down 13.9% compared with the 343,099 cruise visitors received in CY 2020.
Aruba received 806,555 stopover visitors in CY 2021, 72.1% of the 1,118,944 stopovers received in CY 2019. According to Aruba Tourism Authority, Aruba received 89,541 stopover arrivals in December 2021, 12.1% more than the 79,870 stopovers it received in November 2021. Aruba closed its borders to tourist arrivals as of March 17th 2020 and re-opened only to visitors from Curacao and Bonaire as of June 15th 2020 and then to visitors from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020. Aruba re-opened to visitors from the USA on July 10th 2020. Consequently, there were 42,936 stopover visitors in December 2020. The 89,541 stopovers received in December 2021 were 88.9% of the 100,713 stopovers received in December 2019. Compared with 2019, stopover arrivals from the USA decreased by 9.5%, falling from 74,630 arrivals in December 2019 to 67,525 arrivals in December 2021. Arrivals from the USA comprised 75.4% of all arrivals in December 2021 up from 74.1% in December 2019. Arrivals from Canada decreased by 29.6%, from 7,515 in December 2019 to 5,293 stopovers in December 2021. Arrivals from the Netherlands grew by 27.9%, from 3,560 in December 2019 to 4,555 in December of 2021. In calendar year (CY) 2021 Aruba saw a 119.0% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 368,322 visitors in CY 2020 to 806,555 visitors in CY 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA grew by 129.4% during CY 2021, from 295,307 in CY 2020 to 677,367 through the end of December 2021. Compared with CY 2019, the 806,555 stopover visitors received in CY 2021 was 72.1% of the 1,118,944 stopovers received in CY 2019. There were 677,367 stopovers from the USA in CY 2021, 80.8% of the 838,288 received from the USA in CY 2019. The number of visitors staying in hotels in CY 2021 declined by 35.8% compared with CY 2019, falling from 574,587 visitors in 2019 to 368,998 in CY 2021. The share of visitors staying in hotels fell from 51.4% in CY 2019 to 45.7% in the same twelve months of 2021. In CY 2021 256,516 visitors used timeshare accommodation, 85.5% of the 300,109 visitors who used such accommodation in CY 2019, with the sector’s share growing from 26.8% in 2019 to 31.8% in 2021. Visitors using other accommodation – private homes, condominiums, short term rental accommodation and apartments – fell by 25.9% when comparing CY 2019 with the same twelve months of 2021, falling from 244,248 visitors in 2019 to 181,041 in 2021, with the share growing from 21.8% of all visitors in CY 2019 to 22.4% of all visitors in CY 2021. In CY 2021 the primary airline carrier was JetBlue which brought in 242,200 non-resident visitors, 30.0% of all stopover arrivals, while American Airlines brought in 181,624 non-resident visitors, 22.5% of all visitors. United Airlines brought in 126,443 visitors with Delta bringing in 90,757 visitors. These four carriers brought in 79.5% of all visitors in CY 2021. The percentage of visitors 20 years old through 49 years old grew from 45.1% in CY 2019 to 50.3% in CY 2021. The percentage 60 years old or older fell from 21.3% in CY 2019 to 17.5% in CY 2021. While cruise visitor numbers are not yet available for December 2021, Aruba received 61 cruise ship calls in the first eleven months of 2021 with 87,950 cruise passengers compared with the 98 calls cruise ships made in CY 2020 and 255,384 passengers. The 2021 total passenger count was just 12.5% of the count for the same eleven months of 2019.
Antigua and Barbuda finishes 2021 with a total of 169,469 stopover visitors, 56.3% of the 300,990 stopovers received in CY 2019. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 28.1% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in December 2021, growing from 19,167 stopovers received in November 2021 to 24,541 stopovers in December 2021. Antigua and Barbuda re-opened its borders to international travel as of June 4th, 2020, and consequently received 13,680 visitors in December 2020. The 24,541 stopovers received In December 2021 were 64.9% of the 37,818 stopovers Antigua received in December 2019. The 11,961 stopover visitors received from the USA in December 2021 were 48.0% more than the 8,080 stopovers received from the USA in November 2021 and comprised 48.7% of all stopovers received in December. Antigua also received 8,201 stopover visitors from the U.K. in December, 33.4% of all stopovers received during that month. During calendar year 2021, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 35.5% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 125,085 stopovers in CY 2020 to 169,469 stopovers in CY 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 69.9%, from 60,319 stopovers in CY 2020 to 102,495 stopovers in CY 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. increased by 52.1%, from 31,765 in CY 2020 to 48,328 stopovers in the same twelve months of 2021. The total number of stopovers received in CY 2021 was 56.3% of the 300,990 stopovers received in the same twelve months of 2019.
Tourism Corporation Bonaire marketing plan 2022: 'Repositioning of Bonaire in Harmony with Nature and Our People' KRALENDIJK, Bonaire – On Monday, January 17, 2022, Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB) kicked off the year with its virtual marketing week and presentation of its 2022 marketing and action plan as part of our Tourism Recovery Plan . Bonaire's Tourism Strategy led by TCB in partnership with its stakeholders shared four main objectives for 2022: Community inclusion: Expand the benefits stemming from tourism development to a broader segment of the Bonaire population. High-value, low-impact tourism: Redefine Bonaire as a unique premium destination, especially as the world looks for a way to get away from the COVID stress. A cohesive regenerative strategy: Practice this to attract the right type of tourists and increase revenue and profitability. Focus on the active and affluent customer that is looking to experience an authentic product. Goal: Leaving Bonaire better behind. Elevate the tourist experience: Highlight Bonaire's culture, culinary arts, and the variety of land and sea adventures. Improved supply chain inclusion and spreading of activities/expenditures, crowd management. The virtual presentation was presented by the chief executive officer of TCB, Miles B M Mercera, where he shared the latest developments in tourism including a recap of 2021 and its performance results. In Q3 2021, the number of visitors arriving by air almost tripled compared to the same period a year earlier. Approximately 38 thousand visitors travelled to Bonaire by air. Bonaire attracted altogether more than two and a half times as many visitors as one year previously. The data also shows that the share of European Dutch visitors to Bonaire increased. Furthermore, TCB addressed the current air service performance/developments and the objectives outlined for 2022/2023. Bonaire's Route Development Committee led by TCB consisting of both public and private sector partners has stipulated its focus for the year. The short-term goals include expansion in air service capacity out of the North American market with a strategic focus on the tri-state area, North Carolina and Midwest USA. Updates were also given on the carriers involved and the progress made. Highlights of the overall strategy includes clear KPI's for both the North American and European market with a focus on the increase of our Average Daily Rate (hotel) and average expenditure per visitor. TCB will also move into the digital era by adopting the 100 percent digital strategy for its branding and advertising needs. The New branding initiative titled Repositioning of Bonaire in Harmony with Nature and Our People is scheduled to launch in Q2 2022 which will include a full transformation of the Bonaire website. Data collection will remain an important component of the overall strategy of which our Bonaire Exit survey and new entry tax platform will be of utmost importance. TCB also shared its product development efforts such as school learning programs, general tourism awareness campaigns, Bonaire WIFI projects for public areas and much more. The second part of the presentation was presented by Veroesjka de Windt, chief executive officer of BONHATA. Veroesjka who gave an overview of accommodation performance in 2021, and also their upcoming projects for 2022. The marketing week continues on Tuesday with a presentation of the new creative agency Dunn & Co that TCB has been working with the last couple of months, and on Wednesday the presentation about Exit Survey and Cruise Data.
Costa Rica received 216,678 stopover arrivals in December 2021, 42.8% more than the 151,701 stopovers received in November 2021. According to the Costa Rica Institute of Tourism (ICT), Costa Rica received 216,678 stopovers in December 2021, 42.8% more than the 151,701 stopovers received in November 2021. Costa Rica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and reopened to international tourists arriving by air as of November 2020. It reopened its land borders in April 2021. Costa Rica consequently received 74,974 stopovers in December 2020. The 216,678 stopovers received in December 2021 were 66.3% of the 326,922 stopovers received in December 2019. Costa Rica received 122,411 stopovers from the USA in December, 56.5% of the overall total, and 14,285 stopovers from Central America. The volume of stopovers increased by 33.1% in calendar year (CY) 2021, growing from 1,011,912 stopovers in CY 2020 to 1,347,055 stopovers in CY 2021. The 1,347,055 stopover visitors received in 2021 were 42.9% of the 3,139,008 stopovers received in CY 2019. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 99.9% in CY 2021, from 434,775 stopovers in 2020 to 868,986 in 2021 while the number from Central America declined by 61.2%, falling from 202,374 in CY 2020 to 78,425 in the same twelve months of 2021. The share of visitors from the USA grew from 43.0% in CY 2020 to 64.5% in the same twelve months of 2021.
Anguilla received 1,188 stopover visitors in October 2021, up 168% from the 443 received in September 2021. According to the Government of Anguilla’s Statistics Department Anguilla received 1,188 visitors in October 2021, up 168% from the 443 received in September 2021. Anguilla closed its borders as of March 20th 2020, and consequently just received 135 stopover visitors in October 2020. The country reopened to visitors as of May 25th 2021. The 1,188 visitors received in October 2021 were 18.0% of the 6,611 visitors received in October 2019. Anguilla received 840 visitors from the USA in October 2021, 59 from Canada and 68 from the UK. In the first ten months of 2021 Anguilla saw the number of stopovers decrease by 55.3%, falling from 39,147 visitors in the first ten months of 2020 to 17,492 in the first ten months of 2021. The 17,492 visitors received in 2021 were just 12.8% of the 136,770 received in the first ten months of 2019. Stopovers from the USA decreased by 37.0% in the first ten months of 2021, falling from 23,379 in 2020 to 14,723 in the same ten months of 2021. Stopovers from Canada fell by 90.0% in the first ten months, to 300 arrivals while stopovers from the UK fell by 54.4% in the same ten months, to 558 arrivals. Of the 17,492 total visitors received in the first ten months of 2021 4,438 (25.4%) arrived by air and 13,054 (74.6%) arrived by sea. International Tourism Grew By 4% In 2021 But Remains Far Below Pre-Pandemic Levels. UNWTO reports 4% rise in international tourist arrivals in 2021 Global tourism experienced a 4% upturn in 2021, compared to 2020 (415 million stopover arrivals versus 400 million). However, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) were still 72% below the pre-pandemic year of 2019, according to preliminary estimates by UNWTO. This follows on from 2020, the worst year on record for tourism, when international arrivals decreased by 73%. The first 2022 issue of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer indicates that rising rates of vaccination, combined with easing of travel restrictions due to increased cross-border coordination and protocols, have all helped release pent up demand. International tourism rebounded moderately during the second half of 2021, with international arrivals down 62% in both the third and fourth quarters compared to pre-pandemic levels. According to limited data, international arrivals in December were 65% below 2019 levels. The full impact of the Omicron variant and surge in COVID-19 cases is yet to be seen. Slow and uneven recovery The pace of recovery remains slow and uneven across world regions due to varying degrees of mobility restrictions, vaccination rates and traveler confidence. Europe and the Americas recorded the strongest results in 2021 compared to 2020 (+19% and +17% respectively), but still both 63% below pre-pandemic levels. By subregion, the Caribbean saw the best performance (+63% above 2020, though 37% below 2019), with some destinations coming close to, or exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Southern Mediterranean Europe (+57%) and Central America (+54%) also enjoyed a significant rebound but remain 54% and 56% down on 2019 levels, respectively. North America (+17%) and Central Eastern Europe (+18%) also climbed above 2020 levels. Meanwhile, Africa saw a 12% increase in arrivals in 2021 compared to 2020, though this is still 74% below 2019. In the Middle East arrivals declined 24% compared to 2020 and 79% over 2019. In Asia and the Pacific arrivals were still 65% below 2020 levels and 94% when compared to pre-pandemic values as many destinations remained closed to non-essential travel. Increased tourism spending The economic contribution of tourism in 2021 (measured in tourism direct gross domestic product) is estimated at US$1.9 trillion, above the US$1.6 trillion in 2020, but still well below the pre-pandemic value of US$ 3.5 trillion. Export revenues from international tourism could exceed US$700 billion in 2021, a small improvement over 2020 due to higher spending per trip, but less than half the US$1.7 trillion recorded in 2019. Average receipts per arrival are estimated to reach US$1,500 in 2021, up from US$1,300 in 2020. This is due to large pent-up savings and longer lengths of stay, as well as higher transport and accommodation prices. France and Belgium reported comparatively smaller declines in tourism expenditure with -37% and -28%, respectively over 2019. Saudi Arabia (-27%) and Qatar (-2%) also posted somewhat better results in 2021. Outlook for 2022 According to the latest UNWTO Panel of Experts, most tourism professionals (61%) see better prospects for 2022. While 58% expect a rebound in 2022, mostly during the third quarter, an42% vs point to a potential rebound only in 2023. A majority of experts (64%) now expect international arrivals to return to 2019 levels only in 2024 or later, up from 45% in the September survey. The UNWTO Confidence Index shows a slight decline in January-April 2022. A rapid and more widespread vaccination roll-out, followed by a major lifting of travel restrictions, and more coordination and clearer information on travel protocols, are the main factors identified by experts for the effective recovery of international tourism. UNWTO scenarios indicate that international tourist arrivals could grow by 30% to 78% as compared to 2021, However, this is still 50% to 63% below pre-pandemic levels. The recent rise in COVID-19 cases and the Omicron variant are set to disrupt the recovery and affect confidence through early 2022 as some countries reintroduce travel bans and restrictions for certain markets. At the same time, the vaccination roll-out remains uneven, and many destinations still have their borders completely closed, mostly in Asia and the Pacific. A challenging economic environment could put additional pressure on the effective recovery of international tourism, with the surge in oil prices, increase in inflation, potential rise in interest rates, high debt volumes and the continued disruption in supply chains. However, the ongoing tourism recovery in many markets, mostly in Europe and the Americas, coupled with the widespread vaccination rollout and a major coordinated lifting of travel restrictions, could help to restore consumer confidence, and accelerate the recovery of international tourism in 2022. While international tourism bounces back, domestic tourism continues to drive recovery of the sector in an increasing number of destinations, particularly those with large domestic markets. According to experts, domestic tourism and travel close to home, as well as open-air activities, nature-based products and rural tourism are among the major travel trends that will continue shaping tourism in 2022.
Trinidad and Tobago received 8,593 stopover visitors in November 2021, up 40.7% from the 6,107 received in October 2021. According to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s Central Statistical Office Trinidad and Tobago received 8,593 stopover visitors in November 2021, up 40.7% from the 6,107 received in October 2021. Trinidad received all 8,593 visitors in November with Tobago receiving none. Trinidad and Tobago closed its borders as of March 23rd 2020, and consequently just received 474 stopover visitors in November 2020. The country reopened its borders to visitors as of July 17th 2021 and international flights to Tobago resumed as of October 1st 2021. The 8,593 stopover visitors received in November 2021 were 29.8% of the 28,821 stopover visitors received in November 2019. Trinidad and Tobago received 4,936 stopover arrivals from the USA in November 2021, 1,138 from Europe, 868 from Canada and 1,651 from the rest of the world. In the first eleven months of 2021 Trinidad and Tobago saw the number of stopovers decrease by 71.1%, falling from 94,915 visitors in the first eleven months of 2020 to 27,418 in the first eleven months of 2021. The 27,418 visitors received in 2021 were just 7.8% of the 351,062 received in the first eleven months of 2019. Stopovers from the USA decreased by 66.5% in the first eleven months of 2021, falling from 43,828 in 2020 to 14,698 in the same eleven months of 2021. Stopovers from Canada fell by 81.2% in the first eleven months, to 2,723 arrivals while stopovers from Europe fell by 75.9% in the same eleven months, to 3,702 arrivals. Trinidad received all 27,418 stopover visitors in 2021 with none registered as having visited Tobago. Trinidad received 331,595 visitors in the first eleven months of 2019 with Tobago receiving 19,467 in the same eleven months.
Orlando’s Airports saw a 29.4% increase in international deplanements in November 2021. Orlando, Florida is served by two primary airports, Orlando International (MCO) and Sanford International Airport (SFB). In November 2021, the two airports combined saw an increase of 29.4% in international deplanements, growing from 102,041 deplanements from international airports in October 2021 to 132,052 international deplanements in November 2021. Orlando International handled 99.2% of all international deplanements. International deplanements made up 6.4% of total deplanements in November 2021. The two airports combined also saw a 1.9% increase in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, growing from 1,882,815 domestic deplanements in October 2021 to 1,919,609 in November 2021. The two airports combined saw a 3.4% increase in total deplanements, growing from 1,984,856 deplanements in October 2021 to 2,051,661 in November 2021. The two airports saw just 980,610 total deplanements in November 2020. In the first eleven months of 2021, the two airports combined saw an increase of 8.1% in international deplanements, growing from 756,602 deplanements from international airports in the first eleven months of 2020 to 818,140 international deplanements in the first eleven months of 2021. The two airports combined however saw a 91.9% increase in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, growing from 9,608,451 domestic deplanements in the first eleven months of 2020 to 18,436,080 in the same eleven months of 2021. The two airports combined saw an 85.8% increase in total deplanements, growing from 10,365,053 deplanements in the first eleven months of 2020 to 19,254,220 in the first eleven months of 2021.
Mauritius reports it received 49,964 stopover visitors in December after having relaxed its restrictions on the entry requirements for international visitors. The Mauritius Government’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Development recently reported that the country received 49,964 total stopover arrivals in December 2021, 24.2% fewer than the 65,922 stopovers received in November 2021 consequent upon the re-opening of the country’s borders allowing visitors entry without major restrictions. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors. Mauritius received 12,697 visitors from France in December 2021, 25.4% of the overall total for the month, and the number one producing market. The number two source market was the United Kingdom which generated 10,810 visitors, (21.6%) of the total for the month. Germany generated 5,504 visitors. Mauritius closed its borders to all international arrivals as of March 19th, 2020, and consequently received just 1,042 stopovers in December 2020. The 49,964 arrivals received in December 2021 were 32.8% of the 152,098 stopovers received in December 2019. In calendar year (CY) 2021 Mauritius saw a 41.8% decrease in total stopover arrivals, falling from 308,980 arrivals in CY 2020 to 179,780 arrivals in CY 2021. The number one source market in CY 2021 was France with 51,525 stopover visitors (28.7% of the total) followed by the United Kingdom with 34,194 stopovers (19.0%). Mauritius received 1,383,488 stopovers during CY 2019 with the total received during CY 2021 being just 13.0% of this total.
Curacao reports it received 42,281 stopover arrivals in December 2021, 12.9% more than the 37,447 received in November 2021. According to the Curaçao Tourist Board, Curaçao saw a 12.9% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in December, growing from 37,447 stopovers received in November 2021 to 42,281 stopovers received in December 2021. The 42,281 stopovers received in December 2021 were 94.9% of the 44,534 stopovers received in December 2019. Curaçao closed its borders to international visitors as of March 17th, 2020 and reopened its borders to visitors from Europe and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Curaçao received just 9,909 stopover visitors in December 2020. Curacao received 24,062 stopover visitors from the Netherlands in December 2021 and 6,229 stopovers from the USA, 56.9% and 14.7% of all stopovers, respectively. Curacao received 34 cruise ship calls with 61,550 cruise visitors in December 2021. The island re-opened to cruise traffic in June 2021. In calendar year (CY) 2021 Curaçao saw a 51.5% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 174,876 visitors in CY 2020 to 265,000 visitors in CY 2021. The number of stopovers from the Netherlands increased by 63.7%, growing from 97,996 visitors during CY 2020, to 160,382 in CY 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 72.6% during CY 2021, growing from 22,646 stopovers in CY 2020 to 39,095 in CY 2021. The 265,000 stopovers received in CY 2021 was 57.2% of the 463,683 stopovers received in CY 2019. Between June and December 2021 Curacao received 98 cruise ship calls which brought 146,231 cruise passengers.
The Seychelles received 24,472 visitor arrivals in December 2021, 0.2% more than the 24,411 received in November 2021. The Seychelles Government’s National Bureau of Statistics recently announced that the country received 24,472 total visitor arrivals in December 2021, up 0.2% from the 24,411 received in November 2021. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors and transit visitors. The Seychelles re-opened to international visitors from most countries as of March 25th 2021 with visitors being required to produce evidence of a negative PCR test. The 24,472 visitor arrivals received in December 2021 were 62.9% of the 38,910 received in December 2019. The number one source market in December was Russia which generated 4,238 stopover visitors (17.3% of the total for the month) followed by France, with 2,954 stopover visitors (12.1%). The Seychelles closed its borders to cruise ships as of March 9th 2020 and to international air visitors as of March 30th 2020. The Seychelles re-opened its borders to visitors from low and medium risk countries as of November 1st 2020 and consequently received 12,406 stopover visitors in December 2020. In calendar year (CY) 2021 The Seychelles saw a 59.2% increase in total visitor arrivals, growing from 114,858 arrivals in 2020 to 182,849 arrivals in CY 2021. The 182,849 stopovers received in CY 2021 were 47.6% of the 384,204 received in CY 2019. The number one source market in CY 2021 was Russia which generated 31,392 visitors, 17.2% of all visitor arrivals for those twelve months followed by the United Arab Emirates which generated 21,699 visitors, 11.9% of the overall total. France was the third largest source market generating 18,425 stopovers in CY 2021. Total stopover arrivals from Germany, the number one source market in 2020, fell by 26.6% from 24,069 arrivals in CY 2020 to 17,673 arrivals in CY 2021. The Seychelles received no cruise visitors in CY 2021.
AHATA reports Aruba’s hotels achieved a 69.0% average room occupancy in December 2021, down 0.8 percentage points from the 69.8% achieved in November. The Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association reports that average hotel room occupancy in December 2021 was 69.0%, 0.8 percentage points less than the 69.8% achieved in November 2021. Aruba closed its orders to international travel as of March 17, 2020, and while the borders re-opened as of July 2020, Aruba’s hotels achieved a 34.9% average room occupancy in December 2020. Compared with December 2019, the average room occupancy in December 2021 was 13.7 percentage points lower, falling from 82.7% in December 2019 to 69.0% in December this year. ADR was $337.88 in December 2021, 0.5% lower than in December 2019, with revpar at $232.93, 16.9% lower than in December 2019. Aruba’s timeshare resorts reported an average occupancy of 82% in December 2021. In calendar year (CY) 2021 AHATA reports that Aruba’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 56.7% compared with 27.1% for CY 2020. Again, compared with CY 2020, ADR fell by 20.3% from $328.71 to $262.12 although RevPAR grew by 66.5% to $148.56. By comparison with CY 2019 average room occupancy in CY 2021 was 27.7 percentage points lower, while ADR fell by 4.9%, and revpar was 36.2% lower. AHATA is projecting that Aruba’s hotels will achieve an average room occupancy of 56% for January 2022, 57% for February 2022 and 57% for March 2022.
San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) handled 921,944 total passenger movements in December 2021, 10.6% more than the 833,268 handled in November 2021. According to ASUR, which manages many airports in Mexico, Colombia and which also manages the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, SJU saw a 10.6% increase in passenger movements in December 2021, growing from 833,268 total passenger movements in November 2021 to 921,944 movements in December 2021. The 921,944 passenger movements handled in December 2021 were 1.7% fewer than the 937,716 handled in December 2019. It should be noted that restrictions on travel began to be put in place in the middle of March 2020. In December 2020 San Juan’s airport handled 513,404 total passenger movements. In calendar year (CY) 2021 the overall volume of air passenger movements at San Juan’s airport increased by 99.9%, from 4,845,353 in CY 2020 to 9,684,227 in CY 2021. The total for CY 2021 (9,684,227) was 2.5% more than the total for CY 2019 (9,448,253).
Cancun’s Airport handled 1,633,990 international air passenger movements in December 2021, 16.8% more than the 1,399,489 international passengers handled in November 2021. According to ASUR, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Cancun Airport saw a 16.8% increase in international passenger movements in December 2021, growing from 1,399,489 international movements in November 2021 to 1,633,990 such movements in December 2021. The 1,633,990 international passenger movements handled in December 2021 were 7.1% more than the 1,525,467 international passengers handled in December 2019. Domestic passenger movements increased by 5.0% in December 2021, growing from 829,239 passenger movements in November 2021 to 870,648 domestic movements in December of this year. The 870,648 domestic passenger movements handled in December 2021 were 13.0% more than the 770,284 handled in December 2019. Mexico re-opened to international tourist arrivals as of June 8th, 2020, and consequently Cancun handled 768,613 international passenger movements in December 2020, up from 583,443 handled in November 2020. In calendar year (CY) 2021 the volume of international air passenger movements increased by 94.5%, growing from 6,804,153 movements in CY 2020 to 13,237,113 movements in CY 2021 while the volume of domestic air passenger movements increased by 66.5%, from 5,454,995 movements in CY 2020 to 9,081,354 in CY 2021. By comparison with CY 2019 the volume of international air passenger movements in 2021 was 80.2% of the 2019 total, falling from 16,501,592 movements in 2019 to 13,237,113 movements in CY 2021 while the volume of 2021 domestic air passenger movements increased by 1.1%, growing from 8,980,397 movements in CY 2019 to 9,081,354 in CY 2021. In CY 2021 international passenger movements accounted for 59.3% of all passenger movements, up from 55.5% in CY 2020 but down from 64.8% in CY 2019.
Los Cabos handled 384,200 international passenger movements in December 2021, up 6.3% compared with November 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Los Cabos Airport saw a 6.3% increase in international passenger traffic in December 2021, that is enplanements and deplanements, growing from 361,600 international passenger movements in November 2021 to 384,200 international passenger movements in December 2021. Mexico re-opened to international tourist arrivals as of June 8th, 2020, and consequently Los Cabos handled 198,400 international passenger movements in December 2020. The 384,200 international passenger movements seen in December 2021 were 6.2% higher than the 361,700 international movements handled in December 2019. Domestic traffic increased by 5.2%, growing from 188,000 passenger movements in November 2021 to 197,800 passenger movements in December 2021. Los Cabos handled 147,600 domestic passenger movements in December 2020. The 197,800 domestic passenger movements seen in December 2021 were 22.5% more than the 161,500 domestic passenger movements handled in December 2019. Through calendar year 2021 Los Cabos Airport saw international passenger movements increase by 90.9%, from 1,849,000 in 2020 to 3,529,100 in calendar year 2021. Domestic passenger movements increased by 66.3% in 2021, growing from 1,215,100 in 2020 to 2,020,400 in calendar year 2021. By comparison with calendar year 2019 international passenger movements were down by 4.4%, while domestic movements increased by 5.5%.
Montego Bay Airport handled 341,100 total passenger movements in December 2021, 26.0% more than the 270,700 handled in November 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Montego Bay Airport increase by 26.0% in December 2021, growing from 270,700 total movements in November 2021 to 341,100 movements in December 2021. The total number of passenger movements in December 2021 was 75.9% of the 449,400 handled in December 2019. It should be noted that Jamaica closed its borders to international visitors as of March 21st, 2020 and re-opened to such visitors as of June 15th 2020. As a result, Montego Bay Airport handled just 122,000 passenger movements in December 2020. In calendar year 2021 Montego Bay Airport saw total passenger movements increase by 60.3%, from 1,610,600 in CY 2020 to 2,581,900 in CY 2021. The 2021 total of 2,571,900 movements was 54.8% of the 4,707,700 passenger movements handled in CY 2019. In 2021 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
Kingston, Jamaica Airport saw 108,600 total passenger movements in December 2021, an increase of 39.2% compared with November 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Kingston Jamaica’s Airport increase by 39.2% in December 2021, growing from 78,000 total movements in November 2021 to 108,600 total passenger movements in December 2021. Kingston Airport handled 174,200 passenger movements in December 2019. While Kingston Airport re-opened to international travelers as of June 15th, 2020, the total number of passenger movements in December 2020 was 57,600 passengers. In calendar year 2021 Kingston’s Airport saw total passenger movements grow by 32.0%, from 629,400 in CY 2020 to 830,500 in CY 2021. In 2021 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
Puerto Rico saw average hotel room occupancy increase to 62.8% in November 2021 growing by 3.7 points from the 59.1% achieved in October 2021. According to the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC), the hotels and resorts endorsed by the PRTC saw the number of non-resident hotel registrations increase by 12.2% in November 2021, growing from 119,363 non-resident registrations in October 2021 to 133,957 registrations in November 2021. Registrations by local residents decreased by 4.7%, falling from 51,614 in October 2021 to 49,177 in November 2021. The 133,957 non-resident hotel registrations achieved in November 2021 were 0.7% higher than the 133,017 registrations achieved in November 2019. The PRTC reports that the number of hotel/resort available room nights increased by 5.6%, growing from 381,660 in October 2021 to 402,929 in November 2021. The number of occupied room nights increased by 12.0%, growing from 225,709 in October 2021 to 252,876 in November 2021. Average room occupancy increased by 3.7 percentage points from the 59.1% achieved in October 2021 to 62.8% in November 2021. ADR increased by 8.2% growing from $175.51 in October 2021 to $189.92 in November 2021. In the first eleven months of 2021 the number of non-resident hotel registrations increased by 103.7%, growing from 740,869 non-resident registrations in the first eleven months of 2020 to 1,509,028 registrations in the first eleven months of 2021. Registrations by local residents grew by 93.6% from 310,522 in 2020 to 601,307 in the same eleven months of 2021. The number of hotel/resort available room nights increased by 17.0% in the first eleven months of 2021, growing from 3,713,458 in 2020 to 4,343,956 in 2021. The number of occupied room nights increased by 99.4%, growing from 1,384,858 in 2020 to 2,762,027 in 2021. The overall average room occupancy grew by 26.3 percentage points from 37.3% in the first eleven months of 2020 to 63.6% in the same eleven months of 2021. ADR grew by 19.9% from $156.40 in 2020 to $187.51 in the same eleven months of 2021.
The United States Virgin Islands received 64,339 air arrivals in November 2021, 28.2% more than the 50,179 air visitors received in October 2021. According to numbers published by the USVI Bureau of Economic Research, the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 28.2% in November 2021, growing from 50,179 air arrivals in October 2021 to 64,339 air arrivals in November of this year. The 64,339 air arrivals received in November 2021 were 32.9% more than the 48,398 received in November 2019. The USVI closed its borders to air arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and re-opened as of July 1st 2020. The USVI received 38,617 air arrivals in November 2020. The USVI received 66,286 cruise visitors in November 2021 from 34 cruise ship calls. Through the first eleven months of 2021 the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 102.5%, from 364,402 air arrivals in the first eleven months of 2020 to 738,041 air arrivals in the first eleven months of 2021. The 738,041 arrivals received in the first eleven months of 2021 were 29.0% higher than the 572,163 air arrivals received in the first eleven months of 2019. The USVI reopened to cruise visitors in July 2021 and in the five months of July through November received 118,055 cruise visitors, just 26.7% of the 442,027 cruise visitors received in the first three months of 2020.
Jamaica received 118,534 stopover arrivals in October 2021, a 17.8% increase compared with September 2021. According to the Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica received 118,534 stopover arrivals in October 2021, a 17.8% increase compared with the 100,654 stopovers received in September 2021 and 67.2% of the 176,514 stopovers received in October 2019. Jamaica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and reopened again on June 15th 2020. Jamaica consequently had 45,106 arrivals in October 2020. Stopover arrivals from the USA totaled 97,545 in October 2021, that is 10.4% more than the 88,383 stopover visitors received from the USA in September 2021. Stopover arrivals from the USA comprised 82.3% of all stopover arrivals received in October 2021. Jamaica re-opened its ports to cruise ships in August 2021 and received 7,856 cruise passengers during October from five cruise ship calls. Through the first ten months of 2021 Jamaica saw a 47.0% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 740,827 stopover arrivals in the first ten months of 2020 to 1,088,969 arrivals in the same ten months of 2021. The 1,088,969 stopovers received in the first ten months of 2021 were 49.6% of the 2,197,022 stopovers received in the first ten months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 90.8% in the first ten months of 2021, growing from 519,629 arrivals in 2020 to 991,535 arrivals in the same ten months of 2021. The USA’s share of all stopover arrivals grew from 70.1% in the first ten months of 2020 to 91.1% in the same ten months of 2021. Jamaica has received 16,237 cruise passengers so far in 2021, 93.7% fewer than the 449,271 received in 2020.
Mexico expects a 22.5% capacity increase in 2022 compared to 2019 By Daniel Martínez Garbuno: Simple Flying January 2, 2022 The Mexican Tourism Board expects a 22.5% capacity increase in 2022, compared to 2019 levels. There will be approximately 31.5 million seats available on domestic and international flights throughout the country throughout the year. Three years ago, Mexico had 24.4 million seats available. Likewise, the country expects to see an increase in the number of flights. In 2022 there will be approximately 190,513 operations in Mexico, a 2.1% more than in pre-pandemic times. Derived from this recovery, Mexico expects to receive up to US$35.1 billion in revenue coming from the airline and tourism sectors, said the government in a statement. Throughout the pandemic, Mexico has remained with open borders. This openness has allowed the country to recover faster, as passengers found in Mexico an easy-to-get-to destination. For instance, US carriers operating in Mexico had a nearly 20% increase in the number of travelers by the end of 2021 compared to 2019. The hottest destinations in Mexico According to OAG and the Mexican government, the country’s top five destinations will be Cancun, Mexico City, Guadalajara, San José del Cabo, and Puerto Vallarta. The first, fourth, and fifth cities are leisure destinations, highly connected with the United States; in 2021, Cancun even became the second most important international destination worldwide, just behind Dubai, according to ForwardKeys. Cancun is set to have 33.3% of all available seats throughout Mexico in 2022 and nearly 30% of all the flights. The Mexican destination has connectivity with North America, South America, Europe, and the Middle East. Mexico City is the business hub for the country. In 2022, the government expects 31.9% of all seats to land at one of Mexico City’s airports. Nearly one in three flights will land or depart in the capital city. Meanwhile, Guadalajara, San José del Cabo, and Puerto Vallarta take a smaller fraction of the pie. Each will have only 8.5%, 8.2%, and 6.6% of the seats available in the country and similar percentages in the number of flights. Mexican airlines Mexico has seven domestic airlines. These are Volaris, Aeroméxico, Viva Aerobus, Aeromar, Magnicharters, Aéreo Calafia, and Transportes Aéreos Regionales. The first three are the main competitors, having 97% of the domestic market share between January and November 2021, according to data provided by the Mexican government. Meanwhile, the other four carriers are regional players with very niche markets. Up to November 2021, Volaris and Viva Aerobus had posted 20% plus growth in terms of passengers, both domestically and internationally. These two low-cost carriers had an incredible year, returning to profitable levels and taking every advantage the pandemic had to offer. Both launched flights to Colombia; Viva Aerobus announced new partnerships with Viva and Allegiant Air; Volaris signed a new aircraft order during the Dubai Airshow. Meanwhile, Aeromexico has been a bit behind on its recovery, but it is almost back there too. By November, the airline had a 1.4% passenger growth compared to 2019 levels, fueled by the domestic market. Aeromexico expects to be profitable again in 2022.
Dubai received 1,140,000 international visitors in November, a 10.7% increase in visitors compared with October 2021. According to the Government of Dubai’s Statistics Center, Dubai saw a 10.7% increase in the number of international visitors in November 2021, growing from 1,030,000 visitors in October 2021 to 1,140,000 in November 2021. The international world trade fair Dubai Expo 2020 opened as of October 1st 2021. While the equivalent visitor numbers for November 2020 are not available this total was 76.0% of the 1,500,000 international visitors received in November 2019. It should be noted that Dubai closed its borders to international visitor arrivals as of March 2020 and reopened its borders again in late July 2020. In the first eleven months of 2021 Dubai received 6,020,000 international visitors, 40.1% of the 15,000,000 visitors received in the first eleven months of 2019. The number one source market in the first eleven months of 2021 was India which generated 794,000 visitors, 13.2% of the overall total followed by Saudi Arabia which generated 391,000 visitors and Russia, which generated 374,000 visitors. As of November 2021, Dubai had 555 hotels offering 110,853 hotel rooms and 188 apartment hotels offering 25,177 units. The hotel sector achieved an average room occupancy of 63.2% in the first eleven months of 2021 while the apartment sector achieved an average occupancy of 78.0%.
Mexico received 1,519,684 international air arrivals in November, up 17.7% compared with October 2021. According to the Government of Mexico’s SECTUR (Department of Tourism) Mexico received 1,419,684 international air arrivals in November 2021, up 17.7% compared with the 1,290,981 arrivals received in October 2021. Mexico’s border with the USA was closed as of March 20, 2020 and consequently Mexico received 680,219 international visitors in November 2020. The 1,519,684 international air arrivals received in November 2021 were 94.2% of the 1,612,478 international air visitors received in November 2019. Mexico received 958,937 air visitors from the USA in November, 63.1% of the total. Canada was the second biggest market (136,699 visitors) with Colombia third largest (55,863 visitors). Cancun Airport received 688,475 international air visitor arrivals in November 2021, 45.3% of the overall total. Los Cabos received 176,893 international air arrivals with Puerto Vallarta receiving 142,957 air visitors. In the first eleven months of 2021 the volume of international air arrivals to Mexico increased by 74.8%, from 6,961,055 arrivals in 2020 to 12,170,513 arrivals in the first eleven months of this year. The 12,170,513 arrivals received in 2021 were 69.3% of the 17,573,996 international arrivals received in the first eleven months of 2019. The volume of air arrivals from the USA increased by 104.6% in the same eleven months, from 4,394,425 air arrivals in 2020 to 8,989,707 air arrivals in 2021 while the volume from Canada fell by 64.6%, from 934,713 air arrivals in 2020 to 331,223 in 2021. Cancun Airport saw a 97.2% increase in international air arrivals in the first eleven months of 2021, growing from 2,831,524 arrivals in 2020 to 5,583,849 arrivals in 2021 while Los Cabos saw a 92.4% increase growing from 791,757 international air arrivals in 2020 to 1,523,134 air arrivals in 2021. Puerto Vallarta saw a 37.2% increase, growing from 660,306 international arrivals in 2020 to 905,891 international arrivals in the first eleven months of 2021.
Las Vegas saw an 8.2% decline in visitors in November 2021 compared with October 2021. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Las Vegas saw the volume of visitors decrease by 8.2% in November 2021, falling from 3,390,200 arrivals in October 2021 to 3,112,200 in November of 2021.Historiclally Las Vegas receives fewer visitors in November than in October. The state of Nevada ordered the closure of all casinos as of March 17th, 2020 but re-opened all casinos as of June 4th, 2020. Consequently, Las Vegas received 1,514,500 visitors in November 2020. The 3,112,200 arrivals received in November 2021 were 88.7% of the 3,509,800 arrivals received in November 2019. Las Vegas had a weighted average of 150,487 open hotel rooms in November 2021 (up 6.3% compared with November 2020) and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 77.6% (39.3% in November 2020), an ADR of $155.93 and a RevPar of $121.00. Through the first eleven months of 2021 Las Vegas saw a 64.3% increase in the volume of visitors, growing from 17,783,900 arrivals in the first eleven months of 2020 to 29,226,100 visitors in the same eleven months of 2021. The total number of visitors for the first eleven months of 2021 was 74.8% of the 39,058,000 received in the first eleven months of 2019. Las Vegas achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 66.3% in the first eleven months of 2021 (up 23.1 percentage points compared with the first eleven months of 2020), an ADR of $135.98 (up 11.7% compared with the same eleven months of 2020) and a RevPar of $90.15 up 71.5%, also compared with the same eleven months of 2020. Gaming revenue increased by 74.7% in the first eleven months of 2021, from $5.984 billion in 2020 to $10.454 billion in the same eleven months of 2021. Gaming revenue in the first eleven months of 2021 was 10.8% higher than the $9.438 billion in gaming revenue generated in the first eleven months of 2019.
The Aruba Airport Authority reports 85,346 departing passengers in November 2021, 12.6% more than the 75,773 handled in October 2021. The Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) reports that in November 2021 85,346 Revenue Generating Passengers (RGPs) travelled out of the Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA Airport) to its various markets. This was 12.6% more than the 75,773 RGPs who departed in October 2021. A revenue generating passenger is an outbound traveler leaving Aruba and includes tourists returning to their homes as well as Arubans departing for trips overseas. While Aruba reopened to travel to and from Bonaire and Curacao as of June 15th, 2020, the country did not reopen to travel from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean until July 1st, 2020, and from the USA until July 10th, 2020. Consequently, the airport had just 31,431 RGPs in November 2020. The airport also handled 7,443 passengers in transit in November 2021 as well as 41 transferring passengers. In November 2021 65,928 passengers (pax) travelled to the USA, 2,442 pax to Canada, 6,397 pax to Europe, 6,941 pax to Latin America and 3,638 pax to the Dutch Caribbean. The airlines provided 123,815 outbound seats in November 2021, 5.3% less than the 130,792 seats provided in November 2019. Airlines flying to the USA in November experienced an average load factor of 73.0%, 63.9% to Canada, while flights to Europe averaged an 88.1% load factor. The overall average load factor for all flights for November was 75.6%. In the first eleven months of 2021 the airport handled a total of 785,494 RGPs, up 100.3% compared with the 392,254 handled in the first eleven months of 2020. The total for 2021 was 67.7% of the 1,160,376 RGPs handled in the first eleven months of 2019. Traffic to the USA increased by 115.4% in 2021, from 299,518 RGPs in the first eleven months of 2020 to 645,310 in the same eleven months of 2021. Traffic to Canada fell by 75.0% to 4,511 RGPs, while traffic to Europe increased by 107.3%, from 28,392 RGPS in the first eleven months of 2020 to 58,855 RGPs this year. Seat capacity through the first eleven months of 2021 fell by 22.9% compared with the same eleven months of 2019, from 1,556,342 available seats in 2019 to 1,200,566 seats in 2021. The overall average load factor of outbound flights fell from 85.3% in the first eleven months of 2019 to 71.1% in the same eleven months of 2021. The average load factor of flights to the USA fell from 85.8% in the first eleven months of 2019 to 70.4% in the same eleven months of 2021. The AAA has estimated it will receive a total of 1,350,852 seats for the whole of 2021, 79.4% of the 1,701,062 available seats received in 2019. It also estimates that the airport will receive 1,651,581 seats in 2022, that is 97.1% of the 1,701,062 seats received in 2019. The AAA stated that these seat projections are preliminary and subject to change.
Saint Lucia received 23,678 stopovers in November 2021, 15.3% more than the 20,545 stopovers received in October 2021. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Saint Lucia saw a 15.3% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in November 2021, growing from 20,545 stopovers in October 2021 to 23,678 stopovers in November 2021. Saint Lucia received 30,290 cruise visitors in November from 30 cruise ship calls. Saint Lucia reopened its ports to cruise ships in June 2021. Saint Lucia also received 478 visitors in November 2021 who arrived by yacht. Saint Lucia closed its borders to international visitor arrivals on March 23rd 2020 and re-opened its borders in June 2020. Saint Lucia consequently received 7,766 stopover arrivals in November 2020. The 23,678 stopovers received in November 2021 were 71.9% of the 32,913 stopovers received in November 2019. Saint Lucia received 13,803 stopover arrivals from the USA in November 2021, 9.2% more than the 12,645 stopovers received in October 2021 with the 13,803 stopovers comprising 58.3% of all stopover arrivals in November 2021. Saint Lucia also received 7,106 visitors from the United Kingdom in November 2021. Through the first eleven months of 2021, Saint Lucia saw a 45.7% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 116,397 stopovers in the first eleven months of 2020 to 169,610 stopovers in the same eleven months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 125.5%, from 59,931 in the first eleven months of 2020 to 135,151 in the same eleven months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. increased by 9.8% from 22,823 in 2020 to 25,062 stopovers in the same eleven months of 2021. The 169,610 stopovers received in 2021 were 44.6% of the 380,167 stopovers received in the first eleven months of 2019. Saint Lucia has received 39,104 cruise visitors so far in 2021 compared with 297,885 received in 2020 and received 1,915 visitors who arrived by yacht compared with 21,575 in the first eleven months of 2020.
Belize received 22,848 stopover visitors in November 2021, up 68.3% from the 13,574 received in October 2021. According to the Belize Tourism Board, Belize received 22,848 stopover visitors in November 2021, up 68.3% from the 13,574 received in October 2021. Belize closed its borders as of April 5th 2020, and consequently just received 4,856 stopover visitors in November 2020. The country reopened to visitors in October 2020. The 22,848 stopover visitors received in November 2021 were 58.6% of the 38,981 stopover visitors received in November 2019. Belize received 18,392 stopover arrivals from the USA in November 2021, 1,315 from Europe, 139 from Mexico and 1,285 from Canada. Belize received 27 cruise ship calls in November with 49,344 cruise visitors. July was the first month in 2021 the cruise port in Belize re-opened to cruise visitors. In the first eleven months of 2021 Belize saw the number of stopovers increase by 36.9%, from 134,910 visitors in the first eleven months of 2020 to 184,704 in the first eleven months of 2021. The 184,704 visitors received in 2021 were 41.3% of the 447,493 received in the first eleven months of 2019. Stopovers from the USA increased by 85.1% in the first eleven months of 2021, from 83,644 in 2020 to 154,849 in the same eleven months of 2021. Stopovers from Canada fell by 75.5% in the first eleven months, to 3,494 arrivals while stopovers from Europe fell by 63.5% in the same eleven months, to 5,835 arrivals. Belize received 121,430 cruise visitors in July through November, down 64.6% compared with the 343,099 cruise visitors received in 2020.
Hawaii reports the state received 613,391 out-of-state tourists in November, up 11.4% compared with October 2021. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 11.4% in November 2021, growing from 550,781 air arrivals received in October 2021 to 613,391 arrivals in November 2021. Total spending for visitors arriving in November 2021 was $1.122 billion, up 5.4% compared with October 2021 but 11.0% lower than in November 2019. In November 2021, passengers arriving from out-of-state could bypass the State’s mandatory 10-day self-quarantine if they were fully vaccinated in the United States or with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner prior to their departure through the Safe Travels program. On August 23, 2021, Hawai‘i Governor David Ige urged travelers to curtail non-essential travel until the end of October 2021 due to a surge in Delta variant cases that has overburdened the state’s health care facilities and resources. April 2020 was the first full month of travel restrictions to keep the community safe, following the State of Hawai‘i’s 14-day mandatory travel quarantine for all passengers (effective March 26, 2020). Consequently, the number of out of state air arrivals was 183,779 for November 2020. The 613,391 arrivals received in November 2021 were 77.4% of the 792,547 arrivals received in November 2019. Hawaii received 565,868 air arrivals from the mainland USA in November 2021, 92.3% of the overall total, 22,045 arrivals from Canada, 2,589 arrivals from Japan and 22,889 air arrivals from other markets. Through the first eleven months of 2021 Hawaii saw a 146.7% increase in the volume of air arrivals, growing from 2,441,498 air arrivals in the first eleven months of 2020 to 6,023,827 air arrivals in the same eleven months of 2021. Air arrivals in the first eleven months of 2021 were 64.7% of the 9,302,037 received in the first eleven months of 2019. For the first eleven months of 2021, total visitor spending was estimated to be $11.339 billion, 71.3% of the $15.910 billion spent in the first eleven months of 2019. Person per trip spending grew by 10.1% from $1,710.40 per person per trip in the first eleven months of 2019 to $1,882.40 per person per trip in the first eleven months of 2021. Air arrivals from the USA increased by 228.3% in the first eleven months of 2021, growing from 1,763,421 air arrivals in 2020 to 5,789,438 air arrivals in the same eleven months of 2021, fell by 93.1% from Japan (from 287,414 arrivals in 2020 to 19,784 air arrivals in 2021) and fell by 69.1% from Canada (from 160,329 in 2020 to 49,614 air arrivals in 2021).
US Consumer Confidence Improved Again in December Economic Expansion Likely to Continue into 2022, Despite Serious Headwinds New York, December 22, 2021…The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® increased again in December, after an upward revision in November. The Index now stands at 115.8 (1985=100), up from 111.9 (an upward revision) in November. The Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—was relatively flat at 144.1, down from 144.4 last month. The Expectations Index—based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions—rose to 96.9 from 90.2. "Consumer confidence improved further in December, following a very modest gain in November,” said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. “The Present Situation Index dipped slightly but remains very high, suggesting the economy has maintained its momentum in the final month of 2021. Expectations about short-term growth prospects improved, setting the stage for continued growth in early 2022. The proportion of consumers planning to purchase homes, automobiles, major appliances, and vacations over the next six months all increased.” “Meanwhile, concerns about inflation declined after hitting a 13-year high last month as did concerns about COVID-19, despite reports of continued price increases and the emergence of the Omicron variant. Looking ahead to 2022, both confidence and consumer spending will continue to face headwinds from rising prices and an expected winter surge of the pandemic.”
Punta Cana received 276,415 tourists in November 2021, 16.3% more than the 237,760 received in November 2019. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, received 276,415 stopovers in November 2021, 16.3% more than the 237,760 stopovers received in November 2019 and 30.5% more than the 211,890 received in October 2021. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and re-opened to tourists as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Punta Cana received 45,712 visitors in November 2020. Punta Cana received 101,142 stopover arrivals from the USA in November 2021, 29.6% more than the 78,053 stopovers received in October 2021. Canada was the second largest source market (36,517 stopovers) with Russia third (20,034 stopovers). During the first eleven months of 2021 Punta Cana saw a 112.2% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 868,799 arrivals in the first eleven months of 2020 to 1,843,543 non-resident arrivals in the first eleven months of 2021. However, the total for 2021 was 57.1% of the 3,227,978 stopovers received in the first eleven months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 263.4% in the first eleven months of 2021, growing from 287,614 arrivals in the first eleven months of 2020 to 1,045,070 arrivals in the same eleven months of 2021. Traffic was down 63.1% from Canada, falling from 233,772 arrivals in the first eleven months of 2020 to 86,304 arrivals in the first eleven months of 2021. Traffic was also down 83.2% from the UK, falling from 26,554 arrivals in 2020 to just 4,463 stopovers in the first eleven months of 2021. Traffic increased by 440.1% from Colombia, was up 169.7% from Germany, up 240.9% from Spain and up 27.9% from France but was down 39.1% from Argentina. In the first eleven months of 2021, stopover arrivals to Punta Cana made up 43.2% of all non-resident arrivals to the Dominican Republic compared with 42.2% in the same eleven months of 2020.
The Dominican Republic received 519,214 non-resident visitors in November 2021, 12.4% more than the 461,865 stopovers received in November 2019. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic the Dominican Republic, received 519,214 stopovers in November 2021, 12.4% more than the 461,865 stopovers received in November 2019 and 17.2% more than the 443,016 received in October 2021. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and re-opened to international visitors as of July 1st 2020 and consequently received 175,095 stopovers in November 2020. The Dominican Republic received 166,134 stopover arrivals from the USA in November 2021, 21.3% more than the 136,996 stopovers received from the USA in October 2021. The Dominican Republic also received 43,543 stopover visitors from Canada in November 2021. 18.3% of the non-resident arrivals in November 2021 were Dominicans living abroad and returning to the Dominican Republic compared with 41.8% in November 2020. In the first eleven months of 2021 the Dominican Republic saw a 107.4% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 2,056,851 arrivals in the first eleven months of 2020 to 4,265,975 non-resident arrivals in the same eleven months of 2021. Non-resident arrivals from the USA increased by 211.5% in the first eleven months of 2021, growing from 596,128 arrivals in 2020 to 1,856,665 arrivals from the USA in the first eleven months of 2021. Stopover arrivals from Canada fell by 71.1%, from 347,631 in the first eleven months of 2020 to 100,616 in the same eleven months of 2021. The 4,265,975 stopovers received in the first eleven months of 2021 were 73.2% of the 5,821,768 stopovers received in the first eleven months of 2019. In the first eleven months of 2021 26.9% of all non-resident tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic were non-resident Dominicans returning home, up from 26.4% in the same eleven months of 2020.
Costa Rica received 151,701 stopover arrivals in November 2021, 51.5% more than the 100,102 stopovers received in October 2021. According to the Costa Rica Institute of Tourism (ICT), Costa Rica received 151,701 stopovers in November 2021, 51.5% more than the 100,102 stopovers received in October 2021. Costa Rica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and reopened to international tourists arriving by air as of November 2020. It reopened its land borders in April 2021. Costa Rica consequently received 37,573 stopovers in November 2020. The 151,701 stopovers received in November 2021 were 61.8% of the 245,643 stopovers received in November 2019. Costa Rica received 86,348 stopovers from the USA in November, 56.9% of the overall total, and 10,434 stopovers from Central America. The volume of stopovers increased by 20.6% in the first eleven months of 2021, growing from 936,938 stopovers in the first eleven months of 2020 to 1,130,377 stopovers in the first eleven months of 2021. The 1,130,377 stopover visitors were 40.2% of the 2,812,086 stopovers received in the first eleven months of 2019. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 91.9% in the first eleven months of 2021, from 389,115 stopovers in 2020 to 746,575 in 2021 while the number from Central America declined by 67.2%, falling from 195,717 in the first eleven months of 2020 to 64,140 in the same eleven months of 2021. The share of visitors from the USA grew from 41.5% in the first eleven months of 2020 to 66.0% in the first eleven months of 2021.
Orlando saw a 4.2 percentage point increase in average room occupancy in November 2021, growing from 59.2% in October 2021 to 63.4% this November. According to STR Orlando had 126,493 hotel rooms in November 2021 and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 63.4%, up 4.2 percentage points compared with October 2021 (59.2%), and an ADR of $132.55 up 3.5% compared with October 2021 ($128.09). Orlando’s theme parks closed to visitors as of March 15th, 2020 and consequently Orlando’s hotels experienced an average room occupancy of 33.9% in November 2020. In the first eleven months of 2021 Orlando’s hotels saw an average hotel room occupancy of 56.7%, up 14.8 percentage points from the 41.9% achieved in the first eleven months of 2020. ADR increased by 5.8% from $111.57 for the first eleven months of 2020 to $118.04 for the first eleven months of 2021.
Cuba announces it received 51,116 international stopover visitors in November 2021, 120.9% more than the 23,144 international visitors received in October 2021. The Cuban Government’s Office of National Statistics and Information (ONEI) recently announced that total international tourist arrivals increased by 120.9% in November 2021, growing from 23,144 international stopover arrivals in October 2021 to 51,116 arrivals in November of this year. This number includes both stopover visitors and cruise visitors. Cuba closed its borders to international tourist arrivals on March 20 2020 and consequently received just 27,973 international stopovers in November 2020. The 51,116 stopovers received in November 2021 were just 15.3% of the 333,863 international visitors received in November 2019. Cuba received 18,982 stopovers from Canada in November 2021, 37.1% of all stopovers received for the month and 9,873 stopovers from Russia. In the first eleven months of 2021 Cuba saw a 75.0% decrease in total international arrivals, falling from 1,020,991 arrivals in 2020 to 254,922 stopovers this year. The 254,922 arrivals were just 6.5% of the 3,896,868 international visitors received in the first eleven months of 2019. Total tourist arrivals from Canada fell by 91.8% in the first eleven months of 2021, from 407,641 arrivals in 2020 to 33,600 in 2021. The number one source market in the first eleven months of 2021 was Russia with 131,822 stopovers, 51.7% of all arrivals, up from just 6.6% of all such arrivals in the first eleven months of 2020.
The Maldives reports it received 144,725 stopover visitor arrivals in November, up 1.9% compared with October 2021. The Maldives Government’s Ministry of Tourism recently announced that The Maldives received 144,725 stopover visitors in November 2021, up 1.9% from the 142,066 stopovers received in October 2021. The Maldives closed its borders to tourist arrivals on March 27th 2020 and re-opened to all tourists as of July 15th 2020. Consequently, the Maldives received just 35,757 stopover visitors in November 2020. The 144,725 stopovers received in November 2021 were 4.9% more than the 137,921 stopovers received in November 2019. In November 2021 India was by far the number one source market and generated 29,708 stopovers of the total overall stopovers (20.5%) while Russia was the number two source market and generated 15,935 stopovers (11.0%) while the United Kingdom was number three with 15,117 stopovers. The Maldives re-opened its borders to visitors from India as of July 15th 2021. In the first eleven months of 2021 The Maldives saw a 152.2% increase in total arrivals, growing from 459,082 stopovers in the first eleven months of 2020 to 1,157,653 stopovers in the same eleven months of 2021 with India (259,760 visitors) and Russia (204,813 visitors) being, by far, the two largest source markets in these eleven months. The 1,157,653 visitors received in the first eleven months of 2021 was 75.6% of the 1,531,539 visitors received in the first eleven months of 2019. The Maldives saw the overall number of operating accommodation establishments grow by 104.3% from an average of 375 in the first eleven months of 2020 to an average of 766 establishments in the same eleven months of 2021. The number of beds in operation grew by 83.8% from 26,431 in the first eleven months of 2020 to 48,579 this year. It should be noted many accommodation establishments closed in April 2020 consequent upon the closure of the borders. Through the end of November 2021 overall average room occupancy had grown by 30.1 percentage points from 23.7% in 2020 to 53.8% for the first eleven months of this year. Of the 766 establishments in operation 153 were resorts which offered 36,147 beds. These resorts achieved a 61.7% average room occupancy through the first eleven months of 2021 up from 26.6% for the first eleven months of 2020. Through the first eleven months of 2020 there was an average of 87 resorts in operation offering 20,414 beds.
Hawaii’s hotels report a 4.8 percentage point increase in average room occupancy in November compared with October, growing from 54.9% to 59.7% According to the Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report published by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), statewide hotel room occupancy grew by 4.8 percentage points from 54.9% in October 2021 to 59.7% in November of this year. ADR grew by 8.2% however from $307.50 in October to $332.65 in November, as did revpar which grew by 17.6%, from $168.90 in October 2021 to $198.61 in November of this year. Hawai‘i’s quarantine order for travelers due to the COVID-19 pandemic began on March 26, 2020, which immediately resulted in dramatic declines for the hotel industry. Many properties closed or reduced operations starting in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hotel sector posted an average room occupancy of 22.6% in November 2020. Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide grew by 13.9%, from $283.0 million in October 2021 to $322.4 million in November 2021. Room demand grew by 5.3%, from 920,200 room nights in October to 969,100 room nights in November while room supply fell by 3.1% from 1,675,300 room nights in October to 1,623,200 room nights in November. In November 2021, passengers arriving from out-of-state could bypass the State’s mandatory 10-day self-quarantine if they were fully vaccinated in the United States or with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner prior to their departure through the Safe Travels program. For the first eleven months of 2021 statewide hotel room occupancy increased by 17.0 percentage points from 39.2% in 2020 to 56.2% in the first eleven months of 2021. ADR increased by 19.6% from $265.87 in 2020 to $317.87 while revpar grew by 71.1%, from $104.34 in the first eleven months of 2020 to $178.51 in the first eleven months of this year. In the first eleven months of 2021, Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide increased by 139.0% from $1.303 billion in 2020 to $3.114 billion in the first eleven months of this year. Total rooms revenues for the first eleven months of 2021 were 22.8% lower than for the same eleven months of 2019. Room demand increased by 99.9%, to 9,796,600 room nights in the same eleven months. Room supply grew by 39.7% to 17,444,900 available room nights also in the first eleven months. Room demand was 32.9% less than for the same eleven months of 2019 while room supply was 3.3% lower. The Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report is produced using hotel survey data compiled by STR, Inc., the largest survey of its kind in Hawai‘i. The survey generally excludes properties with under 20 lodging units, such as small bed and breakfasts, youth hostels, single-family vacation rentals, cottages, individually rented vacation condominiums and sold timeshare units no longer available for hotel use. The data has been weighted both geographically and by class of property to compensate for any over and/or under representation of hotel survey participants by location and type. For November, the survey included 145 properties representing 46,602 rooms, or 86.1.3 percent of operating lodging properties with 20 rooms or more in the Hawaiian Islands, including full service, limited service, and condominium hotels. The November survey included 75 properties on O‘ahu representing 29,020 rooms (95.0% of operating properties); 39 properties in the County of Maui, representing 9,548 rooms (74.2% of operating properties); 16 properties on the island of Hawai‘i, representing 4,887 rooms (73.4% of operating properties); and 15 properties on Kaua‘i, representing 3,147 rooms (78.0% of operating properties)
Aruba received 79,870 stopover visitors in November 2021, 14.0% more than the 70,056 stopovers received in October 2021. According to Aruba Tourism Authority, Aruba received 79,870 stopover arrivals in November 2021, 14.0% more than the 70,056 stopovers it received in October 2021. Aruba closed its borders to tourist arrivals as of March 17th 2020 and re-opened only to visitors from Curacao and Bonaire as of June 15th 2020 and then to visitors from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020. Aruba re-opened to visitors from the USA on July 10th 2020. Consequently, there were just 29,714 stopover visitors in November 2020. The 79,870 stopovers received in November 2021 were 88.7% of the 90,001 stopovers received in November 2019. Compared with 2019, stopover arrivals from the USA decreased by 6.2%, falling from 66,767 arrivals in November 2019 to 62,639 arrivals in November 2021. Arrivals from the USA comprised 78.4% of all arrivals in November 2021 up from 74.2% in November 2019. Arrivals from Canada decreased by 32.0%, from 4,965 in November 2019 to 3,375 stopovers in November 2021. Arrivals from the Netherlands grew by 17.8%, from 4,037 in November 2019 to 4,757 in November of this year. Aruba re-opened its ports to visitors in June of this year and during November 2021 received 30 cruise ship calls and a total of 44,467 cruise passengers. In the first eleven months of 2021 Aruba saw a 120.4% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 325,386 visitors in the first eleven months of 2020 to 717,014 visitors in the first eleven months of this year. The number of stopovers from the USA grew by 80.4% during the first eleven months, from 261,554 in 2020 to 609,842 through the end of November 2021. Compared with the first eleven months of 2019, the 717,014 stopover visitors received in the first eleven months of 2021 was 70.4% of the 1,018,231 stopovers received in the first eleven months of 2019. There were 609,842 stopovers from the USA in the first eleven months of 2021, 79.9% of the 763,658 received from the USA in the first eleven months of 2019. The number of visitors staying in hotels in the first eleven months of 2021 declined by 36.9% compared with the same eleven months of 2019, falling from 526,288 visitors in 2019 to 331,938 in the same eleven months of 2021. The share of visitors staying in hotels fell from 51.7% in the first eleven months of 2019 to 46.3% in the same eleven months of 2021. In the first eleven months of 2021 231,442 visitors used timeshare accommodation, 84.5% of the 273,886 visitors who used such accommodation in the first eleven months of 2019, with the sector’s share growing from 26.9% in 2019 to 32.3% in 2021. Visitors using other accommodation – private homes, condominiums, short term rental accommodation and apartments – fell by 29.5% when comparing the first eleven months of 2019 with the same eleven months of 2021, falling from 218,057 visitors in 2019 to 153,634 in 2021, with the share unchanged at 21.4% in both 2019 and in 2021. In the first eleven months of 2021 the primary carrier was JetBlue which brought in 216,953 non-resident visitors, 30.3% of all stopover arrivals, while American Airlines brought in 163,495 non-resident visitors, 22.8% of all visitors. United Airlines brought in 112,592 visitors with Delta bringing in 82,751 visitors. These four carriers brought in 80.3% of all visitors in the first eleven months of 2021. The percentage of visitors 20 years old through 49 years old grew from 45.2% in the first eleven months of 2019 to 50.6% in the same eleven months of 2021. The percentage 60 years old or older fell from 21.4% in 2019 to 17.4% in 2021. Aruba received 61 cruise ship calls in 2021 with 87,950 cruise passengers compared with the 98 calls cruise ships made in 2020 and 255,384 passengers. The 2021 total passenger count was just 12.5% of the count for the same eleven months of 2019.
Forward Keys: 2021 in Review – The Top 8 Travel Trends With 2021 ending, many are wondering what to expect of the New Year as the Omicron variant breaks news headlines around the world. The team of analysts at ForwardKeys, step back to examine some of the key learnings as they review 2021 from the perspective of a travel professional, highlighting the key travel trends. The full and in-depth analysis covering world regions, airports, airlines, and travel segments, can be downloaded at the bottom of the article, but here’s a quick summary of just three of the top 8 global travel trends noted by the experts at ForwardKeys. For the full report click here. 1.US Leisure travel drives recovery, not China In a year where much-anticipated travel recovery was being scrutinized by government officials to investors and luck-less travellers, the strength of the US leisure market took many by surprise. A comparison of the world’s top destination cities, before the pandemic in 2019, and throughout 2021, illustrates the strong trend towards leisure travel leading to the recovery. Several major cities have been pushed down or out of the top 20 rankings, whereas major leisure destinations, particularly for US holidaymakers, have climbed high. While Dubai remains at the top of the list (it is a major leisure destination as well as a substantial travel and commerce hub), the most notable rises include, Miami, from 18th to 5th, Madrid from 16th to 10th and new into the list, Cancun (Mexico) at 2nd, Cairo (Egypt) at 9th, Punta Cana (Dominical Republic) at 12th, San Juan (Puerto Rico) at 13th, Lisbon at 14th, Athens at 15th, Mexico City at 16th, Palma Mallorca at 17th, and Frankfurt at 20th. 2. Mexico, Central America the Caribbean and Africa have been the most resilient. A review of worldwide travel in 2021, broken down by region, reveals the extent to which international travel was paralyzed. Overall, international air travel was just over a quarter (26%) of its pre-pandemic level. The Asia Pacific region reached just 8%; whereas Europe achieved 30%, Africa & the Middle East 36% and the Americas 40%. 3. The Middle East starts to revive Travel to various Middle East destinations also exceeded the 60% benchmark in H2. Most notably, travel to Turkey climbed from 33% in H1 to 67% in H2 of pre-pandemic levels and travel to Egypt grew from 37% to 72%. Dubai held its position as the top city destination, and Doha overtook Dubai as an air transit hub. 4. Domestic travel has been dominant, particularly in large-sized countries While many countries have been able to impose severe restrictions on international travel, citing the need to keep their populations safe, imposing equally stiff constraints on one’s populations is politically more challenging. Consequently, there has been a relative rise in domestic travel, particularly in geographically large countries such as Brazil, China, Russia, and the USA, where it is possible to fly for a few hours without crossing the border. In China, domestic travel volumes returned to pre-pandemic levels as early as September 2020; however, they fell back in January and again in August, owing to a resurgence in cases of COVID 5. Major European airlines struggle disproportionately Largely due to the travel trend towards domestic travel in large-sized countries, airlines in those markets have managed to weather the COVID-19 storm better than carriers whose business has been more oriented towards short-haul international travel. This is illustrated by an analysis of the top 20 airlines in 2021 compared to 2019. The major European carriers have all fallen or are out of the ranking. They have been replaced by airlines that have substantial business in China and the US, which have been better able to maintain capacity. 6. The decline in long-haul travel A comparison of international travel within the major world regions, intra-regional travel, and between world regions, extra-regional (or long-haul) travel, reveals that there has been a shift away from long-haul travel during the pandemic. In 2019 the ratio of intra-regional to extra-regional travel was 56%:44%; but in 2021, that had changed to 62%:38%. The pattern has also changed, with a greater proportion of people within Europe and the Americas travelling intra-regionally rather than the long haul. The trend can be explained by a combination of several factors, including the effective closure of one region of the world, Asia Pacific, the increased cost, and difficulty of travelling long haul during the pandemic and frequently changing pandemic travel regulations, which deter people from booking long-haul travel, as it is typically booked and planned with much longer lead times. 7. Doha and Amsterdam have advanced in the battle of the hubs In the battle of the hubs, Doha overtook Dubai to become the preeminent hub airport in the Middle East, connecting air traffic between South Asia, the Middle East, North America, and Sub-Saharan Africa. In Europe, Amsterdam closed the gap on Frankfurt for intra-European transits and connections with North America. Analysis of monthly traffic in 2021 shows that Amsterdam briefly overtook Frankfurt in September and October, but it fell back in November. In the same month, Dubai recovered its lead over Doha for the first time since February. 8. New variants pose a potent threat A chart plotting the recovery in air travel shows relatively steady growth from the first quarter of 2021 when traffic was less than 20% of 2019 levels to the fourth quarter when it had climbed to over 50%. However, there were two setbacks: the first began during the week of 12 March, when the growth in weekly bookings turned from +11% to -10%, as the Delta variant began to sweep around the world. The second began in the last week of October when weekly bookings reached their highest point, 64% of the same week in 2019. Bookings have been slowing down ever since; and in late November, they were down to 54% of 2019 levels, which was closely correlated with a fresh rise in COVID-19 cases since late October. It is now likely that the emergence of the new Omicron variant, and the travel restrictions introduced in response, will inhibit demand for last-minute travel over the Christmas period.
Cancun Was the Second Most Visited Destination In the World for 2021 The Mexican Caribbean City Beat Out the Likes Of Paris and New York Cancun is finishing the year on a high after being announced as the second most popular destination in the world for 2021. The ranking stems from a statistical report compiled by Forward Keys, who track airline and tourism trends in real time. The top 20 is an insightful look into what has been a turbulent year for the tourism industry. Although drastically more successful than 2020, when the sector virtually shut down for a year, the absence of some typically high-ranking countries and the rise of others could be a glimpse of years to come. It remains to be seen if many of the destinations, including Cancun, can capitalize on the growth shown this year. Cancun fell in behind Dubai, which successfully held its top spot from 2019. It’s important role as a business hub combined with a steadily growing leisure tourism industry has allowed it a stronger year than most since its reopening back in August 2020. Low infection numbers, and high vaccination rates make the Middle Eastern destination a good option for many travelers. But Cancun didn’t even appear in the top twenty back in 2019, and its meteoric rise has planted it at the center of the tourist industry worldwide. Airlines across the US and now Europe are scrambling to send new direct flights to the city, and hotels, both high end and budget, are moving in in droves. Mexico has the power of freedom tilting success in its favor. Relaxed COVID rules, and no entry barriers have made it a no-brainer for many American travelers seeking sun and sand. But action yearning Europeans are being swayed across the Atlantic too. With many of the European hotspots still closed, restricted, or offering a barrier to reentry, the transatlantic trip is looking more attractive despite the distance. Those heading to Cancun over what is set to be one of the busiest in history should be prepared. It’s Going to be packed The state of Quintana Roo is expecting 6.1 million tourists in the first four months of 2022. That’s a lot of people, even when spread across the whole state. Hotels are anticipating almost 100% capacity over the winter season, meaning you might be fighting for elbow room at the resort bar. Expect beaches to be extremely busy, and restaurants to be running at full tilt during your time there. There are new hotels popping up With the massive uptick in tourism, big hotel brands are seeing the potential for new accommodations in the region. Hilton just returned to Cancun after a ten year absence, and are planning another seven properties in the next year and a half ranging from high end luxury all-inclusive, to budget friendly hotels. Flights are running from everywhere Across the US, airlines are dropping domestic routes like flies. If you live in a small city in the US, it’s probably going to be easier flying to Cancun than some nearby hubs. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but the major carriers like American and Delta are all aligning their sights on Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean. Budget carrier Frontier, however is leading the charge, adding flights from all over the US. European carriers like Aeroflot and Iberia have added itineraries to Cancun too, with some big hubs like Barcelona offering daily flights to the city. The Cancun airport has broken its own daily operations record four times in the last week. Expect the airports to be packed, and taxi fares to skyrocket. Everything is still green lit Mexico deals with its COVID strategy by assigning each state a traffic light color. Red, Orange, Yellow, or green. Red would mean the state is heavily restricted and only essential activities are allowed while green allows things to run at full capacity, although still promoting good sanitary protocols. Currently, the vast majority of states including Cancun’s state of Quintana Roo, are under a green light designation. However, with great numbers comes greater possibility of an outbreak. Omicron is looming over the industry, and with a lot of unknowns, the Governor has stressed respect for the protocols from tourists and locals alike. If significant rise in infection was to occur, a regression to yellow would be possible.
Curacao’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 77.8% in November 2021, up 3.4 percentage points compared with November 2019. According to the Curacao Hospitality and Tourism Association (CHATA) Curacao’s hotels saw an average room occupancy of 77.8% during the month of November 2021. Compared to November 2020 this was 38 percentage points higher when the hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 39.8% And compared to the hotel occupancy of November 2019, the average for November 2021 was 3.4 percentage points higher (74.4%). The average daily rate in November 2021 was $187.87, 52.3% higher than the $123.35 achieved in November 2020 last year, and 28.3% higher than the $134.79 achieved in November 2019. Revenue per available room also increased in November, growing by 197.5% from $49.14 in November 2020 to $146.20 in November 2021. The revpar for November 2021 was 38.2% higher than for the same month of 2019. ($90.34). The hotel performance numbers are collected by STR on behalf of CHATA. CHATA remains carefully optimistic for the coming high season and expects that the hotel occupancy for the last month of 2021 and first month of 2022 is minimally compared to that of 2019. “With this we expect an average occupancy of around 70%, considering there are no drastic changes and/or measures due to the Omicron variant” according to CHATA. Tourists are staying longer and spending more. Since the strong tourism recovery after the second lockdown this year, tourists who visit Curacao appear to stay longer and spend more. This is reflected in the increasing daily rates and the revenue per available room. According to CHATA: “This is a very positive trend”. The small hotel sector also did well in November. According to data provided by the Curacao Apartment Small Hotel Association (CASHA) the smaller hotels, apartments and small tourism businesses also did well in November 2021. CASHA connects and supports high-quality, small-scale tourist accommodations and other businesses in Curaçao and currently has more than 80 members. According to CASHA the average accommodation occupancy of its member hotels was 83.1% in November 2021. This was an increase of 17.7% compared to October 2021. November was a promising month after the positive recovery throughout the second half of the year. CASHA reports that three member accommodations reached a 100% occupancy rate during November. These accommodations were evenly spread on the island at Pietermaai, Saliña and Banda Bou. Four accommodations reached an occupancy rate of 99%, 93%, 93% and 91% respectively. Two of them are located at Jan Thiel, one at Blue Bay and one at Banda Bou. The remaining accommodations reached occupancy rates of between 50% and 88.3%. Car rentals had a utilization rate of 79.7% and dive schools reached an average occupancy of 58.8%. CASHA announces that thankfully, cancelations are happening less frequently. In such a case, it is mostly due to a positive test result in the country of departure. Lately, not being able to book a rental car is also reason for travelers to choose another Caribbean destination instead, as there is a big shortage of rental cars on the island. Many car rentals were forced to sell (parts of) their fleet to minimize costs and keep business afloat. Currently they are not able to invest yet in new additional cars or the delivery time takes longer due to the supply chain challenges in the world. Last minute bookings are still a reality There is a clear shift in booking behavior. Bookings are not being made too long in advance, as most of the bookings are coming in last-minute. Travelers decide at the very last moment where they want to travel to, dependent on the travel measures in place at that moment. Next day arrivals are very normal. Accommodations are even being contacted upon arrival at the airport for bookings. Looking at the current situation, it looks like a positive closing of the year, as December as well as the first quarter of 2022 are hopeful.
Puerto Rico saw average hotel room occupancy increase to 59.1% in October 2021 growing by 4.3 points from the 54.8% achieved in September 2021. According to the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC), the hotels and resorts endorsed by the PRTC saw the number of non-resident hotel registrations increase by 8.2% in October 2021, growing from 110,328 non-resident registrations in September 2021 to 119,363 registrations in October 2021. Registrations by local residents increased by 20.7%, growing from 42,760 in September 2021 to 51,614 in October 2021. The 119,363 non-resident hotel registrations achieved in October 2021 were 9.5% higher than the 108,985 registrations achieved in October 2019. The PRTC reports that the number of hotel/resort available room nights decreased by 1.9%, falling from 388,920 in September 2021 to 381,660 in October 2021. The number of occupied room nights increased however, by 5.9%, growing from 213,142 in September 2021 to 225,709 in October 2021. Average room occupancy increased by 4.3 percentage points from the 54.8% achieved in September 2021 to 59.1% in October 2021. ADR fell by 0.3% from $176.12 in September 2021 to $175.51 in October 2021. In the first ten months of 2021 the number of non-resident hotel registrations increased by 105.2%, growing from 670,091 non-resident registrations in the first ten months of 2020 to 1,375,065 registrations in the first ten months of 2021. Registrations by local residents grew by 100.8% from 274,945 in 2020 to 552,128 in the same ten months of 2021. The number of hotel/resort available room nights increased by 16.9% in the first ten months of 2021, growing from 3,372,273 in 2020 to 3,940,531 in 2021. The number of occupied room nights increased by 99.8%, growing from 1,255,735 in 2020 to 2,509,144 in 2021. The overall average room occupancy grew by 26.5 percentage points from 37.2% in the first ten months of 2020 to 63.7% in the same ten months of 2021. ADR grew by 18.9% from $157.45 in 2020 to $187.18 in the same ten months of 2021.
Puerto Rico saw average hotel room occupancy drop to 54.8% in September 2021 falling from 68.1% achieved in August 2021. According to the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC), the hotels and resorts endorsed by the PRTC saw the number of non-resident hotel registrations decline by 28.9% in September 2021, falling from 155,278 registrations in August 2021 to 110,328 registrations in September 2021. Registrations by local residents fell by 20.7% from 53,915 in August 2021 to 42,760 in September 2021. The 110,328 non-resident hotel registrations achieved in September 2021 were 5.8% higher than the 104,271 achieved in September 2019. PRTC reports that the number of hotel/resort available room nights decreased by 7.6%, falling from 420,857 in August 2021 to 388,920 in September 2021. The number of occupied room nights declined by 25.7% however, falling from 286,706 in August 2021 to 213,142 in September 2021. Average room occupancy decreased by 13.3 percentage points from 68.1% achieved in August 2021 to 54.8% in September 2021. ADR fell by 12.8% from $201.89 in August 2021 to $176.12 in September 2021. In the first nine months of 2021 the number of non-resident hotel registrations increased by 109.3%, growing from 599,857 non-resident registrations in the first nine months of 2020 to 1,255,702 registrations in the first nine months of 2021. Registrations by local residents grew by 126.6% from 231,124 in 2020 to 500,514 in 2021. The number of hotel/resort available room nights increased by 18.1% in the first nine months of 2021, growing from 3,014,399 in 2020 to 3,558,871 in 2021. The number of occupied room nights increased by 103.5%, growing from 1,122,077 in 2020 to 2,283,435 in 2021. The overall average room occupancy grew by 27.0 percentage points from 37.2% in the first nine months of 2020 to 64.2% in the same nine months of 2021. ADR grew by 18.2% from $159.39 in 2020 to $188.40 in the same nine months of 2021.
UNWTO reports international tourism shows continuing recovery in September 2021 driven by vaccinations and border reopening. According to the most recent edition of the UNWTO's World Tourism Barometer Volume 19 Issue 6 international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) increased by 58% in July-September 2021 compared to the same period of 2020. However, they remained 64% below 2019 levels. In both August and September 2021 arrivals were 62.9% and 62.6% respectively lower than for the same two months of 2019, the best monthly results since the start of the pandemic. Data on international tourism receipts and spending show a similar improvement in Q3 2021. The uplift in demand during the third quarter of 2021 was driven by increased traveler confidence amid rapid progress on vaccinations and the easing of entry restrictions in many destinations. In January-September 2021, international tourist arrivals worldwide were 19.8% lower than the same period in 2020, but still 75.7% below 2019 levels. The Americas recorded the strongest results in the first nine months of 2021, with arrivals up 1.5% compared to 2020 but still 65.3% below 2019 levels. The Caribbean saw a 54.8% increase in arrivals compared with the same nine months of 2020. The total arrivals to the Caribbean during the first nine months of 2021 were 62.0% of the total achieved in the same nine months of 2019. Europe saw a 7.9% decline in the first nine months of 2021 compared to the same nine months of 2020, which was 69.2% below 2019. In Asia and the Pacific arrivals were 94.9% below 2019 levels as many destinations remained closed to non-essential travel. Africa and the Middle East recorded 77.2% and 82.2% drops respectively compared to 2019. Despite the improvement in the third quarter of the year, the pace of recovery remains slow and uneven across world regions due to varying degrees of mobility restrictions, vaccination rates and traveler confidence According to the latest UNWTO data, international tourist arrivals are expected to remain 70% to 75% below 2019 levels in 2021, a similar decline as in 2020. The latest data on international tourism receipts show a similar improvement as in arrivals. Among countries reporting data for the third quarter of 2021, Mexico recorded the same tourism earnings as in 2019, while Turkey (-20% compared to 2019), France (-27%) and Germany (-37%) posted comparatively smaller declines from earlier in the year. Outbound data also shows a small uplift in demand, with France and Germany reporting -28% and -33% respectively in international tourism expenditure compared to 2019. Among smaller markets, Romania (-7%), Portugal (-17%) and Ukraine (-21%) also posted somewhat better results in Q3 2021. To download UNWTO World Tourism Barometer Volume 19 Issue 6 click here
Destinations That ‘Forgot’ COVID Are Making a Killing Virus Be Damned Daily Beast Dec. 17, 2021 Skiing in Bosnia, sunning in Mexico, and sailing off the Canary Islands are just some of the options out there for those who are desperate to travel before the pandemic is over. ROME—If you would have asked Dejan Ljevanic, who runs the Jahorina ski resort on Bosnia’s famed winter ski mountain, a year ago if he thought the 2021 ski season would be such a success, he says he would have laughed in your face. But Jahorina and Bosnia’s second mountain Bjelasnica are doing the best business they’ve done since long before the pandemic started. Skiing in Bosnia has always been popular for those who live in the Balkans. It’s considerably cheaper than the Swiss, French, or Italian Alps, but doesn’t quite carry the prestige of places like St. Moritz or Zermatt in Switzerland or Cortina or Courmayeur in Italy. But with France and now Italy recently added to the Centers for Disease Control danger list for holiday travel as cases soar, and with this this week’s scheduled lifting of Austria’s national lockdown in question, hard-core skiers are rushing to resorts in Bosnia and Serbia where it almost seems like COVID never happened. Despite the fact that just 24 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, case numbers are low—but so is testing, which means they don’t seem as dangerous as perhaps they are. Restrictions are relaxed, with masking a choice and testing requirements much less stringent than most other places. Travelers need a negative COVID test to enter Bosnia or Serbia—or they will be told to quarantine, though not under obligation by law. But once in, no one asks for vaccine status, testing results or even whether people have recovered from COVID. Ljevanic says they provide COVID testing in their resort rooms—not for access to the mountainside, but for travelers who need them to return to their own countries when the fun is over. The Balkans are not the only place that COVID forgot—or that forgot COVID. The Canary Islands have also emerged as one of the seemingly COVID-free spots luring tourists from all over. Around 76 percent of the population is vaccinated, but most tourists don’t need to be vaccinated to enter the Spanish archipelago since a negative PCR test or proof of recovery from the virus will suffice. Travelers from the UK, however, do need proof of vaccination as do people coming in from what are deemed “high risk” areas like the southern African countries. The CDC considers the Canary Islands a Level 2 risk for travel, making it an option for Americans as well. Once there, the black sand beaches are open all winter and the local health authority offers free insurance to international travelers to cover costs if they catch COVID while there, though with La Palma volcano now actively erupting, visitors may also need to keep an eye out for lava. Mexico has also been the exception to the no-go travel rule since the start of the pandemic with the country’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, coming under fire for his laissez-faire approach to the virus, telling people “don’t worry” about a rise in cases in late November. Throughout the pandemic, the Cancun airport has been full of arriving tourists—an escape for those who wanted to escape thinking about the virus. In fact, Mexico had one of its best years ever for European tourists as they sought to evade the now-lifted two week U.S. travel ban by partying or sunning in places like Tulum or Zipolite. The country’s four-tier system is seemingly blind to the number of new cases in places like Cancun and Playa del Carmen, perhaps to ensure tourists feel welcome despite the CDC warning that Americans should “reconsider” travel there. (This is not, however, just due to the pandemic but also increased violence along many beachfront areas with gunmen on jet skis opening fire in Cancun in early December.) Turkey—long considered an exciting if occasionally dangerous destination after threats of local terrorism—has also enjoyed a bump in travelers during the last waves of the pandemic, now surpassing Spain in terms of its popularity, according to statistics gathered by the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism against the Spanish Tourism statistics. Istanbul, Ephesus, and Cappadocia might be cultural draws, but in Turkey, the all-inclusive seaside resorts are also a big source of tourism, especially from Russia. The country’s Culture and Tourism Ministry reported an 86 percent increase in visitors between January and September 2021 compared with the same period in 2020. In September 2021, foreign travel arrivals were 59 percent higher than a year ago, suggesting the trend is only growing as other places buckle under COVID restrictions. You can enter the country unvaccinated, but you will have to provide a negative PCR test to do so. So, who’s poised to “win” next? Thailand is emerging as a potential hotspot for 2022 pandemic travel with the highest growth in internet searches this fall, according to Google’s Travel Insights. One of the reasons is its successful Test and Go program which allows travelers to quarantine in a luxury hotel while they await their negative PCR test or go to one of the “sandbox” scheme hotels on a resort island where no quarantine is required (though travel around the country is dependent on a negative test). As the number of off-limit destinations grows as the fourth wave of the pandemic washes over the tourism industry, travel is once again almost entirely about risk assessment. Places that say they have no problem may indeed be in denial. But for an increasing number of travelers who can’t stay grounded any longer, those risks are worth it.
COVID-19 decimated Caribbean economies. The U.S. should do more to help, leader says. Miami Herald December 17, 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated economies across the tourism-dependent Caribbean costing losses as high as 20 percent in some countries in just one year, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda and current chairman of the 15-member Caribbean Community said Friday. “Our biggest issue is funding at this point,” Gaston Browne said during a virtual conversation that was part of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center’s Leaders of the America series. “We need access to affordable financing. In fact, the region at this time is virtually facing a debt crisis.” Browne reiterated his call for the United States to help small developing states in the Caribbean gain access to grants and low-income financing from international financial institutions, to reschedule debt payments and get debt forgiveness. He noted that for some countries in the region, their only choice has been to turn to China, which was giving out loans at 2% for up to 20 years with a five-year principal and moratorium. “That is the type of funding that we need in order to continue to grow and develop,” he said, accusing international financial institutions of ignoring the financial blow that Covid has dealt. “Democracy and human rights are not achieved in conditions of poverty and want…These are issues that have to be addressed in order to sustain democracies within the Caribbean region. With his twin-island nation one of the hardest hit, Browne said the economic effects of the pandemic have already caused countries in the Caribbean to “lose a decade in development. I don’t know if we can be waiting an entire decade to be recovering those lost gains.” “The United States has a strong voice within the four walls of the [international financial institutions] and its intervention …can be a game changer in terms of access to finance,” added Browne. “This an area in which we think the United States has failed to assist the Caribbean region, to use its influence within the [international financial institutions] to have more responsive, let’s say, policy instruments and financial tools to assist countries in the Caribbean.” Browne also said the U.S. can show more support to the region in respect to its ongoing fight with climate change and U.S. banks, which have been cutting ties with some Caribbean countries amid tighten banking controls and hefty fines over allegations of money laundering. Known as “de-risking,” the phenomenon is global and intensifying, with the Caribbean bearing the brunt, regional leaders and international financial institutions have said. The Caribbean, which continues to struggle with COVID-19, can also use more vaccines, oxygen and testing kits, especially as the omicron variant begins to spread in the region, the leader noted. They have had no direct access to the major pharmaceutical companies to purchase vaccines and have been crowded out by the richest countries, which bought and stockpiled vaccines, Browne told the virtual audience. The Pan American Health Organization, the World Health’s Americas region office, has singled out several Caribbean countries for having some of the lowest vaccination rates in the region and not meeting a target of 20% of their population vaccinated by the end of this year While vaccine hesitancy is partly to blame for millions of people in the region still being unvaccinated, vaccine inequity continues to divide the region, PAHO Director Dr. Carissa Etienne said this week. “Six countries in our region have yet to reach 20% of their populations: These are Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Haiti in the Caribbean, and Guatemala and Nicaragua in Central America,” she added. Browne agreed, saying, “We have not yet reached herd immunity or community immunity in most of our countries and we still need vaccines even as we contend with the phenomenon of vaccine resistance.” “We still have a large cadre of our youth who are unprotected,” he said.
Trinidad and Tobago received 18,825 air visitors in the first ten months of 2021. According to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s Central Statistical Office Trinidad and Tobago received 18,825 air visitors in the first ten months of 2021, down 80.1% from the 94,441 received in the first ten months of 2020 and just 5.8% of the 322,241 visitors who arrived by air in the first ten months of 2019. Trinidad received all 18,825 international air visitors during the first ten months of 2021 with Tobago receiving none. Of the 18,825 visitors 9,762 (51.9%) arrived from the USA while 1,855 (9.9%) arrived from Canada and 2,564 (13.6%) arrived from Europe.
AHATA reports Aruba’s hotels achieved a 69.8% average room occupancy in November 2021, up 9.6 percentage points from the 60.2% achieved in October. The Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association reports that average hotel room occupancy in November 2021 was 69.8%, 9.6 percentage points higher than the 60.2% achieved in October 2021. Aruba closed its orders to international travel as of March 17, 2020, and while the borders re-opened as of July 2020, Aruba’s hotels achieved a 27.3% average room occupancy in November 2020. And compared with November 2019, the average room occupancy in November 2021 was 14.1 percentage points lower, falling from 83.9% in November 2019 to 69.8% in November this year. ADR was $255.97 in November 2021, 8.6% higher than in November 2019, with revpar at $178.72, 9.7% lower than in November 2019. Aruba’s timeshare resorts reported an average occupancy of 84% in November 2021. Through the first eleven months of 2021 AHATA reports that Aruba’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 55.5% compared with 26.4% for the first eleven months of 2020. Again, compared with the first eleven months of 2020, ADR fell by 24.4% from $335.07 to $253.03 although RevPAR grew by 58.8% to $140.67 By comparison with the first eleven months of 2019 average room occupancy was 34.4 percentage points lower in 2021, while ADR fell by 6.1%, and revpar was 38.4% lower. AHATA is projecting that Aruba’s hotels will achieve an average room occupancy of 76% for December, 75% for January 2022, 72% for February 2022 and 57% for 2021 as a whole.
Dubai received 1,030,000 international visitors in October, a 66.1% increase in visitors compared with September 2021. According to the Government of Dubai’s Statistics Center, Dubai saw a 66.1% increase in the number of international visitors in October 2021, growing from 620,000 visitors in September 2021 to 1,080,000 in October 2021. The international world trade fair Dubai Expo 2020 opened as of October 1st 2021. While the equivalent visitor numbers for October 2020 are not available this total was 72.5% of the 1,420,000 international visitors received in October 2019. It should be noted that Dubai closed its borders to international visitor arrivals as of March 2020 and reopened its borders again in late July 2020. In the first ten months of 2021 Dubai received 4,880,000 international visitors, 36.1% of the 13,500,000 visitors received in the first ten months of 2019. The number one source market in the first ten months of 2021 was India which generated 667,000 visitors, 13.7% of the overall total followed by Russia which generated 311,000 visitors. As of October 2021, Dubai had 550 hotels offering 109,736 hotel rooms and 186 apartment hotels offering 24,742 units. The hotel sector achieved an average room occupancy of 61.2% in the first ten months of 2021 while the apartment sector achieved an average occupancy of 77.2%.
Cuba forecasts arrival of 2.5 million tourist arrivals in 2022. Cuba expects to receive 2.5mn tourists in 2022, according to the Minister of Tourism, Juan Carlos García. Speaking at the Third Gaviota Destinations Tourist Exchange, held in Cayo Santa María, Santa Clara, García said that the main challenge is to restore consumer confidence and promote destination Cuba in a manner that customers recognise as providing health security. In his remarks, García said that the health protocols that have been applied in tourism have proven effective, and that there had been no COVID client-worker infections so far this year. He also noted that, in the case of care of visitors with COVID, asymptomatic or not, there will be hotel-hospitals located in Villa Clara, Varadero, Havana, and Holguín, each with the guarantee of comfort and quality medical care. More than 2,200 Cuban public and private facilities now have the country’s “More Hygienic and Safe Tourism” certification. Reiterating that, as Cuba reopens, some 4,000 new rooms will be added to the country's hotel network, he said, in the period 2022-2023, construction improvements are planned in three iconic properties in Havana: The Hotel Nacional, the Tryp Habana Libre, and the Riviera Hotel. The Caribbean country intended to receive about 4.5 million international visitors in 2020 and reverse the 9.3% fall in 2019, when 4.2 million tourists traveled to the country, 436,352 less than in 2018, according to official data. But COVID-19 prevented it. And in the first semester of 2021, only 114,460 international travelers arrived on the island, a figure that represents 870,739 fewer visitors than in the same period of 2020.
St Maarten Has Busiest Month Since Cruise Industry Reopened With the popular eastern Caribbean cruise destination of St. Maarten having one of its busiest months since the cruise restart, it’s a true sign that cruising is well and truly back. The port also recently had its busiest day with six ships docked. Since the pandemic hit and the cruise industry suspended operations in March 2020, it had a knock-on effect on Caribbean cruise ports, including Philipsburg, St. Maarten. The good news is that November 2021 was the busiest month since cruise ships have started returning to service as the port handled 75,572 cruise passengers. “Cruise developments have been moving on an upward trend when looking at vessel arrival numbers and vessel occupancy at almost 65 percent,” Alexander Gumbs, PSG Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said. St. Maarten has been an essential part of the cruise restart. Celebrity Millennium became the first cruise ship in the Americas to restart guest sailings on June 5 from the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facility. The ship operated by Celebrity Cruises homeported at the island, making St. Maarten a hub of cruise activity. Ever since the Celebrity cruise ship, cruise lines have gradually brought vessels back into service, and during December, that is set to continue. On November 24, the port welcomed six cruise ships for the first time, including Sky Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, AIDAluna, and AIDAdiva ships operated by German-based AIDA Cruises, Marella Discovery operated by British-based Marella Cruises. There was also Explorer of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas, both operated by Royal Caribbean. December is expected to be even busier and over the weekend of December 11 and 12, there are four vessels homeporting at St. Maarten. It’s the most number of cruise ships in a single day using the port for turnaround operations. “Let us continue to maintain high service level standards and provide our guests with memorable destination experiences as we move into the holiday season and as we welcome more than 2000+ homeporting guests over the weekend,” Gumbs stated. The vessels include Star Flyer, Wind Surf, and Seabourn Odyssey that homeported on Saturday, December 11, and then MSC Seaview on Sunday, December 12. All the ships combined come to more than 2,000 embarkation guests. Between June and December 2021, St. Maarten expects to receive approximately 200,000 cruise passengers. That number should increase further through 2021 as even more cruise ships make a comeback.
Curacao reports it received 37,447 stopover arrivals in November 2021, 6.9% more than the 35,020 received in October of this year. According to the Curaçao Tourist Board, Curaçao saw a 6.9% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in November, growing from 35,020 stopovers received in October 2021 to 37,447 stopovers received in November of this year. The 37,447 stopovers received in November 2021 were 1.9% fewer than the 38,159 stopovers received in November 2019. Curaçao closed its borders to international visitors as of March 17th, 2020 and reopened its borders to visitors from Europe and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Curaçao received just 13,705 stopover visitors in November 2020. Curacao received 23,024 stopover visitors from the Netherlands in November 2021 and 4,456 stopovers from the USA, 61.5% and 11.9% of all stopovers, respectively. Curacao received 29 cruise ship calls with 41,280 cruise visitors in November 2021. The island re-opened to cruise traffic in June 2021. In the first eleven months of 2021 Curaçao saw a 35.0% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 164,967 visitors in 2020 to 222,715 visitors in the first eleven months of this year. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 51.5% during the first eleven months, growing from 21,686 in 2020 to 32,864 in the first eleven months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the Netherlands increased by 50.0%, growing from 90,904 visitors during the first eleven months of 2020, to 136,319 in the first eleven months of 2021. The 222,715 stopovers received in the first eleven months of 2021 was 53.1% of the 419,149 stopovers received in the same eleven months of 2019. Between June and November 2021 Curacao received 64 cruise ship calls which brought 84,681 cruise passengers.
Aruba Airport Authority reports 75,773 departing passengers in October 2021, 13.1% more than the 67,021 handled in September 2021. The Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) reports that in October 2021 75,773 Revenue Generating Passengers (RGPs) travelled out of the Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA Airport) to its various markets. This was 13.1% more than the 67,021 RGPs who departed in September 2021. A revenue generating passenger is an outbound traveler leaving Aruba and includes tourists returning to their homes as well as Arubans departing for trips overseas. While Aruba reopened to travel to and from Bonaire and Curacao as of June 15th, 2020, the country did not reopen to travel from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean until July 1st, 2020, and from the USA until July 10th, 2020. Consequently, the airport had just 22,758 RGPs in October 2020. The airport also handled 7,978 passengers in transit in October 2021 as well as 36 transferring passengers. In October 2021 57,563 passengers (pax) travelled to the USA, 1,039 pax to Canada, 6,807 pax to Europe, 7,152 pax to Latin America and 3,212 pax to the Dutch Caribbean. The airlines provided 111,989 outbound seats in October 2021, 1.6% more than the 110,199 seats provided in October 2019. Airlines flying to the USA in October experienced an average load factor of 72.4%, 69.4% to Canada, while flights to Europe averaged an 89.4% load factor. The overall average load factor for all flights for October was 75.4%. In the first ten months of 2021 the airport handled a total of 700,148 RGPs, up 94.0% compared with the 360,823 handled in the first ten months of 2020. Traffic to the USA increased by 113.8%, from 271,038 RGPs in the first ten months of 2020 to 579,382 in the same ten months of 2021. Traffic to Canada fell by 88.5% to 2,069 RGPs, while traffic to Europe increased by 93.5%, from 27,104 RGPS in the first ten months of 2020 to 52,458 RGPs this year. Seat capacity through the first ten months of 2021 fell by 24.0% compared with the same ten months of 2019, from 1,416,764 available seats in 2019 to 1,076,741 seats in 2021. The overall average load factor of outbound flights fell from 85.5% in the first ten months of 2019 to 70.5% in the same ten months of 2021. The average load factor of flights to the USA fell from 85.9% in the first ten months of 2019 to 70.1% in the same ten months of 2021. The AAA has estimated it will receive a total of 1,350,852 seats for the whole of 2021, 79.4% of the 1,701,062 available seats received in 2019. It also estimates that the airport will receive 1,651,581 seats in 2022, that is 97.1% of the 1,701,062 seats received in 2019. The AAA stated that these seat projections are preliminary and subject to change.
Mauritius reports it received 65,922 stopover visitors in November after having relaxed its restrictions on the entry requirements for international visitors. The Mauritius Government’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Development recently reported that the country received 65,922 total stopover arrivals in November 2021, 21.1% more than the 54,434 stopovers received in October 2021 consequent upon the re-opening of the country’s borders allowing visitors entry without major restrictions. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors. Mauritius received 21,090 visitors from France in November 2021,32.0% of the overall total for the month, and the number one producing market. The number two source market was the United Kingdom which generated 10,744 visitors, (16.3%) of the total for the month. Germany generated 7,342 visitors. Mauritius re-entered a hard lock-down in March 2021 consequent upon an increase in local Covid19 infections. From July 15th to September 30th 2021, vaccinated travellers were admitted for a resort-based holiday on the island and had to stay within their chosen resort premises. All travellers had to have proof of a negative PCR test prior to travel and were tested again on arrival. Further tests were taken on day 7 and 14 of their resort holiday if applicable. Phase 2 began on October 1st 2021, allowing vaccinated travellers entry without restrictions upon presentation of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure Mauritius closed its borders to all international arrivals as of March 19th, 2020, and consequently received just 1,177 stopovers in November 2020. The 65,922 arrivals received in November 2021 were 51.2% of the 128,730 stopovers received in November 2019. In the first eleven months of 2021 Mauritius saw a 57.8% decrease in total stopover arrivals, falling from 307,938 arrivals in 2020 to 129,816 arrivals in the first eleven months of this year. The number one source market in the first eleven months of 2021 was France with 38,828 stopover visitors followed by the United Kingdom with 23,384 stopovers. These two markets together generated 47.9% of all stopovers in 2021. Mauritius received 1,231,390 stopovers through the first eleven months of 2019 with the total received during the first eleven months of 2021 being 10.5% of this total.
Cayman Islands’ Department of Tourism to spend CI$40M promoting Cayman (CNS): The Cayman Islands’ Department of Tourism will be spending close to CI$40 million (US$48 million) over the next two years in an effort to attract back the more than half a million stay-over guests that were visiting the Cayman Islands before the COVID-19 pandemic struck and the tourism sector collapsed. One Cayman Dollar is equal to US$1.20.. The Cayman Islands received 502,739 stopover visitors in 2019 of which 83.3% came from the USA and 6.0% came from Canada. The destination also received 1,831,011 cruise visitors in 2019. Tourism Director Rosa Harris has said she doesn’t expect the number of visitors in 2022 to exceed more than 40% of those who came to the destination in 2019. Appearing before the Government’s Finance Committee on Monday December 6th, Harris said she predicted air passenger numbers for 2022 will be just over 200,000, largely due to problems relating to airlift. She said the new variant Omicron has already impacted the first quarter of 2022 when it comes to flights, and while there is high demand from travellers who want to return to Cayman, the difficulty for them is finding a seat on a plane. She said things should start to improve in the middle of February with the return of American Airlines, but her department would be monitoring the return of tourism on a month-to-month basis, as the pandemic will still be impacting the situation. Harris said that almost all of the money that will be spent trying to attract wealthy travellers over the next couple of years, will go on digital advertising because of the need to be flexible and targeted using data collected over the past few years from previous travellers. “Our investment of these promotional dollars will shift from very traditional print, radio into a full digital mode,” she said, noting the need to change where money is spent with little notice because of changes caused by COVID. Most of the money for TV ads will go into addressable TV, she said, as she explained the targeting of audiences based on their viewing. To address seasonality issues throughout the year, some money would be spent on attracting guests from new markets, such as Latin America, where winter is opposite to North America, and Europe, where people travel for longer periods of time. The Department of Tourism will also be working with Cayman Airways to connect to new US cities. She confirmed that the ‘Dream in Cayman’ promotion and related advertising is continuing, and the creative agencies are currently filming a new digital video for that. The tourism ministry will be allocated a significant amount of the near CI$1 billion expenses in the first year of the 2022/23 budget, given that Cayman Airways will be getting a CI$9.1 million cash injection and the Cayman Turtle Centre will be getting CI$2.5 million to cover some of its losses. The Cayman Turtle Centre will also be taking out a new CI$7 million loan due to the collapse of tourism.
The United States Virgin Islands received 48,062 air arrivals in October 2021, 34.8% more than the 35,660 air visitors received in September 2021. According to numbers published by the USVI Bureau of Economic Research, the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 34.8% in October 2021, growing from 35,660 air arrivals in September 2021 to 48,062 air arrivals in October of this year. The 48,062 air arrivals received in October 2021 were 54.9% more than the 31,027 received in October 2019. The USVI closed its borders to air arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and re-opened as of July 1st 2020. The USVI received 28,012 air arrivals in October 2020. The USVI received 21,575 cruise visitors in October 2021 from eight cruise ship calls. Through the first ten months of 2021 the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 105.9%, from 325,785 air arrivals in the first ten months of 2020 to 670,886 air arrivals in the first ten months of 2021. The 670,886 arrivals received in the first ten months of 2021 were 28.1% higher than the 523,765 air arrivals received in the first ten months of 2019. The USVI reopened to cruise visitors in July 2021 and in the four months of July through October received 51,769 cruise visitors, just 11.7% of the 442,027 cruise visitors received in the first three months of 2020.
Orlando saw a 10.0 percentage point increase in average room occupancy in October 2021, growing from 49.2% in September 2021 to 59.2% this October. According to STR Orlando had 126,493 hotel rooms in October 2021 and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 59.2%, up 10.0 percentage points compared with September 2021 (49.2%), and an ADR of $128.09 up 13.5% compared with September 2021 ($112.89). Orlando’s theme parks closed to visitors as of March 15th, 2020 and consequently Orlando’s hotels experienced an average room occupancy of 35.1% in October 2020. In the first ten months of 2021 Orlando’s hotels saw an average hotel room occupancy of 56.0%, up 13.4 percentage points from the 42.6% achieved in the first ten months of 2020. ADR increased by 2.8% from $113.12 for the first ten months of 2020 to $116.28 for the first ten months of 2021.
Orlando’s Airports saw a 25.9% increase in international deplanements in October 2021. Orlando, Florida is served by two primary airports, Orlando International (MCO) and Sanford International Airport (SFB). In October 2021, the two airports combined saw an increase of 25.9% in international deplanements, growing from 81,074 deplanements from international airports in September 2021 to 102,041 international deplanements in October 2021. Orlando International handled 99.3% of all international deplanements. International deplanements made up 5.1% of total deplanements in October 2021. The two airports combined also saw a 24.6% increase in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, growing from 1,510,928 domestic deplanements in September 2021 to 1,882,815 in October 2021. The two airports combined saw a 24.7% increase in total deplanements, growing from 1,592,002 deplanements in September 2021 to 1,984,856 in October 2021. The two airports saw just 877,191 total deplanements in October 2020. In the first ten months of 2021, the two airports combined saw a drop of 6.0% in international deplanements, falling from 729,922 deplanements from international airports in the first ten months of 2020 to 686,088 international deplanements in the first ten months of 2021. The two airports combined however saw a 90.8% increase in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, growing from 8,654,521 domestic deplanements in the first ten months of 2020 to 16,516,471 in the same ten months of 2021. The two airports combined saw an 83.3% increase in total deplanements, growing from 9,384,443 deplanements in the first ten months of 2020 to 17,202,559 in the first ten months of 2021.
Cancun saw its hotels achieve an average hotel room occupancy of 69.7% in November 2021, an increase of 10.7 percentage points from the 59.0% reported for October. Sedetur, the Department of Tourism of the state of Quintana Roo, recently released the hotel occupancy numbers for the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos and Riviera Maya for November 2021. In November, the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos saw a 10.7 percentage point increase in average hotel room occupancy from 59.0% in October 2021 to 69.7% in November of this year. Cancun’s hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 43.7% in November 2020. It should be noted that as of mid-March 2020 the hotels saw a sharp drop in average room occupancies as strict restrictions on international travel came into effect and the hotels saw limited business in April through November 2020. The 69.7% average room occupancy for November 2021 was 8.9 percentage points lower than the 78.6% achieved in November 2019. The hotels in Riviera Maya saw a 15.9 percentage point increase in average hotel room occupancy growing from 59.5% in October 2021 to 75.4% in November of this year. As with Cancun, traffic in April through November of 2020 was extremely limited. In November 2020, the hotels in Riviera Maya averaged a 27.7% room occupancy. The same hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 79.9% in November 2019. Through the first eleven months of 2021 the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos achieved a 53.7% average room occupancy, up 16.5 percentage points from the 37.2% achieved in the same eleven months of 2020. The hotels achieved an average occupancy of 76.4% in the first eleven months of 2019. For the first eleven months of 2021 the hotels in Riviera Maya achieved an average room occupancy of 50.1%, up 17.3 percentage points from the 32.8% achieved in the same eleven months of 2020. The hotels achieved an average occupancy of 77.8% in the first eleven months of 2019. Riviera Maya/Tulum has 48,200 hotel rooms while the Cancun/Puerto Morelos area has 42,910 hotel rooms.
The OAG reports airlines will offer 3.64 billion scheduled departure seats worldwide in 2021, 63.1% of the total offered in 2019. According to the Official Airlines Guide (OAG) Schedules Analyzer, airlines worldwide will offer a total of 3,640,771,620 scheduled departure seats, that is scheduled airline seats from a country (not including charter carrier seats) for the period January through December 2021. This is 36.9% fewer than for the same twelve months of 2019 but 13.1% more than the 3.21 billion scheduled departure seats offered in 2020. Scheduled departure seats from Central America will reach 99.98 million in 2021, 82.2% of the 2019 total and this region has seen the greatest recovery in such seats. South-East Asia will see the worst recovery and will only see 187.78 million scheduled departure seats, just 35.9% of the 2021 total and 33.9% fewer than the 284.23 million seats offered in 2020. The Caribbean will see 31.41 million scheduled departure seats in 2021, 65.3% of the 48.08 million scheduled departure seats seen in 2019 and 19.8% more than the 26.23 million such seats seen in 2020. For more details click here
Jamaica received 100,654 stopover arrivals in September 2021, a 34.4% decrease compared with August 2021. According to the Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica received 100,654 stopover arrivals in September 2021, a 34.4% decrease compared with the 153,360 stopovers received in August 2021 and 69.6% of the 144,583 stopovers received in September 2019. Jamaica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and reopened again on June 15th 2020. Jamaica consequently had just 28,648 arrivals in September 2020. Stopover arrivals from the USA totaled 88,383 in September 2021, that is 32.1% fewer than the 130,187 stopover visitors received from the USA in August 2021. Stopover arrivals from the USA comprised 87.8% of all stopover arrivals received in September 2021. Jamaica re-opened its ports to cruise ships in August 2021 and received 4,885 cruise passengers during September from three cruise ship calls. Through the first nine months of 2021 Jamaica saw a 39.5% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 695,721 stopover arrivals in the first nine months of 2020 to 970,435 arrivals in the same nine months of 2021. The 970,435 stopovers received in the first nine months of 2021 were 48.0% of the 2,020,508 stopovers received in the first nine months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 85.8% in the first nine months of 2021, growing from 481,201 arrivals in 2020 to 893,990 arrivals in the same nine months of 2021. The USA’s share of all stopover arrivals grew from 69.2% in the first nine months of 2020 to 92.1% in the same nine months of 2021. Jamaica has received 8,381 cruise passengers so far in 2021, 96.8% fewer than the 449,271 received in 2020.
The Seychelles received 24,411 visitor arrivals in November 2021, 10.1% fewer than the 27,140 received in October 2021. The Seychelles Government’s National Bureau of Statistics recently announced that the country received 24,411 total visitor arrivals in November 2021, down 10.1% from the 27,140 received in October 2021. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors and transit visitors. The Seychelles re-opened to international visitors from most countries as of March 25th 2021 with visitors being required to produce evidence of a negative PCR test. The 24,411 visitor arrivals received in November 2021 were 70.7% of the 34,511 received in November 2019. The number one source market in November was France which generated 3,951 stopover visitors (16.2% of the total for the month) followed by Germany with 3,101 stopover visitors (12.7%). The Seychelles closed its borders to cruise ships as of March 9th 2020 and to international air visitors as of March 30th 2020. The Seychelles re-opened its borders to visitors from low and medium risk countries as of October 1st 2020 and consequently received 5,912 stopover visitors in November 2020. In the first eleven months of 2021 The Seychelles saw a 54.6% increase in total visitor arrivals, growing from 102,452 arrivals in 2020 to 158,377 arrivals in the first eleven months of 2021. The 158,377 stopovers received in the first eleven months of 2021 were 45.9% of the 345,294 received in the first eleven months of 2019. Total stopover arrivals from Germany, the number one source market in 2020, fell by 33.5% from 23,011 arrivals in the first eleven months of 2020 to 15,293 arrivals in the same eleven months of 2021. The number one source market in the first eleven months of 2021 was Russia which generated 27,154 visitors, 17.1% of all visitor arrivals for those first eleven months followed by the United Arab Emirates which generated 19,778 visitors, 12.5% of the overall total. The Seychelles received no cruise visitors in the first eleven months of 2021.
Tourism Credits for Aruba grew by 9.1% in the first half of 2021 compared with the same six months of 2020. The Central Bank of Aruba recently reported the tourism credits numbers for the first six months of 2021. Tourism credits are defined by the IMF and UNWTO to be tourism receipts plus timeshare maintenance fees. The Central Bank states that gross tourism receipts for Aruba increased by 9.1% in the first six months of 2021 compared with the same six months of 2020, growing from 1.172 billion florins (US$654.9 million) in 2020 to 1.279 billion florins (US$714.6 million). 1.79 Aruban florins are equal to one US dollar. The 1.279 billion florins received in 2021 were 65.6% of the 1.949 billion florins received in the first six months of 2019. During the first half of 2021 the total number of stopovers visiting Aruba increased by 42.7%, growing from 228,752 stopovers in the first half of 2020 to 326,372 in the first half of 2021. Aruba was closed to international visitors between March 16th and June 30th 2020. The 326,372 stopovers received in 2021 were 56.7% of the 575,649 received in the first six months of 2019. Aruba also received 1,589 cruise visitors in June of 2021, down 99.4% compared with the 255,384 cruise visitors received in the first six months of 2020. While Aruba’s borders were closed to visitors for much of the second quarter of 2020 credits earned during those months include income from long stay visitors, crew, and from maintenance and other related fees paid to hotels and timeshare resorts. The Central Bank also reported that once expenditures made by Arubans travelling abroad were deducted (debits) the total net tourism credits increased by 4.4% in the first six months of 2021, growing from 957.3 million florins in 2020 to 999.0 million florins in the same six months of 2021.
San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) handled 833,268 total passenger movements in November 2021, 10.6% more than the 753,623 handled in October 2021. According to ASUR, which manages many airports in Mexico, Colombia and which also manages the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, SJU saw a 10.6% increase in passenger movements in November 2021, growing from 753,623 total passenger movements in October 2021 to 833,268 movements in November 2021. The 833,268 passenger movements handled in November 2021 were 6.9% higher than the 779,725 handled in November 2019. It should be noted that restrictions on travel began to be put in place in the middle of March 2020. In November 2020 San Juan’s airport handled 440,548 total passenger movements. In the first eleven months of 2021 the overall volume of air passenger movements at San Juan’s airport increased by 102.3%, from 4,331,949 in 2020 to 8,762,283 in the same eleven months of 2021. The total for the first eleven months of 2021 (8,762,283) was 3.0% more than the total for the same eleven months of 2019 (8,510,537).
Cancun’s Airport handled 1,399,489 international air passenger movements in November 2021, 22.6% more than the 1,141,366 international passengers handled in October 2021. According to ASUR, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Cancun Airport saw a 22.6% increase in international passenger movements in November 2021, growing from 1,141,366 international movements in October 2021 to 1,399,489 such movements in November 2021. The 1,399,489 international passenger movements handled in November 2021 were 8.2% more than the 1,293,394 international passengers handled in November 2019. Domestic passenger movements decreased by 1.2% in November 2021, falling from 839,056 passenger movements in October 2021 to 829,239 domestic movements in November of this year. The 829,239 domestic passenger movements handled in November 2021 were 10.9% more than the 747,872 handled in November 2019. Mexico re-opened to international tourist arrivals as of June 8th, 2020, and consequently Cancun handled 583,443 international passenger movements in November 2020, up from 419,731 handled in October 2020. In the first eleven months of 2021 the volume of international air passenger movements increased by 92.2%, growing from 6,035,540 movements in 2020 to 11,603,123 movements in the first eleven months of 2021 while the volume of domestic air passenger movements increased by 72.7%, from 4,754,951 movements in the first eleven months of 2020 to 8,210,706 in the same eleven months of 2021. By comparison with the first eleven months of 2019 the volume of international air passenger movements in 2021 was 77.5% of the 2019 total, falling from 14,976,125 movements in 2019 to 11,603,123 movements in the first eleven months of 2021 while the volume of 2021 domestic air passenger movements were almost identical to the 2019 total, growing from 8,210,113 movements in the first eleven months of 2019 to 8,210,706 in the same eleven months of 2021. In the first eleven months of 2021 international passenger movements accounted for 58.5% of all passenger movements, up from 55.9% in 2020 but down from 64.6% in the first eleven months of 2019.
Bonaire received 67,300 tourists arriving by air in the first nine months of 2021. According to Central Bureau of Statistics of the Government of the Netherlands, Bonaire received 67,300 tourists who arrived by air in the first nine months of 2021, 26.5% more than the 53,200 received in the first nine months of 2020 and 56.9% of the 118,200 visitors who arrived by air in the first nine months of 2019. Of the 67,300 visitors, 55.0% arrived from the Netherlands while 18.0% arrived from Aruba, Curacao, or St. Maarten. 14.0% arrived from the USA with 13% coming from other countries. In the first nine months of 2021 Bonaire’s Flamingo Airport handled a total of 79,720 passenger arrivals (visitors and returning residents) and 80,130 total passenger departures (visitors and departing residents).
Los Cabos handled 361,600 international passenger movements in November 2021, up 12.5% compared with October 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Los Cabos Airport saw a 12.5% increase in international passenger traffic in November 2021, that is enplanements and deplanements, growing from 321,300 international passenger movements in October 2021 to 361,600 international passenger movements in November 2021. Mexico re-opened to international tourist arrivals as of June 8th, 2020, and consequently Los Cabos handled 206,600 international passenger movements in November 2020. The 361,600 international passenger movements seen in November 2021 were 12.6% higher than the 321,200 international movements handled in November 2019. Domestic traffic decreased slightly, by 0.6%, falling from 189,200 passenger movements in October 2021 to 188,000 passenger movements in November 2021. Los Cabos handled 146,200 domestic passenger movements in November 2020. The 188,000 domestic passenger movements seen in November 2021 were 23.7% more than the 152,000 domestic passenger movements handled in November 2019. Through the first eleven months of 2021 Los Cabos Airport saw international passenger movements increase by 90.5%, from 1,650,600 in 2020 to 3,144,900 in the first eleven months of 2021. Domestic passenger movements increased by 70.7% in the first eleven months of 2021, growing from 1,067,500 in 2020 to 1,822,600 in the first eleven months of 2021. By comparison with the first eleven months of 2019 international passenger movements were down by 5.6%, while domestic movements increased by 3.9%.
Montego Bay Airport handled 270,700 total passenger movements in November 2021, 29.7% more than the 208,700 handled in October 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Montego Bay Airport increase by 29.7% in November 2021, growing from 208,700 total movements in October 2021 to 270,700 movements in November 2021. The total number of passenger movements in November 2021 was 77.7% of the 348,200 handled in November 2019. It should be noted that Jamaica closed its borders to international visitors as of March 21st, 2020 and re-opened to such visitors as of June 15th 2020. As a result, Montego Bay Airport handled just 87,800 passenger movements in November 2020. Through the first eleven months of 2021 Montego Bay Airport saw total passenger movements increase by 50.5%, from 1,488,500 in 2020 to 2,240,400 in the first eleven months of 2021. The 2021 total of 2,240,400 movements was 52.6% of the 4,258,300 passenger movements handled in the first eleven months of 2019. In 2021 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
Kingston, Jamaica Airport saw 78,000 total passenger movements in November 2021, an increase of 0.1% compared with October 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Kingston Jamaica’s Airport increase by 0.1% in November 2021, growing from 77,900 total movements in October 2021 to 78,000 total passenger movements in November 2021. Kingston Airport handled 133,200 passenger movements in November 2019. While Kingston Airport re-opened to international travelers as of June 15th, 2020, the total number of passenger movements in November 2020 was 39,500 passengers. Through the first eleven months of 2021 Kingston’s Airport saw total passenger movements grow by 26.2%, from 571,800 in 2020 to 721,800 in the first eleven months of 2021. In 2021 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements. Mexico received 1,290,981 international air arrivals in October, up 28.7% compared with September 2021. According to the Government of Mexico’s SECTUR (Department of Tourism) Mexico received 1,290,981 international air arrivals in October 2021, up 28.7% compared with the 1,003,081 arrivals received in September 2021. Mexico’s border with the USA was closed as of March 20, 2020 and consequently Mexico received 564,065 international visitors in October 2020. The 1,290,981 international air arrivals received in October 2021 were 95.6% of the 1,350,001 international visitors received in October 2019. Mexico received 863,020 air visitors from the USA in October, 66.8% of the total. Canada was the second biggest market (64,912 visitors) with Colombia third largest (61,627 visitors). Cancun Airport received 563,824 international air visitor arrivals in October 2021, 43.7% of the overall total. Los Cabos received 159,202 international air arrivals with Puerto Vallarta receiving 94,453 air visitors. In the first ten months of 2021 the volume of international air arrivals to Mexico increased by 69.6%, from 6,280,836 arrivals in 2020 to 10,650,829 arrivals in the first ten months of this year. The 10,650,829 arrivals received in 2021 were 66.7% of the 15,961,518 international arrivals received in the first ten months of 2019. The volume of air arrivals from the USA increased by 108.8% in the same ten months, from 3,846,466 air arrivals in 2020 to 8,030,770 air arrivals in 2021 while the volume from Canada fell by 78.7%, from 913,042 air arrivals in 2020 to 194,524 in 2021. Cancun Airport saw a 92.5% increase in international air arrivals in the first ten months of 2021, growing from 2,542,465 arrivals in 2020 to 4,895,374 arrivals in 2021 while Los Cabos saw a 95.5% increase growing from 688,663 international air arrivals in 2020 to 1,346,241 air arrivals in 2021. Puerto Vallarta saw a 27.5% increase, growing from 598,446 international arrivals in 2020 to 762,934 international arrivals in the first ten months of 2021.
The Turks and Caicos Islands reports receiving 165,139 stopover visitors in the first six months of 2021, up 35.3% compared with 2020. According to the Statistics Department of the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, the islands received 165,139 stopover visitors in the first six months of 2021, a 35.3% increase compared with the 122,034 stopovers received in the same six months of 2020. The 165,139 stopovers were 60.3% of the 273,636 stopovers received in the first six months of 2019. The Statistics Department did not publish any data on the origin the visitors. There were no cruise visitors in the first six months of 2021.
Saint Lucia received 20,545 stopovers in October 2021, 37.9% more than the 14,896 stopovers received in September 2021. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Saint Lucia saw a 37.9% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in October 2021, growing from 14,896 stopovers in September 2021 to 20,545 stopovers in October 2021. Saint Lucia received 2,833 cruise visitors in October from ten cruise ship calls. Saint Lucia reopened its ports to cruise ships in June 2021. Saint Lucia also received 267 visitors in October 2021 who arrived by yacht. Saint Lucia closed its borders to international visitor arrivals on March 23rd 2020 and re-opened its borders in June 2020. Saint Lucia consequently received 7,890 stopover arrivals in October 2020. The 20,545 stopovers received in October 2021 were 76.3% of the 26,923 stopovers received in October 2019. Saint Lucia received 12,645 stopover arrivals from the USA in October 2021, 13.0% more than the 11,191 stopovers received in September 2021 with the 12,645 stopovers comprising 61.5% of all stopover arrivals in October 2021. Through the first ten months of 2021, Saint Lucia saw a 34.3% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 108,631 stopovers in the first ten months of 2020 to 145,932 stopovers in the same ten months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 127.2%, from 53,410 in the first ten months of 2020 to 121,348 in the same ten months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. fell by 18.5% from 22,032 in 2020 to 17,956 stopovers in the same ten months of 2021. The 145,932 stopovers received in 2021 were 42.2% of the 346,143 stopovers received in the first ten months of 2019. Saint Lucia has received 8,233 cruise visitors so far in 2021 compared with 297,885 received in 2020 and received 1,437 visitors who arrived by yacht compared with 21,507 in the first ten months of 2020.
The Maldives reports it received 142,066 stopover visitor arrivals in October, up 23.7% compared with September 2021. The Maldives Government’s Ministry of Tourism recently announced that The Maldives received 142,066 stopover visitors in October 2021, up 23.7% from the 114,896 stopovers received in September 2021. The Maldives closed its borders to tourist arrivals on March 27th 2020 and re-opened to all tourists as of July 15th 2020. Consequently, the Maldives received just 21,515 stopover visitors in October 2020. The 142,066 stopovers received in October 2021 were 0.1% more than the 141,928 stopovers received in October 2019. In October 2021 India was by far the number one source market and generated 29,603 stopovers of the total overall stopovers (20.8%) while Russia was the number two source market and generated 17,570 stopovers (12.4%) while Germany was number three with 16,354 stopovers. The Maldives re-opened its borders to visitors from India as of July 15th 2021. In the first ten months of 2021 The Maldives saw a 139.3% increase in total arrivals, growing from 423,325 stopovers in the first ten months of 2020 to 1,012,928 stopovers in the same ten months of 2021 with India (230,052 visitors) and Russia (188,878 visitors) being, by far, the two largest source markets in these ten months. The 1,012,928 visitors received in the first ten months of 2021 was 72.7% of the 1,393,618 visitors received in the first ten months of 2019. The Maldives saw the overall number of operating accommodation establishments grow by 103.2% from an average of 370 in the first ten months of 2020 to an average of 752 establishments in the same ten months of 2021. The number of beds in operation grew by 90.3% from 25,336 in the first ten months of 2020 to 48,217 this year. It should be noted many accommodation establishments closed in April 2020 consequent upon the closure of the borders. Through the end of October 2021 overall average room occupancy had grown by 28.8 percentage points from 23.6% in 2020 to 52.4% for the first ten months of this year. Of the 752 establishments in operation 153 were resorts which offered 35,998 beds. These resorts achieved a 59.9% average room occupancy through the first ten months of 2021 up from 26.5% for the first ten months of 2020. Through the first ten months of 2020 there was an average of 83 resorts in operation offering 19,441 beds.
Las Vegas saw a 15.5% increase in visitors in October 2021 compared with September 2021. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Las Vegas saw the volume of visitors increase by 15.5% in October 2021, growing from 2,935,600 arrivals in September 2021 to 3,390,200 in October of 2021. The state of Nevada ordered the closure of all casinos as of March 17th, 2020 but re-opened all casinos as of June 4th, 2020. Consequently, Las Vegas received 1,856,900 visitors in October 2020. The 3,390,200 arrivals received in October 2021 were 92.4% of the 3,668,100 arrivals received in October 2019. Las Vegas had a weighted average of 150,535 open hotel rooms in October 2021 (up 7.0% compared with October 2020) and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 81.6% (46.9% in October 2020), an ADR of $173.68 and a RevPar of $141.72. Through the first ten months of 2021 Las Vegas saw a 60.5% increase in the volume of visitors, growing from 16,269,400 arrivals in the first ten months of 2020 to 26,113,900 visitors in the same ten months of 2021. The total number of visitors for the first ten months of 2021 was 79.1% of the 35,548,300 received in the first ten months of 2019. Las Vegas achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 65.2% in the first ten months of 2021 (up 21.6 percentage points compared with the first ten months of 2020), an ADR of $133.60 (up 7.5% compared with the same ten months of 2020) and a RevPar of $87.11 up 60.8%, also compared with the same ten months of 2020. Gaming revenue increased by 73.9% in the first ten months of 2021, from $5.344 billion in 2020 to $9.294 billion in the same ten months of 2021. Gaming revenue in the first ten months of 2021 was 7.7% higher than the $8.633 billion in gaming revenue generated in the first ten months of 2019.
Fewer foreign tourists, but lots more Dutch people had holidays at home Dutch hotels, campsites and holiday parks all reported having fewer foreign visitors in the third quarter of 2021, but the number of domestic tourists soared by 12%. In total, 2.7 million foreign tourists visited the Netherlands during the summer, down 13% on 2020, and less than half the pre coronavirus total, according to new figures from national statistics agency CBS. In particular, the number of German tourists fell sharply – down by 34%. This may be connected to the relatively high coronavirus figures in the Netherlands at the start of the summer, the CBS said. By contrast, some 10 million people from the Netherlands spent a night elsewhere in the country during the summer period – due to the popularity of staycations. Despite the rise in domestic tourism, hotels and holiday parks had 9% fewer visitors than in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic struck.
Belize received 13,574 stopover visitors in October 2021, up 16.2% from the 11,685 received in September 2021. According to the Belize Tourism Board, Belize received 13,574 stopover visitors in October 2021, up 16.2% from the 11,685 received in September 2021. Belize closed its borders as of April 5th 2020, and consequently just received 3,179 stopover visitors in October 2020. The country reopened to visitors in October 2020. The 13,574 stopover visitors received in October 2021 were 53.6% of the 25,341 stopover visitors received in October 2019. Belize received 10,837 stopover arrivals from the USA in October 2021, 630 from Europe, 169 from Mexico and 441 from Canada. Belize received 12 cruise ship calls in October with 23,573 cruise visitors. July was the first month in 2021 the cruise port in Belize re-opened to cruise visitors. In the first ten months of 2021 Belize saw the number of stopovers increase by 24.5%, from 130,054 visitors in the first ten months of 2020 to 161,856 in the first ten months of 2021. The 161,856 visitors received in 2021 were 39.7% of the 408,152 received in the first ten months of 2019. Stopovers from the USA increased by 70.2% in the first ten months of 2021, from 80,187 in 2020 to 136,457 in the same ten months of 2021. Stopovers from Canada fell by 84.3% in the first ten months, to 2,209 arrivals while stopovers from Europe fell by 71.5% in the same ten months, to 4,520 arrivals. Belize received 72,086 cruise visitors in July through October, down 72.1% compared with the 343,099 cruise visitors received in 2020.
Barbados received 18,504 stopovers in October 2021, 7.5% more than the 17,209 stopovers received in September 2021. According to the Barbados Statistical Service, Barbados saw a 7.5% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in October 2021, growing from 17,209 stopovers in September 2021 to 18,504 stopovers in October 2021. Barbados received 467 landed cruise visitors in October. Barbados reopened its ports to cruise ships in April 2021. Barbados imposed a mandatory 14-day quarantine on all visitor arrivals as of March 22nd 2020 which remained in place until October 24th 2021. Barbados consequently received 2,389 stopover arrivals in October 2020. The 18,504 stopovers received in October 2021 were 35.3% of the 52,400 stopovers received in October 2019. Barbados received 10,379 stopover arrivals from the United Kingdom in October 2021, and 4,543 stopovers from the USA. Through the first ten months of 2021, Barbados saw a 52.0% decrease in the number of stopover visitors, falling from 170,238 stopovers in the first ten months of 2020 to 81,728 stopovers in the same ten months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA declined by 28.8%, falling from 37,137 in the first ten months of 2020 to 26,453 in the same ten months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. fell by 42.5%, falling from 53,383 in 2020 to 30,712 stopovers in the same ten months of 2021. The 81,728 stopovers received in the first ten months of 2021 were 14.3% of the 573,281 stopovers received in the first ten months of 2019. Barbados has received 3,202 landed cruise visitors in 2021 compared with 93,233 received in 2020.
Hawaii reports the state received 550,781 out-of-state tourists in October, up 8.9% compared with September 2021. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 8.9% in October 2021, growing from 505,861 air arrivals received in September 2021 to 550,781 arrivals in October 2021. Total spending for visitors arriving in October 2021 was $1.122 billion, up 6.5% compared with September 2021 but 15.3% lower than in October 2019. In October 2021, passengers arriving from out-of-state could bypass the State’s mandatory 10-day self-quarantine if they were fully vaccinated in the United States or with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner prior to their departure through the Safe Travels program. On August 23, 2021, Hawai‘i Governor David Ige urged travelers to curtail non-essential travel until the end of October 2021 due to a surge in Delta variant cases that has overburdened the state’s health care facilities and resources. April 2020 was the first full month of travel restrictions to keep the community safe, following the State of Hawai‘i’s 14-day mandatory travel quarantine for all passengers (effective March 26, 2020). Consequently, the number of out of state air arrivals was 76,691 for October 2020. The 550,781 arrivals received in October 2021 were 71.0% of the 775,675 arrivals received in October 2019. Hawaii received 521,690 air arrivals from the mainland USA in October 2021, 94.7% of the overall total, 9,657 arrivals from Canada, 2,155 arrivals from Japan and 17,279 air arrivals from other markets. Through the first ten months of 2021 Hawaii saw a 139.6% increase in the volume of air arrivals, growing from 2,257,719 air arrivals in the first ten months of 2020 to 5,410,436 air arrivals in the same ten months of 2021. Air arrivals in the first ten months of 2021 were 63.6% of the 8,509,490 received in the first ten months of 2019. For the first ten months of 2021, total visitor spending was estimated to be $10.155 billion, 69.7% of the $14.579 billion spent in the first ten months of 2019. Person per trip spending grew by 9.6% from $1,713.30 per person per trip in the first ten months of 2019 to $1,877.10 per person per trip in the first ten months of 2021. Air arrivals from the USA increased by 229.4% in the first ten months of 2021, growing from 1,585,766 air arrivals in 2020 to 5,223,570 air arrivals in the same ten months of 2021, fell by 94.0% from Japan (from 286,963 arrivals in 2020 to 17,195 air arrivals in 2021) and fell by 82.7% from Canada (from 159,527 in 2020 to 27,570 air arrivals in 2021).
So far this year tourists to Greece spend more per capita than in 2020 and 2019. Average spending per tourist in Greece over the first nine months of the year was 25% higher than in 2020 and slightly more compared to the same period in 2019, Bank of Greece (BOG) data show. This has multiplied the benefits of the rebound of tourism this year, which – after slumping 76.5% in 2020 – managed to recover 54.3% of arrivals in the record-breaking 2019, according to Civil Aviation Authority data for January-October. The central bank revealed on Monday that average spending per trip to Greece in the year to end-September amounted to 746 euros, compared to €594 over the same period in 2020, and €583 in January-September 2019. Projections made by economists, provided there is no dramatic plunge in tourism numbers in November and December, indicate that travel receipts could well rise to €12 billion this year, or 65-68% of those in 2019, which reached €18.2 billion. That was Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias’ estimate too, although it is possible that the advent of the fourth wave of the pandemic could scupper that forecast. The BOG reported a 139.3% annual increase, or €5.09 billion, in travel receipts during the first nine months of the year, as they reached €8.758 billion. In any case, this year’s tourism rebound has been impressive: The aviation authority figures showed passenger traffic in October alone soared 118.1% from the same month last year, while incoming traffic from abroad increased 126.9% from October 2020. The total statistics from all of the country’s airports for January-October show a 69% increase from 2020, with passengers numbering 32,057,627, against 18,967,841 in the first 10 months last year. The number of flights at Greek airports amounted to 339,187, of which 138,344 were domestic and 200,843 international. That constitutes year-on-year growth of 45.9% from last year’s 232,442 flights. However, compared with 2019, flights are down 29.2%. October was exceptionally positive for Greek tourism, as it only lagged the 2019 arrivals at airports by 10.1%, and total passenger traffic at Greek airports was just 11.6% short of the high of 5,650,541 recorded in 2019. The question now is whether this momentum can be maintained now that new restrictions are in place in other countries.
St. Vincent & The Grenadines received 11,208 air visitors in the first nine months of 2021. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank St. Vincent & The Grenadines received 11,208 air visitors in the first nine months of 2021, down 47.0% from the 21,150 received in the first nine months of 2020 but just 18.0% of the 62,345 visitors who arrived by air in the first nine months of 2019. Of the 11,208 visitors 51.8% arrived from the USA while 17.6% arrived from the United Kingdom, 5.4% arrived from Canada and 13.8% were from the Caribbean itself. St. Vincent & The Grenadines also received 239 cruise visitors in the first nine months of 2021 just 0.2% of the 158,771 cruise visitors who arrived in the first nine months of 2019. St. Vincent & The Grenadines also received 2,324 visitors who arrived by yacht in the first nine months of 2021, 5.0% of the total received in the same nine months of 2019.
St. Kitts & Nevis received 9,909 air visitors in the first nine months of 2021. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank St. Kitts & Nevis received 9,909 air visitors in the first nine months of 2021, down 65.0% from the 28,333 received in the first nine months of 2020 but just 10.3% of the 95,907 visitors who arrived by air in the first nine months of 2019. Of the 9,909 visitors 78.8% arrived from the USA while 1.9% arrived from the United Kingdom, 3.1% arrived from Canada and 11.2% were from the Caribbean itself. St. Kitts & Nevis also received 2,169 cruise visitors in the first nine months of 2021 just 0.3% of the 767,580 cruise visitors who arrived in the first nine months of 2019. St. Kitts & Nevis also received eight visitors who arrived by yacht in the first nine months of 2021, 0.2% of the total received in the same nine months of 2019.
Grenada received 24,408 air visitors in the first nine months of 2021. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Grenada received 24,408 air visitors in the first nine months of 2021, down 36.2% from the 38,274 received in the first nine months of 2020 but just 19.6% of the 124,168 visitors who arrived by air in the first nine months of 2019. Of the 24,408 visitors 55.7% arrived from the USA while 8.1% arrived from the United Kingdom, 2.0% arrived from Canada and 6.0% were from the Caribbean itself. Grenada received no cruise visitors in the first nine months of 2021 having received 224,062 cruise visitors in the first nine months of 2019. Grenada also received 1,923 visitors who arrived by yacht in the first nine months of 2021, 9.7% of the total received in the same nine months of 2019.
Dominica received 8,510 air visitors in the first nine months of 2021. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Dominica received 8,510 air visitors in the first nine months of 2021, down 56.2% from the 19,408 received in the first nine months of 2020 but just 13.2% of the 64,284 visitors who arrived by air in the first nine months of 2019. Of the 8,510 visitors 36.6% arrived from the USA while 7.4% arrived from the United Kingdom, 1.7% arrived from Canada and 44.0% were from the Caribbean itself. Dominica also received 2,940 cruise visitors in the first nine months of 2021 just 1.9% of the 157,884 cruise visitors who arrived in the first nine months of 2019. Dominica also received 352 visitors who arrived by yacht in the first nine months of 2021, 3.3% of the total received in the same nine months of 2019.
Anguilla received 16,281 air visitors in the first nine months of 2021. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Anguilla received 16,281 air visitors in the first nine months of 2021, down 30.1% from the 23,301 received in the first nine months of 2020 but just 21.7% of the 75,090 visitors who arrived by air in the first nine months of 2019. Of the 16,281 visitors 85.2% arrived from the USA while 3.0% arrived from the United Kingdom, 1.5% arrived from Canada and 3.4% were from the Caribbean itself.
U.S. citizens’ outbound travel from the USA to international destinations fell by 11.1% in September 2021. The United States Government’s Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) recently released the figures for U.S. citizens outbound travel from the USA to international destinations for September 2021.
The overall number of trips taken by US citizens to international destinations declined by 14.5% in September 2021, falling from 4,900,377 trips in August 2021 to 4,190,809 trips in September 2021.
The number of trips taken to the Caribbean declined by 36.9%, falling from 650,496 trips in August 2021 to 410,160 trips in September 2021.
The 410,160 trips to the Caribbean were 9.8% of all international trips taken by US citizens in September 2021 to all international destinations.
Given that many countries had restrictions in place in September 2020, limiting international arrivals, only 127,001 US citizens visited Caribbean countries in September 2020.
The 410,160 trips taken to the Caribbean in September 2021 were 97.4% of the 421,173 trips taken to the Caribbean in September 2019.
Trips to Europe declined by 7.7% in September, falling from 817,101 trips in August 2021 to 754,487 trips in September 2021. Trips to Europe were 18.0% of trips taken by US citizens in September 2021. The 754,487 trips taken by US citizens to Europe in September 2021 were 38.2% of the 1,976,641 trips taken to Europe in September 2019.
The number of trips taken to Mexico by air declined by 18.5%, falling from 827,615 trips in August 2021 to 674,696 trips in September 2021.This segment’s share of all trips taken by US citizens was 16.1% in September 2021. The 674,696 trips were 37.4% more than the 490,925 trips taken to Mexico by air by US citizens in September 2019.
Please note the NTTO’s definition of the Caribbean does not include Puerto Rico or the United States Virgin Islands as, for the purposes of the study, they are deemed to be US territories and the focus of the system (APIS) is non-stop air traffic (segmented here for U.S. citizens) to foreign countries.
In the first nine months of 2021
The overall number of trips taken by US citizens to international destinations increased by 29.7% in the first nine months of 2021, growing from 25.46 million trips in the first nine months of 2020 to 33.03 million trips in the same nine months of 2021.
The 33,033,473 total international trips taken in the first nine months of 2021 were 43.7% of the 75,543,117 trips taken in the first nine months of 2019.
The number of trips taken to the Caribbean increased by 99.5% in the first nine months of 2021, growing from 2,306,733 trips in 2020, to 4,601,011 trips in the first nine months of 2021. The share of trips taken to the Caribbean grew from 9.1% in 2020 to 13.9% in 2021.
The 4,601,011 trips taken to the Caribbean in the first nine months of 2021 were 62.3% of the 7,386,926 trips taken by US residents to the Caribbean in the first nine months of 2019.
Trips to Europe increased by 46.8%, growing from 2,299,435 trips in the first nine months of 2020 to 3,375,380 in the same nine months of 2021. The 3,375,380 trips taken in 2021 were 22.3% of the 15,127,258 trips taken to Europe in the first nine months of 2019.
The number of trips taken to Mexico by air grew by 115.2%, from 3,266,610 trips in the first nine months of 2020 to 7,029,002 in the same nine months of 2021. The 7,029,002 trips were 92.6% of the 7,592,007 trips taken by US citizens by air to Mexico in the first nine months of 2019. This segment’s share of all trips grew from 12.8% in the first nine months of 2020 to 21.3% in the same nine months of 2021.
Hawaii’s hotels report a 0.3 percentage point decline in average room occupancy in October compared with September, falling from 55.2% to 54.9% According to the Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report published by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), statewide hotel room occupancy fell by 0.3 percentage points from 55.2% in September 2021 to 54.9% in October of this year. ADR grew by 1.0% however from $304.32 in September to $307.50 in October, as did revpar which grew by 0.6%, from $167.92 in September 2021 to $168.90 in October of this year. Hawai‘i’s quarantine order for travelers due to the COVID-19 pandemic began on March 26, 2020, which immediately resulted in dramatic declines for the hotel industry. Many properties closed or reduced operations starting in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hotel sector posted an average room occupancy of 19.7% in October 2020. Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide grew by 4.8%, from $270.0 million in September 2021 to $283.0 million in October 2021. Room demand grew by 3.7%, from 887,100 room nights in September to 920,200 room nights in October while room supply grew by 4.2% from 1,607,700 room nights in September to 1,675,300 room nights in October. In October 2021, passengers arriving from out-of-state could bypass the State’s mandatory 10-day self-quarantine if they were fully vaccinated in the United States or with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner prior to their departure through the Safe Travels program. For the first ten months of 2021 statewide hotel room occupancy increased by 14.5 percentage points from 41.3% in 2020 to 55.8% in the first ten months of 2021. ADR increased by 17.9% from $267.91 in 2020 to $315.91 while revpar grew by 59.2%, from $110.75 in the first ten months of 2020 to $176.31 in the first ten months of this year. In the first ten months of 2021, Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide increased by 127.1% from $1.228 billion in 2020 to $2.787 billion in the first ten months of this year. Total rooms revenues for the first ten months of 2021 were 24.6% lower than for the same ten months of 2019. Room demand increased by 92.5%, to 8,822,800 room nights in the same ten months. Room supply grew by 42.6% to 15,809,000 available room nights also in the first ten months. Room demand was 33.7% less than for the same ten months of 2019 while room supply was 3.6% lower. The Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report is produced using hotel survey data compiled by STR, Inc., the largest survey of its kind in Hawai‘i. The survey generally excludes properties with under 20 lodging units, such as small bed and breakfasts, youth hostels, single-family vacation rentals, cottages, individually rented vacation condominiums and sold timeshare units no longer available for hotel use. The data has been weighted both geographically and by class of property to compensate for any over and/or under representation of hotel survey participants by location and type. For October, the survey included 144 properties1 representing 46,385 rooms, or 85.8 percent of all lodging properties and 86.3 percent of operating lodging properties with 20 rooms or more in the Hawaiian Islands, including full service, limited service, and condominium hotels. The October survey included 76 properties on O‘ahu representing 29,092 rooms (95.2% of operating properties); 38 properties in the County of Maui, representing 9,386 rooms (73.2% of operating properties); 15 properties on the island of Hawai‘i, representing 4,760 rooms (71.4% of operating properties); and 15 properties on Kaua‘i, representing 3,147 rooms (78.8% of operating properties).
The Bahamas reports the islands received 52,915 stopovers in October 2021, 25.7% more than the 42,111 stopovers received in September 2021. According to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, The Islands of The Bahamas received 52,915 stopover visitors in October 2021, 25.7% more than the 42,111 stopovers received in September 2021, The 52,915 stopovers received in October 2021 were 68.2% of the 77,590 stopovers received in October 2019. The Bahamas closed its borders to foreign visitors as of March 24th 2020 and re-opened its borders as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, The Bahamas received 6,448 stopover visitors in October 2020. Of the 52,915 stopover visitors who arrived in October, 47,309 (89.4%) were from the USA with 1,313 coming from Canada and 1,778 from Europe. During October 42,694 stopovers stayed in Nassau/Paradise Island, which was 80.7% of all stopovers, with 2,167 stopovers (4.1%) staying in Grand Bahama, and 8,054 stopovers (15.2%) staying in The Out Islands. During the first ten months of 2021 The Bahamas saw a 67.3% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 427,682 stopover visitors in the first ten months of 2020 to 715,453 stopovers in the same ten months of 2021. The number of visitors from the USA increased by 95.7% in the first ten months, growing from 344,903 stopovers in 2020 to 675,002 stopovers in the first ten months of 2021. The number from Canada fell by 85.6%, falling from 42,326 in 2020 to 6,087 in the first ten months of 2021, while the number from Europe fell by 50.0%, falling from 24,447 in 2020 to 12,213 in the first ten months of 2021. Traffic from the USA in the first ten months of 2021 was 53.1% of the total from the USA in the same ten months of 2019. Nassau/Paradise Island saw a 57.8% increase in the first ten months of 2021, growing from 318,893 stopovers in the first ten months of 2020 to 503,288 stopovers in the same ten months of 2021, while Grand Bahama Island saw a 63.2% increase in stopover traffic, growing from 20,876 stopovers in 2020 to 34,074 in the same ten months of 2021. Stopover traffic to the Out Islands increased by 102.6%, growing from 87,913 stopover visitors in 2020 to 178,091 in the first ten months of 2021. Traffic to Nassau/Paradise Island in the first ten months of 2021 was 43.7% of the total for the same ten months of 2019 while traffic to Grand Bahama was 35.7% of the total for the same ten months of 2019, while traffic to the Out Islands was 59.1% of the total for the same ten months of 2019. Please note these numbers are preliminary and may be subject to change.
The Dominican Republic’s hotels averaged 61.1% room occupancy during October 2021. According to ASONAHORES, the hotel and tourism association of the Dominican Republic, the hotels of the Dominican Republic posted an overall average hotel room occupancy of 61.1% in October 2021, up 9.5 percentage points from the 51.6% achieved in September 2021. The Dominican Republic’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 55.1% in October 2019. It should be noted that on August 16th 2021 the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Tourism ordered that hotels could open to 100% of their capacity while maintaining social distancing measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19. About 87% of all hotels in the Dominican Republic with approximately 73,000 rooms have re-opened. At a regional level, the hotels in Punta Cana posted an average room occupancy of 64.1% for October 2021, with hotels in Puerto Plata averaging 42.8% and hotels in Santo Domingo averaging 57.5%, also in October of this year. The hotel sector posted a combined overall average occupancy of 46.7% for the first ten months of 2021 compared with 72.2% for the first ten months of 2019. At a regional level during the first ten months of the year, the destination Santiago de los Caballeros recorded the highest occupancy rate at 52.5%. Samana’s hotels posted an overall average room occupancy of 46.7% with the Roman–Bayahibe area posting an average occupancy of 51.6%. Punta Cana’s hotels posted an average hotel room occupancy of 47.4% in the first ten months of 2021 while the hotels in Puerto Plata posted an overall average of 41.3%. Hotels in Santo Domingo posted an average room occupancy of 47.8% for the first ten months of 2021.
Punta Cana received 211,890 tourists in October 2021, 19.8% more than the 176,890 received in October 2019. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, received 211,890 stopovers in October 2021, 19.8% more than the 176,890 stopovers received in October 2019 and 30.0% more than the 163,000 received in September 2021. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and re-opened to tourists as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Punta Cana received visitors in October 2020. Punta Cana received 78,053 stopover arrivals from the USA in October 2021, 4.1% more than the 74,999 stopovers received in September 2021. Russia was the second largest source market (19,863 stopovers) with Canada third (19,514 stopovers). The Dominican Republic currently has limited restrictions for entry to the country. During the first ten months of 2021 Punta Cana saw a 90.4% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 823,087 arrivals in the first ten months of 2020 to 1,567,128 non-resident arrivals in the first ten months of 2021. However, the total for 2021 was just 52.4% of the 2,990,218 stopovers received in the first ten months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 268.0% in the first ten months of 2021, growing from 256,474 arrivals in the first ten months of 2020 to 943,928 arrivals in the same ten months of 2021. Traffic was down 78.4% from Canada, falling from 230,874 arrivals in the first ten months of 2020 to 49,787 arrivals in the first ten months of 2021. Traffic was also down 95.1% from the UK, falling from 26,411 arrivals in 2020 to just 1,300 stopovers in the first ten months of 2021. Traffic increased by 415.9% from Colombia, was up 96.2% from Germany, up 207.7% from Spain and up 0.2% from France but was down 56.1% from Argentina. In the first ten months of 2021, stopover arrivals to Punta Cana made up 41.8% of all non-resident arrivals to the Dominican Republic compared with 43.7% in the same ten months of 2020.
The Dominican Republic received 443,016 non-resident visitors in October 2021, 19.0% more than the 372,205 stopovers received in October 2019. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic the Dominican Republic, received 443,016 stopovers in October 2021, 19.0% more than the 372,205 stopovers received in October 2019 and 21.2% more than the 365,540 received in September 2021. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and re-opened to international visitors as of July 1st 2020 and consequently received just 138,276 stopovers in October 2020. The Dominican Republic received 136,996 stopover arrivals from the USA in October 2021, 1.0% more than the 135,632 stopovers received from the USA in September 2021. The Dominican Republic also received 22,057 stopover visitors from Canada in October 2021. 21.1% of the non-resident arrivals in October 2021 were Dominicans living abroad and returning to the Dominican Republic compared with 48.7% in October 2020. In the first ten months of 2021 the Dominican Republic saw a 99.1% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 1,881,756 arrivals in the first ten months of 2020 to 3,746,761 non-resident arrivals in the same ten months of 2021. Non-resident arrivals from the USA increased by 219.3% in the first ten months of 2021, growing from 529,396 arrivals in 2020 to 1,690,531 arrivals from the USA in the first ten months of 2021. Stopover arrivals from Canada fell by 83.4%, from 343,920 in the first ten months of 2020 to 57,073 in the same ten months of 2021. The 3,746,761 stopovers received in the first ten months of 2021 were 69.9% of the 5,359,903 stopovers received in the first ten months of 2019. In the first ten months of 2021 28.1% of all non-resident tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic were non-resident Dominicans returning home, up from 25.0% in the same ten months of 2020.
Cuba announces it received 23,144 international stopover visitors in October 2021, 37.0% more than the 16,898 international visitors received in September 2021. The Cuban Government’s Office of National Statistics and Information (ONEI) recently announced that total international tourist arrivals increased by 37.0% in October 2021, growing from 16,898 international stopover arrivals in September 2021 to 23,144 arrivals in October of this year. This number includes both stopover visitors and cruise visitors. Cuba closed its borders to international tourist arrivals on March 20 2020 and consequently received just 3,335 international stopovers in October 2020. The 23,144 stopovers received in October 2021 were just 9.8% of the 235,613 international visitors received in October 2019. Cuba received 10,712 stopovers from Russia in October 2021, 46.3% of all stopovers received for the month and 5,353 stopovers from Canada. In the first ten months of 2021 Cuba saw a 79.5% decrease in total international arrivals, falling from 993,018 arrivals in 2020 to 203,806 stopovers this year. The 203,806 arrivals were just 5.7% of the 3,563,005 international visitors received in the first ten months of 2019. Total tourist arrivals from Canada fell by 96.4% in the first ten months of 2021, from 404,921 arrivals in 2020 to 14,618 in 2021. The number one source market in the first ten months of 2021 was Russia with 121,949 stopovers, 59.8% of all arrivals, up from just 6.4% of all such arrivals in the first ten months of 2020.
Jamaica received 153,360 stopover arrivals in August 2021, a 16.5% decrease compared with July 2021. According to the Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica received 153,360 stopover arrivals in August 2021, a 16.5% decrease compared with the 183,676 stopovers received in July 2021 and 71.4% of the 214,780 stopovers received in August 2019. Jamaica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and reopened again on June 15th 2020. Jamaica consequently had just 43,813 arrivals in August 2020. Stopover arrivals from the USA totaled 130,187 in August 2021, that 22.2% fewer than the 167,289 stopover visitors received from the USA in July 2021. Stopover arrivals from the USA comprised 84.9% of all stopover arrivals received in August 2021. Jamaica re-opened its ports to cruise ships in August 2021 and received 3,490 cruise passengers during that month. Through the first eight months of 2021 Jamaica saw a 30.4% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 667,073 stopover arrivals in the first eight months of 2020 to 869,781 arrivals in the same eight months of 2021. The 869,781 stopovers received in the first eight months of 2021 were 46.4% of the 1,875,925 stopovers received in the first eight months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 76.1% in the first eight months of 2021, growing from 457,601 arrivals in 2020 to 805,607 arrivals in the same eight months of 2021. The USA’s share of all stopover arrivals grew from 68.6% in the first eight months of 2020 to 92.6% in the same eight months of 2021.
Jamaica to surpass pre-pandemic tourism numbers by end of 2024. As Jamaica's tourism continues its strong rebound, Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, says that the sector is projected to surpass pre-pandemic figures by the end of 2024. He said that total visitor arrivals are estimated to reach 4.5 million, with gross foreign exchange earnings of US$4.7 billion. The Minister was making a statement to the House of Representatives on November 16, where he outlined the recovery of the sector. He noted that total visitor arrivals are estimated at 3.2 million by the end of 2022, with cruise passengers accounting for 1.1 million and stopover arrivals, 2.1 million, while earnings are projected at US$3.3 billion. He said that Jamaica's visitor numbers are expected to total 4.1 million by the end of 2023, with cruise passengers accounting for 1.6 million, stopover arrivals, 2.5 million, and earnings of US$4.2 billion. Meanwhile, stopover arrivals year to date stand at 1.2 million, and since cruise shipping resumed in August, Jamaica has welcomed more than 36,000 cruise passengers, while earnings are at the US$1.5-billion mark. “Jamaica is well on its ways to recovery. The 2021 stopover arrivals are estimated to be up 41 per cent year-over-year, and year to date, we have recouped nearly half of the 2019’s stopover business,” Mr. Bartlett told the House. He noted that December is usually a strong month for the industry “and it begins the high season when the rates are higher, so we will likely meet our forecast of 1.6 million visitors and over US$2 billion in earnings”.
Aruba received 70,056 stopover visitors in October 2021, 16.2% more than the 60,293 stopovers received in September 2021. According to Aruba Tourism Authority, Aruba received 70,056 stopover arrivals in October 2021, 16.2% more than the 60,293 stopovers it received in September 2021. On August 9th 2021, the Government of the United States of America’s State Department moved Aruba to Level 4 when it issued a do not travel to Aruba due to COVID-related conditions travel advisory which received wide publicity and resulted in the numerous cancellations of trips. Aruba closed its borders to tourist arrivals as of March 17th 2020 and re-opened only to visitors from Curacao and Bonaire as of June 15th 2020 and then to visitors from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020. Aruba re-opened to visitors from the USA on July 10th 2020. Consequently, there were just 21,882 stopover visitors in October 2020. The 70,056 stopovers received in October 2021 were 88.2% of the 79,389 stopovers received in October 2019. Compared with 2019, stopover arrivals from the USA decreased by 5.6%, falling from 58,432 arrivals in October 2019 to 55,132 arrivals in October 2021. Arrivals from the USA comprised 78.7% of all arrivals in October 2021 up from 73.6% in October 2019. Arrivals from Canada decreased by 48.6%, from 3,304 in October 2019 to 1,558 stopovers in October 2021. Arrivals from the Netherlands grew by 23.4%, from 3,614 in October 2019 to 4,459 in October of this year. Aruba re-opened its ports to visitors in June of this year and during October 2021 received nine cruise ship calls and a total of 14,003 cruise passengers. In the first ten months of 2021 Aruba saw a 115.5% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 295,672 visitors in the first ten months of 2020 to 637,144 visitors in the first ten months of this year. The number of stopovers from the USA grew by 133.5% during the first ten months, from 234,311 in 2020 to 547,203 through the end of October 2021. Compared with the first ten months of 2019, the 637,144 stopover visitors received in the first ten months of 2021 was 68.6% of the 928,230 stopovers received in the first ten months of 2019. There were 547,203 stopovers from the USA in the first ten months of 2021, 78.5% of the 696,891 received from the USA in the first ten months of 2019. The number of visitors staying in hotels in the first ten months of 2021 declined by 38.6% compared with the same ten months of 2019, falling from 480,239 visitors in 2019 to 294,998 in the same ten months of 2021. The share of visitors staying in hotels fell from 51.7% in the first ten months of 2019 to 46.3% in the same ten months of 2021. In the first ten months of 2021 206,487 visitors used timeshare accommodation, 83.2% of the 248,172 visitors who used such accommodation in the first ten months of 2019, with the sector’s share growing from 26.7% in 2019 to 32.4% in 2021. Visitors using other accommodation – private homes, condominiums, short term rental accommodation and apartments – fell by 32.1% when comparing the first ten months of 2019 with the same ten months of 2021, falling from 199,819 visitors in 2019 to 135,659 in 2021, with the share falling from 21.5% in 2019 to 21.3% in 2021. In the first ten months of 2021 the primary carrier was JetBlue which brought in 190,626 non-resident visitors, 29.9% of all stopover arrivals, while American Airlines brought in 149,300 non-resident visitors, 23.4% of all visitors. United Airlines brought in 101,373 visitors with Delta carrying 74,843 arrivals. These four carriers brought in 80.9% of all visitors in the first ten months of 2021. Aruba received 31 cruise ship calls in 2021 with 43,483 cruise passengers compared with the 98 calls cruise ships made in 2020 and 255,384 passengers. The 2021 total passenger count was just 7.1% of the count for the same ten months of 2019.
Orlando saw a 3.0 percentage point drop in average room occupancy in September 2021, falling from 52.2% in August 2021 to 49.2% this September. According to STR Orlando had 126,493 hotel rooms in September 2021 and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 49.2%, down 3.0 percentage points compared with August 2021 (52.2%), and an ADR of $112.89 down 0.7% compared with August 2021 ($113.68). Orlando’s theme parks closed to visitors as of March 15th, 2020 and consequently Orlando’s hotels experienced an average room occupancy of 31.6% in September 2020. In the first nine months of 2021 Orlando’s hotels saw an average hotel room occupancy of 55.6%, up 11.9 percentage points from the 43.7% achieved in the first nine months of 2020. ADR fell by 1.3% from $116.28 for the first nine months of 2020 to $114.77 for the first nine months of 2021.
Orlando’s Airports saw a 21.2% drop in international deplanements in September 2021. Orlando, Florida is served by two primary airports, Orlando International (MCO) and Sanford International Airport (SFB). In September 2021, the two airports combined saw a decrease of 21.2% in international deplanements, falling from 102,950 deplanements from international airports in August 2021 to 81,074 international deplanements in September 2021. Orlando International handled 99.8% of all international deplanements. International deplanements made up 5.1% of total deplanements in September 2021. The two airports combined also saw an 11.9% decrease in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, falling from 1,714,562 domestic deplanements in August 2021 to 1,510,928 in September 2021. The two airports combined saw a 12.4% decrease in total deplanements, falling from 1,817,512 deplanements in August 2021 to 1,592,002 in September 2021. The two airports saw just 618,509 total deplanements in September 2020. In the first nine months of 2021, the two airports combined saw a drop of 18.3% in international deplanements, falling from 714,708 deplanements from international airports in the first nine months of 2020 to 584,047 international deplanements in the first nine months of 2021. The two airports combined however saw an 87.8% increase in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, growing from 7,792,544 domestic deplanements in the first nine months of 2020 to 14,633,656 in the same nine months of 2021. The two airports combined saw a 78.9% increase in total deplanements, growing from 8,507,252 deplanements in the first nine months of 2020 to 15,217,703 in the first nine months of 2021.
Florida received 32,516,000 tourist arrivals in the third quarter of 2021, 60.4% more than the 20,277,000 received in the third quarter of 2020.` Visit Florida’s Research Department recently announced that the state of Florida saw a 60.4% increase in the number of tourist arrivals in the third quarter of 2021, with total arrivals growing from 20,277,000 in the third quarter of 2020 to 32,516,000 arrivals in the third quarter of 2021. Domestic arrivals were up by 55.3%, from 20,089,000 arrivals in the third quarter of 2020 to 31,205,000 in the third quarter of 2021, while arrivals from Canada grew by 507% from 14,000 in the third quarter of 2020 to 85,000 in the same quarter of 2021. Arrivals from overseas grew by 605%, from 174,000 arrivals in the third quarter of 2020 to 1,226,000 in the same three months of 2021. Through the first nine months of 2021 Florida saw total visitor arrivals grow by 51.9%, from 60,213,000 in the first nine months of 2020 to 91,484,000 in the same nine months of 2021. Domestic arrivals grew by 55.9%, from 56,743,000 in the first nine months of 2020 to 88,442,000 in the same nine months of 2021. Arrivals from Canada fell by 89.3% to 134,000 visitors while visitors from overseas increased by 30.8% from 2,223,000 visitors in the first nine months of 2020 to 2,908,000 in the same nine months of 2021. By comparison with the first nine months of 2019 total arrivals fell by 9.1%, from 100,609,000 in the first nine months of 2019 to 91,484,000 in the same nine months of 2021. International traffic fell by 63.8%, from 8,042,000 visitors in 2019 to 2,908,000 in 2021 while traffic from Canada fell by 95.3%, from 2,863,000 visitors in the first nine months of 2019 to 134,000 visitors in the same nine months of 2021. All of the above numbers are preliminary and subject to change.
Trinidad and Tobago received 12,718 air visitors in the first nine months of 2021, 4.3% of the total received in the first nine months of 2019. According to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s Central Statistical Office Trinidad and Tobago received 12,718 air visitors in the first nine months of 2021, down 86.5% from the 93,874 received in the first nine months of 2020 and just 4.3% of the 292,974 visitors who arrived by air in the first nine months of 2019. Trinidad received all 12,718 international air visitors during the first nine months of 2021 with Tobago receiving none. Of the 12,718 visitors 6,437 (50.6%) arrived from the USA while 1,278 (10.0%) arrived from Canada and 1,835 (14.4%) arrived from Europe.
Four new articles have been posted Four new articles have been posted on Saturday November 13th.
Q&A: Sustainability initiatives in Aruba We speak with Ewald Biemans, owner of the Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, who addressed the Cop26 conference about sustainability. click here
WTTC: U.S. Travel Industry Could Top Pre-Pandemic Levels in 2022 The U.S. travel and tourism sector could experience year-over-year growth of 35.6 percent in 2021, significantly outpacing the year’s overall global tourism recovery, with the outlooks looking even rosier for 2022. This was revealed in the latest research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).click here
WTTC launches groundbreaking Net Zero Roadmap for Travel & Tourism As world leaders gather in Glasgow for COP26 to discuss concrete actions to solve the climate crises, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has launched an ambitious and groundbreaking Net Zero Roadmap, to guide the global Travel & Tourism sector in its battle against the climate crisis. click here
Six trends that will shake up the travel space in 2022 It’s that time of year again, where we look into our crystal ball - with the help of anonymized aggregated travel data and conversations with Amadeus experts - to see what the travel industry can expect next year. click here
Bermuda announces it received 33,277 air visitor arrivals in the third quarter of 2021, 37.3% of the 89,620 air visitors received in the third quarter of 2019. The Bermuda Tourism Authority recently released its third quarter 2021 tourist arrival numbers and announced that Bermuda received 33,277 air visitors in the third quarter of 2021, 15,749 more than the 17,528 received in the second quarter of 2021 but just 37.3% of the 89,178 air arrivals received in the third quarter of 2019. Bermuda received 146 visitors arriving by yacht in the third quarter of 2021, 76.4% of the 191 visitors arriving by yacht in the third quarter of 2019. And there were 2,710 visitors who arrived by cruise ship in the third quarter of 2021. The 27,565 air visitors received from the number one market the USA in the third quarter of 2021 was 39.2% of the 70,378 visitors received from the USA in the third quarter of 2019. Through the first nine months of 2021 Bermuda received 52,979 air visitors 64.4% more than the 32,235 visitors who arrived by air in the first nine months of 2020 but just 24.4% of the 217,147 visitors who arrived by air in the first nine months of 2019. Bermuda received 45,030 air visitors from the USA in the first nine months of 2021, 27.2% of the 165,722 air visitors received from the USA in the first nine months of 2019. Bermuda received 1,313 visitors who arrived by yacht in the first nine months of 2021 24.8% more than the 1,052 who arrived by yacht in the first nine months of 2020, but 50.4% of the 2,605 visitors wo arrived by yacht in the first nine months of 2019. 2,710 visitors arrived by cruise ship in the first nine months of 2021 down 71.1% compared with the 9,366 cruise visitors who arrived in the first nine months of 2020.
Curacao reports it received 35,020 stopover arrivals in October 2021, 27.2% more than the 27,539 received in September of this year. According to the Curaçao Tourist Board, Curaçao saw a 27.2% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in October, growing from 27,539 stopovers received in September 2021 to 35,020 stopovers received in October of this year. The 35,020 stopovers received in October 2021 were 1.4% more than the 34,526 stopovers received in October 2019. Curaçao closed its borders to international visitors as of March 17th, 2020 and reopened its borders to visitors from Europe and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Curaçao received just 13,556 stopover visitors in October 2020. Curacao received 22,713 stopover visitors from the Netherlands in October 2021 and 3,379 stopovers from the USA, 64.9% and 9.6% of all stopovers, respectively. Curacao received eight cruise ship calls with 12,605 cruise visitors in October 2021. The island re-opened to cruise traffic in June 2021. In the first ten months of 2021 Curaçao saw a 22.5% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 151,262 visitors in 2020 to 185,265 visitors in the first ten months of this year. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 32.2% during the first ten months, growing from 21,486 in 2020 to 28,408 in the first ten months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the Netherlands increased by 43.4%, growing from 78,987 visitors during the first ten months of 2020, to 113,295 in the first ten months of 2021. The 185,265 stopovers received in the first ten months of 2021 was 48.6% of the 380,990 stopovers received in the same ten months of 2019. Between June and October 2021 Curacao received 35 cruise ship calls which brought 43,401 cruise passengers.
Mauritius announces it received 54,434 stopover visitors in October after having relaxed its restrictions on the entry requirements for international visitors. The Mauritius Government’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Development recently reported that the country received 54,434 total stopover arrivals in October 2021, substantially more than the 2,494 stopovers received in September 2021 consequent upon the re-opening of the country’s borders allowing visitors entry without major restrictions. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors. Mauritius received 15,796 visitors from France in October 2021,29.0% of the overall total for the month, and the number one producing market. The number two source market was the United Kingdom which generated 11,299 visitors, (20.8%) of the total for the month. Germany generated 5,352 visitors. Mauritius re-entered a hard lock-down in March 2021 consequent upon an increase in local Covid19 infections. From 15th July to 30 September 2021, vaccinated travellers were admitted for a resort-based holiday on the island and had to stay within their chosen resort premises. All travellers had to have proof of a negative PCR test prior to travel and were tested again on arrival. Further tests were taken on day 7 and 14 of their resort holiday if applicable. Phase 2 began on 1 October 2021, allowing vaccinated travellers entry without restrictions upon presentation of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure Mauritius closed its borders to all international arrivals as of March 19th, 2020, and consequently received just 1,149 stopovers in October 2020. The 54,434 arrivals received in October 2021 were 42.2% of the 129,018 stopovers received in October 2019. In the first ten months of 2021 Mauritius saw a 79.2% decrease in total stopover arrivals, falling from 306,761 arrivals in 2020 to 63,894 arrivals in the first ten months of this year. Mauritius received 1,102,660 stopovers through the first ten months of 2019 with the total received during the first ten months of 2021 being 5.8% of this total.
In October 2021 Cancun saw its hotels achieve an average hotel room occupancy of 59.0%, an increase of 7.2 percentage points from the 51.8% reported for September. Sedetur, the Department of Tourism of the state of Quintana Roo, recently released the hotel occupancy numbers for the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos and Riviera Maya for October 2021. In October, the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos saw a 7.2 percentage point increase in average hotel room occupancy from 51.8% in September 2021 to 59.0% in October of this year. Cancun’s hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 38.0% in October 2020. It should be noted that as of mid-March 2020 the hotels saw a sharp drop in average room occupancies as strict restrictions on international travel came into effect and the hotels saw limited business in April through October 2020. The 59.0% average room occupancy for October 2021 was 7.9 percentage points lower than the 66.9% achieved in October 2019. The hotels in Riviera Maya saw a 9.9percentage point increase in average hotel room occupancy growing from 49.6% in September 2021 to 59.5% in October of this year. As with Cancun, traffic in April through October of 2020 was extremely limited. In October 2020, the hotels in Riviera Maya averaged a 32.6% room occupancy. The same hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 63.7% in October 2019. Through the first ten months of 2021 the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos achieved a 52.1% average room occupancy, up 15.6 percentage points from the 36.5% achieved in the same ten months of 2020. The hotels achieved an average occupancy of 76.2% in the first ten months of 2019. For the first ten months of 2021 the hotels in Riviera Maya achieved an average room occupancy of 47.6%, up 14.3 percentage points from the 33.3% achieved in the same ten months of 2020. The hotels achieved an average occupancy of 77.6% in the first ten months of 2019. Riviera Maya/Tulum has 48,200 hotel rooms while the Cancun/Puerto Morelos area has 42,910 hotel rooms.
Costa Rica received 100,102 stopover arrivals in October 2021, 17.5% more than the 85,183 stopovers received in September 2021. According to the Costa Rica Institute of Tourism (ICT), Costa Rica received 100,102 stopovers in October 2021, 17.5% more than the 85,183 stopovers received in September 2021. Costa Rica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and reopened to international tourists arriving by air as of November 2020. It reopened its land borders in April 2021. Costa Rica consequently received just 10,147 stopovers in October 2020. The 100,102 stopovers received in October 2021 were 53.9% of the 185,599 stopovers received in October 2019. Costa Rica received 55,588 stopovers from the USA in October, 55.5% of the overall total, and 8,947 stopovers from Central America. The volume of stopovers increased by 8.8% in the first ten months of 2021, growing from 899,365 stopovers in the first ten months of 2020 to 978,676 stopovers in the first ten months of 2021. The 978,676 stopover visitors were 38.1% of the 2,566,443 stopovers received in the first ten months of 2019. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 81.1% in the first ten months of 2021, from 364,499 stopovers in 2020 to 660,227 in 2021 while the number from Central America declined by 72.1%, falling from 192,650 in the first ten months of 2020 to 53,706 in the same ten months of 2021. The share of visitors from the USA grew from 40.5% in the first ten months of 2020 to 67.5% in the first ten months of 2021.
AHATA reports Aruba’s hotels achieved a 60.2% average room occupancy in October 2021, up 3.9 percentage points from the 56.3% achieved in September. The Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association reports that average hotel room occupancy in October 2021 was 60.2%, 3.9 percentage points higher than the 56.3% achieved in September 2021. Aruba closed its orders to international travel as of March 17, 2020, and while the borders re-opened as of July 2020, Aruba’s hotels achieved a 17.2% average room occupancy in October 2020. And compared with October 2019, the average room occupancy in October 2021 was 16.1 percentage points lower, falling from 76.3% in October 2019 to 60.2% in October this year. ADR was $238.24 in October 2021, 8.6% higher than in October 2019, with revpar at $143.35, 14.3% lower than in October 2019. Aruba’s timeshare resorts reported an average occupancy of 81% in October 2021. Through the first ten months of 2021 AHATA reports that Aruba’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 54.1% compared with 26.4% for the first ten months of 2020. Again, compared with the first ten months of 2020, ADR fell by 25.8% to $253.03 although RevPAR grew by 52.3% to $136.85. By comparison with the first ten months of 2019 average room occupancy was 30.5 percentage points lower in 2021, while ADR fell by 7.4%, and revpar was 40.8% lower. AHATA is projecting that Aruba’s hotels will achieve an average room occupancy of 71% for November, 73% for December, 72% for January 2022 and 59% for 2021 as a whole.
Antigua and Barbuda received 14,871 stopovers in October 2021, 28.3% more than the 11,589 received in September 2021. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 28.3% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in October 2021, growing from 11,589 stopovers received in September 2021 to 14,871 stopovers this October. Antigua and Barbuda re-opened its borders to international travel as of June 4th, 2020, and consequently received 6,937 visitors in October 2020. The 14,871 stopovers received In October 2021 were 74.5% of the 19,971 stopovers Antigua received in October 2019. The 5,788 stopover visitors received from the USA in October 2021 were 1.4% more than the 5,708 stopovers received from the USA in September and comprised 38.9% of all stopovers received in October. Antigua also received 7,308 stopover visitors from the U.K. in October, 49.1% of all stopovers received during that month. Through the first ten months of 2021, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 19.3% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 105,420 stopovers in the first ten months of 2020 to 125,761 stopovers in the same ten months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 68.4%, from 48,972 stopovers in the first ten months of 2020 to 82,454 stopovers in the same ten months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. increased by 23.5%, from 25,731 in 2020 to 31,779 stopovers in the same ten months of 2021. The number of stopovers received in the first ten months of 2021 was 53.2% of the 236,199 stopovers received in the same ten months of 2019.
The Seychelles received 27,140 visitor arrivals in October 2021, 63.4% more than the 16,609 received in September 2021. The Seychelles Government’s National Bureau of Statistics recently announced that the country received 27,140 total visitor arrivals in October 2021, up 63.4% from the 16,609 received in September 2021. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors and transit visitors. The Seychelles re-opened to international visitors from most countries as of March 25th 2021 with visitors being required to produce evidence of a negative PCR test. The 27,140 visitor arrivals received in October 2021 were 75.5% of the 35,960 received in October 2019. The number one source market in October was France which generated 4,335 stopover visitors (16.0% of the total for the month) followed by Russia with 4,043 stopover visitors (14.9%). The Seychelles closed its borders to cruise ships as of March 9th 2020 and to international air visitors as of March 30th 2020. The Seychelles re-opened its borders to visitors from low and medium risk countries as of September 1st 2020 and consequently received 3,271 stopover visitors in October 2020. In the first ten months of 2021 The Seychelles saw a 38.8% increase in total visitor arrivals, growing from 96,540 arrivals in 2020 to 133,966 arrivals in the first ten months of 2021. The 133,966 stopovers received in the first ten months of 2021 were 43.1% of the 310,783 received in the first ten months of 2019. Total stopover arrivals from Germany, the number one source market in 2020, fell by 43.8% from 21,712 arrivals in the first ten months of 2020 to 12,192 arrivals in the same ten months of 2021. The number one source market in the first ten months of 2021 was Russia which generated 24,212 visitors, 18.1% of all visitor arrivals for those first ten months followed by the United Arab Emirates which generated 18,288 visitors, 13.7% of the overall total. The Seychelles received no cruise visitors in the first ten months of 2021.
Cuba to implement new health protocol for foreign travelers. Cuba on Saturday began to implement new health protocols for international travelers in the face of reopening its borders, including the elimination of mandatory quarantine. From this Sunday, November 7th 2021, those travelers who arrive in Cuba will not have to be in quarantine for a short period of time pending the results of Covid-19 diagnosis, a step prior to other measures that will be implemented from November 15th. Cuba, on that date, will once again receive foreign passengers at all its airports, at which around 400 weekly flights are expected to arrive in the country: visitors arriving by leisure boats will also be allowed under the same protocols. The PCR test will be eliminated upon entering the country and all foreign passengers must present their corresponding health passport or vaccination certificate. Those passengers with no health passport or vaccination certificate must present a Covid-19 negative PCR certification upon arrival. Such a test must be conducted 72 hours before traveling to Cuba and be from a certified laboratory in their countries of origin. In recent press conferences, Cuba´s Health authorities and Ministries of Transport and Tourism confirmed they will keep epidemiological surveillance in all ports and airports. In the case of Cuban travelers, they must go to their respective family doctor’s office or community health area within 48 hours of their arrival. These measures contribute to easing travelers to arrive in Cuba at a time it is intended to promote the country´s tourism sector.
Puerto Rico saw its average hotel room occupancy fall to 68.1% in August 2021 falling from the 83.0% achieved in July 2021. According to the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC), the hotels and resorts endorsed by the PRTC saw the number of non-resident hotel registrations decline by 15.4% in August 2021, falling from 183,850 registrations in July 2021 to 155,278 registrations in August 2021. Registrations by local residents fell by 33.9% from 81,595 in July 2021 to 53,195 in August 2021. The 155,278 non-resident hotel registrations achieved in August 2021 were 8.1% higher than the 143,709 achieved in August 2019. PRTC reports that the number of hotel/resort available room nights increased by 1.3%, from 415,564 in July 2021 to 420,857 in August 2021. The number of occupied room nights declined by 16.8% however, falling from 344,746 in July 2021 to 286,706 in August 2021. Average room occupancy decreased by 14.9 percentage points from 83.0% achieved in July 2021 to 68.1% in August 2021. ADR fell by 1.3% from $204.63 in July 2021 to $201.89 in August 2021. In the first eight months of 2021 the number of non-resident hotel registrations increased by 107.7%, growing from 550,939 registrations in the first eight months of 2020 to 1,144,085 registrations in the first eight months of 2021. Registrations by local residents grew by 127.2% from 201,190 in 2020 to 457,152 in 2021. The number of hotel/resort available room nights increased by 18.2% in the first eight months of 2021, growing from 2,674,473 in 2020 to 3,162,112 in 2021. The number of occupied room nights increased by 101.2%, growing from 1,027,946 in 2020 to 2,068,346 in 2021. The overall average room occupancy grew by 27.0 percentage points from 38.4% in the first eight months of 2020 to 65.4% in the same eight months of 2021. ADR grew by 17.3% from $161.54 in 2020 to $189.49 in the same eight months of 2021.
Dubai saw 620,000 international visitors in September, a 63.2% increase in visitors compared with August 2021. According to the Government of Dubai’s Statistics Center, Dubai saw a 63.2% increase in the number of international visitors in September 2021, growing from 380,000 visitors in August 2021 to 620,000 in September 2021. The equivalent visitor numbers for September 2020 are not available. It should be noted that Dubai closed its borders to international visitor arrivals as of March 2020 and reopened its borders again in late July 2020. In the first nine months of 2021 Dubai received 3,850,000 international visitors, down 68.1% compared with the 12,080,000 visitors received in the first nine months of 2019. The number one source market in the first nine months of 2021 was India which generated 528,000 visitors, 13.7% of the overall total followed by Russia which generated 256,000 visitors. As of September 2021, Dubai had 541 hotels offering 108,239 hotel rooms and 185 apartment hotels offering 24,629 units. The hotel sector achieved an average room occupancy of 58.4% in the first nine months of 2021 while the apartment sector achieved an average occupancy of 75.5%.
Dubai aims to attract 25 million tourists in 2025. Dubai plans to merge the departments of economy and tourism and hopes to attract 25 million tourists in 2025, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s Crown Prince, said on Twitter on Saturday. Sheikh Hamdan added that Helal Al Marri will be appointed as a general director of the new department. Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said the new department is tasked with meeting seven targets to further strengthen Dubai’s leading position in tourism and economy and make it the world’s best city to live in and work, His Highness said that these include
increasing the added value of the industrial sector by 150 per cent in the next five years,
expanding export markets for local products by 50 per cent
increasing the number of tourists coming to Dubai by 50 per cent to 25 million visitors by 2025 from the 16.7 million received in 2019.
making Dubai one of the top five global cities in the main economic indicators,
attracting 100,000 companies in three years as well as 400 global economic events annually by 2025.
The new entity is also tasked with encouraging private and family-owned businesses to get listed on Dubai bourse.
The Department of Economy and Tourism will also work to promote Dubai’s competitiveness in attracting foreign investments, increase exports, support SMEs, and develop new plans for Dubai’s new economic sectors.
Tourism in Spain to be back to pre-COVID level by 2022, says Minister of Tourism. While most nations across the world are trying to recover their tourism industries, there is good news coming from Spain. As per the data shared by the National Statistics Office (NSO), Spain received 4.69 million international visitors in September 2021, up 312% over the 1.14 million international visitors received in September 2020. According to Spain’s Minister of Tourism, it is expected, with the current numbers in place, that Spain will be back to its pre-COVID number of foreign travellers by 2022, led by the spike recorded this September. Spain's Tourism Minister Reyes Moroto also stated that, "These data confirm a reactivation of international tourism is underway and that in 2022 we could recover pre-pandemic levels." Spain has received 19,699,824 international visitors through the first nine months of 2021, 17.2% higher than the 16,806,527 international visitors received in the first nine months of 2020 but just 29.4% of the 66,961,640 visitors received in the first nine months of 2019. It should be noted that around 80% of Spain's population has been vaccinated, making it a relatively safer destination to visit as well safeguarding its citizens. Also, Spain does not require a COVID-19 negative certificate or a vaccination proof for its public places.
Barbados received 17,209 stopovers in September 2021, 10.2% more than the 15,620 stopovers received in August 2021. According to the Barbados Statistical Service, Barbados saw a 10.2% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in September 2021, growing from 15,620 stopovers in August 2021 to 17,209 stopovers in September 2021. Barbados received 289 landed cruise visitors in September. Barbados reopened its ports to cruise ships in April 2021. Barbados imposed a mandatory 14-day quarantine on all visitor arrivals as of March 22nd 2020 which remained in place until October 24th 2021. Barbados consequently received 4,867 stopover arrivals in September 2020. The 17,209 stopovers received in September 2021 were 46.7% of the 36,861 stopovers received in September 2019. Barbados received 6,138 stopover arrivals from the United Kingdom in September 2021, and 5,146 stopovers from the USA. Through the first nine months of 2021, Barbados saw a 62.2% decrease in the number of stopover visitors, falling from 167,309 stopovers in the first nine months of 2020 to 63,224 stopovers in the same nine months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA declined by 40.2%, falling from 36,666 in the first nine months of 2020 to 21,910 in the same nine months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. fell by 61.2%, falling from 52,375 in 2020 to 20,333 stopovers in the same nine months of 2021. The 63,224 stopovers received in the first nine months of 2021 were 12.1% of the 520,881 stopovers received in the first nine months of 2019. Barbados has received 2,735 landed cruise visitors in 2021 compared with 93,233 received in 2020.
Puerto Rico to Double Tourism Marketing and Development Spending Discover Puerto Rico will roughly double its current spending on island marketing and promotion initiatives via $120 million in funds provided to the destination marketing organization (DMO) through the American Rescue Plan (ARP), said Pedro Pierluisi, the territory’s governor. In a press briefing Thursday October 4th, Pierluisi outlined Puerto Rico’s investment strategy for $4 billion in ARP funds, which includes significant spending in the tourism sector. Pierluisi identified travel to Puerto Rico as crucial to the island’s continuing recovery from the pandemic and earlier challenges including Hurricanes Irma and Maria. “We will improve and strengthen our brand domestically and globally and also increase our marketing and communications initiatives through our global partners to broaden our reach to new segments and further increase the awareness and desirability of our island,” said Pierluisi. In addition, Puerto Rico will allocate $50 million in ARP funds to promote the island as a leisure destination, $20 million to encourage domestic tourism and $10 million to promote entertainment and conventions. Another $30 million will be used to revitalize tourist attractions, natural resources and public beaches to “ensure our attractions and natural beauty place their best face forward,” Pierliusi said. Discover Puerto Rico will also increase spending on local tourism investment strategies through existing local promotion programs. The Discover Puerto Rico website will shortly debut a fully translated Spanish-language version, said Pierluisi, “enabling us to bring more visitors from other U.S. states and inspiring other travelers “never before in exposed to our destination.” Puerto Rico’s strong post-pandemic visitor numbers indicate the destination can attract more visitors beyond the traditional winter peak travel season, the governor said. “We already know that we can grow occupancy and the build tourism revenue throughout the year, not just during the high season,” he said. “We have seen it this year. We will be expanding our presence and driving increased visitation every month of the year.” Other new travel marketing initiatives will include digital campaigns targeting the island’s “first-party audience” of international visitors, who stay in Puerto Rico longer and spend more according to Discover Puerto Rico data. Digital campaigns will showcase the island through the lens of local people using broadcast journalists and influencers, said Discover Puerto Rico officials. The outreach will also emphasize increasing international visitation throughout Puerto Rico to “ensure local communities benefit from the positive impact of these high value international visitors,” officials added.
Cuba announces it received 16,898 international stopover visitors in September 2021, 24.7% fewer than the 22,448 international visitors received in August 2021. The Cuban Government’s Office of National Statistics and Information (ONEI) recently announced that total international tourist arrivals declined by 24.7% in September 2021, falling from 22,448 international stopover arrivals in August 2021 to 16,898 arrivals in September of this year. This number includes both stopover visitors and cruise visitors. Cuba closed its borders to international tourist arrivals on March 20 2020 and consequently received just 1,700 international stopovers in September 2020. The 16,898 stopovers received in September 2021 were just 8.4% of the 201,321 international visitors received in September 2019. Cuba received 8,209 stopovers from Russia in September 2021, 48.6% of all stopovers received for the month. In the first nine months of 2021 Cuba saw an 81.7% decrease in total international arrivals, falling from 989,683 arrivals in 2020 to 180,662 stopovers this year. The 180,662 arrivals were just 5.4% of the 3,327,392 international visitors received in the first nine months of 2019. Total tourist arrivals from Canada fell by 97.7% in the first nine months of 2021, from 404,145 arrivals in 2020 to 9,265 in 2021. The number one source market in the first nine months of 2021 was Russia with 111,237 stopovers, 61.6% of all arrivals, up from just 6.4% of all such arrivals in the first nine months of 2020.
Mexico received 1,188,098 international air arrivals in September, down 15.6% compared with August 2021. According to the Government of Mexico’s SECTUR (Department of Tourism) Mexico received 1,003,081 international air arrivals in September 2021, down 15.6% compared with the 1,188,098 arrivals received in August 2021. Mexico’s border with the USA was closed as of March 20, 2020 and consequently Mexico received 374,228 international visitors in September 2020. The 1,003,081 international air arrivals received in September 2021 were 95.2% of the 1,053,640 international visitors received in September 2019. Mexico received 678,448 air visitors from the USA in September, 67.6% of the total. Colombia was the second biggest market (49,057 visitors) with Brazil third largest (29,919 visitors). Cancun Airport received 446,842 international air visitor arrivals in September 2021, 44.5% of the overall total. Los Cabos received 117,205 international air arrivals with Puerto Vallarta receiving 54,608 air visitors. In the first nine months of 2021 the volume of international air arrivals to Mexico increased by 63.7%, from 5,716,771 arrivals in 2020 to 9,359,848 arrivals in the first nine months of this year. The 9,359,848 arrivals received in 2021 were 64.1% of the 14,611,517 international arrivals received in the first nine months of 2019. The volume of air arrivals from the USA increased by 112.2% in the same nine months, from 3,378,612 air arrivals in 2020 to 7,167,750 air arrivals in 2021 while the volume from Canada fell by 85.6%, from 900,012 air arrivals in 2020 to 129,612 in 2021. Cancun Airport saw an 85.8% increase in international air arrivals in the first nine months of 2021, growing from 2,331,774 arrivals in 2020 to 4,331,550 arrivals in 2021 while Los Cabos saw a 100.1% increase growing from 593,325 international air arrivals in 2020 to 1,187,039 air arrivals in 2021. Puerto Vallarta saw a 21.5% increase, growing from 550,155 international arrivals in 2020 to 668,481 international arrivals in the first nine months of 2021.
The United States Virgin Islands received 35,660 air arrivals in September 2021, 46.0% fewer than the 66,092 air visitors received in August 2021. According to numbers published by the USVI Bureau of Economic Research, the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals decline by 46.0% in September 2021, falling from 66,092 air arrivals in August 2021 to 35,660 air arrivals in September of this year. The 35,660 air arrivals received in September 2021 were 28.2% more than the 27,810 received in September 2019. The USVI closed its borders to air arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and re-opened as of July 1st 2020. The USVI received 13,561 air arrivals in September 2020. The USVI received 15,269 cruise visitors in September 2021 from 10 cruise ship calls. Through the first nine months of 2021 the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 109.2%, from 297,773 air arrivals in the first nine months of 2020 to 622,824 air arrivals in the first nine months of 2021. The 622824 arrivals received in the first nine months of 2021 were 26.4% higher than the 492,738 air arrivals received in the first nine months of 2019. The USVI reopened to cruise visitors in July 2021 and in the three months of July through September received 30,194 cruise visitors, just 6.8% of the 442,027 cruise visitors received in the first three months of 2020.
San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) handled 753,623 total passenger movements in October 2021, 10.1% more than the 684,451 handled in September 2021. According to ASUR, which manages many airports in Mexico, Colombia and which also manages the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, SJU saw a 10.1% decline in passenger movements in October 2021, growing from 684,451 total passenger movements in September 2021 to 753,623 movements in October 2021. The 753,623 passenger movements handled in October 2021 were 14.4% higher than the 658,632 handled in October 2019. It should be noted that restrictions on travel began to be put in place in the middle of March 2020. In October 2020 San Juan’s airport handled 385,608 total passenger movements. In the first ten months of 2021 the overall volume of air passenger movements at San Juan’s airport increased by 103.8%, from 3,891,401 in 2020 to 7,929,015 in the same ten months of 2021. The total for the first ten months of 2021 (7,929,015) was 2.6% more than the total for the same ten months of 2019 (7,730,812).
Cancun’s Airport handled 1,141,366 international air passenger movements in October 2021, 22.3% more than the 933,081 international passengers handled in September 2021. According to ASUR, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Cancun Airport saw a 22.3% increase in international passenger movements in October 2021, growing from 933,081 international movements in September 2021 to 1,141,366 such movements in October 2021. The 1,141,366 international passenger movements handled in October 2021 were 12.8% more than the 1,011,657 international passengers handled in October 2019. Domestic passenger movements increased by 15.3% in October 2021, growing from 727,985 passenger movements in September 2021 to 839,056 domestic movements in October of this year. The 839,056 domestic passenger movements handled in October 2021 were 10.6% more than the 758,707 handled in October 2019. Mexico re-opened to international tourist arrivals as of June 8th, 2020, and consequently Cancun handled 419,731 international passenger movements in October 2020, up from 304,003 handled in September 2020. In the first ten months of 2021 the volume of international air passenger movements increased by 87.2%, growing from 5,452,097 movements in 2020 to 10,203,634 movements in the first ten months of 2021 while the volume of domestic air passenger movements increased by 80.4%, from 4,091,857 movements in the first ten months of 2020 to 7,381,467 in the same ten months of 2021. By comparison with the first ten months of 2019 the volume of international air passenger movements in 2021 was 74.6% of the 2019 total, falling from 13,682,731 movements in 2019 to 10,203,634 movements in the first ten months of 2021 while the volume of 2021 domestic air passenger movements were 98.9% of the 2019 total, falling from 7,462,241 movements in the first ten months of 2019 to 7,381,467 in the same ten months of 2021. In the first ten months of 2021 international passenger movements accounted for 58.0% of all passenger movements, up from 57.1% in 2020 but down from 64.7% in the first ten months of 2019.
Los Cabos handled 321,300 international passenger movements in October 2021, up 36.4% compared with September 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Los Cabos Airport saw a 36.4% increase in international passenger traffic in October 2021, that is enplanements and deplanements, growing from 235,500 international passenger movements in September 2021 to 321,300 international passenger movements in October 2021. Mexico re-opened to international tourist arrivals as of June 8th, 2020, and consequently Los Cabos handled 184,500 international passenger movements in October 2020. The 321,300 international passenger movements seen in October 2021 were 30.7% higher than the 245,800 international movements handled in October 2019. Domestic traffic increased by 10.4%, growing from 171,400 passenger movements in September 2021 to 189,200 passenger movements in October 2021. Los Cabos handled 136,800 domestic passenger movements in October 2020. The 189,200 domestic passenger movements seen in October 2021 were 22.4% more than the 154,600 domestic passenger movements handled in October 2019. Through the first ten months of 2021 Los Cabos Airport saw international passenger movements increase by 92.8%, from 1,443,900 in 2020 to 2,783,300 in the first ten months of 2021. Domestic passenger movements increased by 77.4% in the first ten months of 2021, growing from 921,300 in 2020 to 1,634,600 in the first ten months of 2021. By comparison with the first ten months of 2019 international passenger movements were down 7.5%, while domestic movements increased by 2.0%.
Montego Bay Airport handled 208,700 total passenger movements in October 2021, 9.3% more than the 191,000 handled in September 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Montego Bay Airport increase by 9.3% in October 2021, growing from 191,000 total movements in September 2021 to 208,700 movements in October 2021. The total number of passenger movements in October 2021 was 72.5% of the 287,800 handled in October 2019. It should be noted that Jamaica closed its borders to international visitors as of March 21st, 2020 and re-opened to such visitors as of June 15th 2020. As a result, Montego Bay Airport handled just 75,600 passenger movements in October 2020. Through the first ten months of 2021 Montego Bay Airport saw total passenger movements increase by 40.6%, from 1,400,700 in 2020 to 1,968,800 in the first ten months of 2021. The 2021 total of 1,968,800 movements was 50.4% of the 3,909,900 passenger movements handled in the first ten months of 2019. In 2021 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
Kingston, Jamaica Airport saw 77,900 total passenger movements in October 2021, an increase of 4.0% compared with September 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Kingston Jamaica’s Airport increase by 4.0% in October 2021, growing from 74,900 total movements in September 2021 to 77,900 total passenger movements in October 2021. Kingston Airport handled 101,400 passenger movements in October 2019. While Kingston Airport re-opened to international travelers as of June 15th, 2020, the total number of passenger movements in October 2020 was 36,700 passengers. Through the first ten months of 2021 Kingston’s Airport saw total passenger movements grow by 21.3%, from 532,300 in 2020 to 645,700 in the first ten months of 2021. In 2021 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
The Dominican Republic’s hotels averaged 51.6% room occupancy during September 2021. According to ASONAHORES, the hotel and tourism association of the Dominican Republic, the hotels of the Dominican Republic posted an overall average hotel room occupancy of 51.6% in September 2021, down 9.3 percentage points from the 60.9% achieved in August 2021. The Dominican Republic’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 54.0% in September 2019. It should be noted that on August 16th 2021 the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Tourism ordered that hotels could open to 100% of their capacity while maintaining social distancing measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19. About 87% of all hotels in the Dominican Republic with approximately 73,000 rooms have re-opened. At a regional level, the hotels in Punta Cana posted an average room occupancy of 53.4% for September 2021, with hotels in Puerto Plata averaging 40.6% and hotels in Santo Domingo averaging 50.7%, also in September of this year. The hotel sector posted a combined overall average occupancy of 45.1% for the first nine months of 2021 compared with 71.6% for the first nine months of 2019. At a regional level during the first nine months of the year, the destination Santiago de los Caballeros recorded the highest occupancy rate at 53.0%, being also the only destination to exceed 50 percentage points. Samana’s hotels posted an overall average room occupancy of 45.9% with the Roman–Bayahibe area posting an average occupancy of 49.2%. Punta Cana’s hotels posted an average hotel room occupancy of 45.5% in the first nine months of 2021 while the hotels in Puerto Plata posted an overall average of 41.1%. Hotels in Santo Domingo posted an average room occupancy of 45.1% for the first nine months of 2021.
Punta Cana received 218,245 tourists in September 2021, 6.0% more than the 153,841 received in September 2019. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, received 218,245 stopovers in September 2021, 6.0% more than the 153,841 stopovers received in September 2019 but 25.3% fewer than the 218,245 received in August 2021. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and re-opened to tourists as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Punta Cana received 16,029 visitors in September 2020. Punta Cana received 74,999 stopover arrivals from the USA in September 2021, 39.1% fewer than the 123,112 stopovers received in August 2021. Colombia was the second largest source market (12,067 stopovers) with Germany third (10,326 stopovers). The Dominican Republic currently has limited restrictions for entry to the country. During the first nine months of 2021 Punta Cana saw a 70.8% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 793,407 arrivals in the first nine months of 2020 to 1,355,238 non-resident arrivals in the first nine months of 2021. However, the total for 2021 was just 48.2% of the 2,813,328 stopovers received in the first nine months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 264.8% in the first nine months of 2021, growing from 237,350 arrivals in the first nine months of 2020 to 865,875 arrivals in the same nine months of 2021. Traffic was down 86.8% from Canada, falling from 229,213 arrivals in the first nine months of 2020 to 30,273 arrivals in the first nine months of 2021. Traffic was also down 95.4% from the UK, falling from 26,343 arrivals in 2020 to just 1,208 stopovers in the first nine months of 2021. Traffic increased by 340.1% from Colombia, up 46.5% from Germany and up 170.9% from Spain but was down 61.4% from Argentina, down 16.4% from France, and down 8.0% from Brazil. In the first nine months of 2021, stopover arrivals to Punta Cana made up 41.0% of all non-resident arrivals to the Dominican Republic compared with 45.5% in the same nine months of 2020.
The Dominican Republic received 365,540 non-resident visitors in September 2021, 12.9% more than the 323,662 stopovers received in September 2019. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic the Dominican Republic, received 365,540 stopovers in September 2021, 12.9% more than the 323,662 stopovers received in September 2019 but 23.3% fewer than the 476,575 received in August 2021. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and re-opened to international visitors as of July 1st 2020 and consequently received just 103,942 stopovers in September 2020. The Dominican Republic received 135,632 stopover arrivals from the USA in September 2021, 36.4% fewer than the 213,134 stopovers received from the USA in August 2021. 24.1% of the non-resident arrivals in September 2021 were Dominicans living abroad and returning to the Dominican Republic compared with 54.3% in September 2020. In the first nine months of 2021 the Dominican Republic saw an 89.5% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 1,743,480 arrivals in the first nine months of 2020 to 3,303,745 non-resident arrivals in the same nine months of 2021. Non-resident arrivals from the USA increased by 223.8% in the first nine months of 2021, growing from 479,845 arrivals in 2020 to 1,553,535 arrivals from the USA in the first nine months of 2021. Stopover arrivals from Canada fell by 89.8%, from 342,086 in the first nine months of 2020 to 35,016 in the same nine months of 2021. The 3,303,745 stopovers received in the first nine months of 2021 were 66.2% of the 4,987,698 stopovers received in the first nine months of 2019. In the first nine months of 2021 29.0% of all non-resident tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic were non-resident Dominicans returning home, up from 23.1% in the same nine months of 2020.
Aruba received 60,293 stopover visitors in September 2021, 24.9% fewer than the 80,230 stopovers received in August 2021. According to Aruba Tourism Authority, Aruba received 60,293 stopover arrivals in September 2021, 24.9% fewer than the 80,230 stopovers it received in August 2021. On August 9th 2021, the Government of the United States of America’s State Department moved Aruba to Level 4 when it issued a do not travel to Aruba due to COVID-related conditions travel advisory which received wide publicity and resulted in the numerous cancellation of trips. Aruba closed its borders to tourist arrivals as of March 17th 2020 and re-opened only to visitors from Curacao and Bonaire as of June 15th 2020 and then to visitors from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020. Aruba re-opened to visitors from the USA on July 10th 2020. Consequently, there were just 14,697 stopover visitors in September 2020. The 60,293 stopovers received in September 2021 were 81.9% of the 73,628 stopovers received in September 2019. Compared with 2019, stopover arrivals from the USA decreased by 9.3%, falling from 52,401 arrivals in September 2019 to 47,536 arrivals in September 2021. Arrivals from the USA comprised 78.8% of all arrivals in September 2021 up from 71.2% in September 2019. Arrivals from Canada dropped by 73.6%, from 2,611 in September 2019 to 689 stopovers in September 2021. Arrivals from the Netherlands grew by 27.5%, from 3,031 in September 2019 to 3,864 in September this year. Aruba re-opened its ports to visitors in June of this year and during September 2021 received six cruise ship calls and a total of 8,619 cruise passengers. In the first nine months of 2021 Aruba saw a 107.1% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 273,790 visitors in the first nine months of 2020 to 567,088 visitors in the first nine months of this year. The number of stopovers from the USA grew by 130.0% during the first nine months, from 213,985 in 2020 to 492,071 through the end of September 2021. Compared with the first nine months of 2019, the 567,088 stopover visitors received in the first nine months of 2021 was 66.8% of the 848,841 stopovers received in the first nine months of 2019. There were 492,071 stopovers from the USA in the first nine months of 2021, 77.1% of the 638,459 received from the USA in the first nine months of 2019. The number of visitors staying in hotels in the first nine months of 2021 declined by 40.1% compared with the same nine months of 2019, falling from 440,744 visitors in 2019 to 263,816 in the same nine months of 2021. The share of visitors staying in hotels fell from 51.9% in the first nine months of 2019 to 46.5% in the same nine months of 2021. In the first nine months of 2021 182,599 visitors used timeshare accommodation, 80.2% of the 227,546 visitors who used such accommodation in the first nine months of 2019, with the sector’s share growing from 26.8% in 2019 to 32.2% in 2021. Visitors using other accommodation – private homes, condominiums, short term rental accommodation and apartments – fell by 33.2% when comparing the first nine months of 2019 with the same nine months of 2021 from 180,551 visitors in 2019 to 120,673 in 2021, with the share unchanged at 21.3% in both 2019 and in 2021. In the first nine months of 2021 the primary carrier was JetBlue which brought in 167,186 non-resident visitors, 29.5% of all stopover arrivals, while American Airlines brought in 137,563 non-resident visitors, 24.3% of all visitors. United Airlines brought in 92,585 visitors with Delta carrying 66,797 arrivals. These four carriers brought in 81.9% of all visitors in the first nine months of 2021. Aruba received 22 cruise ship calls in 2021 with 29,480 cruise passengers compared with the 98 calls cruise ships made in 2020 and 255,384 passengers.
Hawaii reports the state received 505,861 out-of-state tourists in September, down 30.0% compared with August 2021. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii saw the volume of air arrivals decline by 30.0% in September 2021, falling from 722,393 air arrivals received in August 2021 to arrivals in September 2021. Total spending for visitors arriving in September 2021 was $1.054 billion, down 23.1% compared with August 2021. In September 2021, passengers arriving from out-of-state could bypass the State’s mandatory 10-day self-quarantine if they were fully vaccinated in the United States or with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner prior to their departure through the Safe Travels program. On August 23, 2021, Hawai‘i Governor David Ige urged travelers to curtail non-essential travel until the end of October 2021 due to a surge in Delta variant cases that has overburdened the state’s health care facilities and resources. April 2020 was the first full month of travel restrictions to keep the community safe, following the State of Hawai‘i’s 14-day mandatory travel quarantine for all passengers (effective March 26, 2020). Consequently, the number of out of state air arrivals was just 18,868 for September 2020. The 505,861 arrivals received in September 2021 were 70.5% of the 718,042 arrivals received in September 2019. Hawaii received 484,306 air arrivals from the mainland USA in September 2021, 95.7% of the overall total, 4,326 arrivals from Canada, 1,769 arrivals from Japan and 15,460 air arrivals from other markets. Through the first nine months of 2021 Hawaii saw a 122.8% increase in the volume of air arrivals, growing from 2,181,028 air arrivals in the first nine months of 2020 to 4,859,654 air arrivals in the same nine months of 2021. Air arrivals in the first nine months of 2021 were 62.8% of the 7,733,816 received in the first nine months of 2019. For the first nine months of 2021, total visitor spending was estimated to be $9.034 billion, 68.1% of the $13.262 billion spent in the first nine months of 2019. Person per trip spending grew by 8.4% from $1,714.80 per person per trip in the first nine months of 2019 to $1,858.90 per person per trip in the first nine months of 2021. Air arrivals from the USA increased by 210.8% in the first nine months of 2021, growing from 1,512,714 air arrivals in 2020 to 4,701,879 air arrivals in the same nine months of 2021, fell by 94.8% from Japan (from 286,802 arrivals in 2020 to 15,040 air arrivals in 2021) and fell by 88.7% from Canada (from 159,138 in 2020 to 17,913 air arrivals in 2021).
In September 2021 Cancun saw its hotels achieve an average hotel room occupancy of 51.8% down 5.9 percentage points from the 57.7% reported for August. Sedetur, the Department of Tourism of the state of Quintana Roo, recently released the hotel occupancy numbers for the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos and Riviera Maya for September 2021. In September, the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos saw a 5.9 percentage point decline in average hotel room occupancy from 57.7% in August 2021 to 51.8% in September of this year. Cancun’s hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 32.4% in September 2020. It should be noted that as of mid-March 2020 the hotels saw a sharp drop in average room occupancies for the second half of the month as strict restrictions on international travel came into effect and the hotels saw limited business in April through September 2020. The 51.8% average room occupancy for September 2021 was 9.0 percentage points lower than the 60.8% achieved in September 2019. The hotels in Riviera Maya saw an 8.8 percentage point decline in average hotel room occupancy from 58.4% in August 2021 to 49.6% in September of this year. As with Cancun, traffic in April through September of 2020 was extremely limited. In September 2020, the hotels in Riviera Maya averaged a 27.0% room occupancy. The same hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 60.9% in September 2019. Through the first nine months of 2021 the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos achieved a 51.3% average room occupancy, up 15.0 percentage points from the 36.3% achieved in the same nine months of 2020. The hotels achieved an average occupancy of 77.2% in the first nine months of 2019. For the first nine months of 2021 the hotels in Riviera Maya achieved an average room occupancy of 46.3%, up 12.9 percentage points from the 33.4% achieved in the same nine months of 2020. The hotels achieved an average occupancy of 79.1% in the first nine months of 2019. Riviera Maya/Tulum has 48,200 hotel rooms while the Cancun/Puerto Morelos area has 42,910 hotel rooms.
The Bahamas reports the islands received 33,852 stopovers in September 2021, 60.8% fewer than the 86,392 stopovers received in August 2021. According to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, The Islands of The Bahamas received 33,852 stopover visitors in September 2021, 60.8% fewer than the 86,392 stopovers received in August 2021, The 33,852 stopovers received in September 2021 were 60.1% of the 56,312 stopovers received in September 2019. The Bahamas closed its borders to foreign visitors as of March 24th 2020 and re—opened its borders as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, The Bahamas received 4,607 stopover visitors in September 2020. Of the 33,852 stopover visitors who arrived in September, 30,492 (90.1%) were from the USA with 671 coming from Canada and 959 from Europe. During September 28,658 stopovers stayed in Nassau/Paradise Island, which is 84.7% of all stopovers, with 2,194 stopovers (6.5%) staying in Grand Bahama, and 3,000 stopovers (8.9%) staying in The Out Islands. During the first nine months of 2021 The Bahamas saw a 54.5% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 421,234 stopover visitors in the first nine months of 2020 to 650,613 stopovers in the same nine months of 2021. The number of visitors from the USA increased by 81.6% in the first nine months, growing from 339,304 stopovers in 2020 to 616,143 stopovers in the first nine months of 2021. The number from Canada fell by 88.8%, falling from 42,241 in 2020 to 4,738 in the first nine months of 2021, while the number from Europe fell by 57.5%, falling from 24,273 in 2020 to 10,312 in the first nine months of 2021. Traffic from the USA in the first nine months of 2021 was 50.9% of the total from the USA in the first nine months of 2019. Nassau/Paradise Island saw a 44.7% increase in the first nine months of 2021, growing from 315,679 stopovers in the first nine months of 2020 to 456,665 stopovers in the same nine months of 2021, while Grand Bahama Island saw a 54.2% increase in stopover traffic, growing from 20,456 stopovers in 2020 to 31,540 in the same nine months of 2021. Stopover traffic to the Out Islands increased by 90.8%, growing from 85,099 stopover visitors in 2020 to 162,408 in the first nine months of 2021. Traffic to Nassau/Paradise Island in the first nine months of 2021 was 41.9% of the total for the same nine months of 2019 while traffic to Grand Bahama was 34.1% of the total for the same nine months of 2019, while traffic to the Out Islands was 56.0% of the total for the same nine months of 2019. Please note these numbers are preliminary and may be subject to change.
The Maldives reports it received 114,896 stopover visitor arrivals in September, down 20.0% compared with August 2021. The Maldives Government’s Ministry of Tourism recently announced that The Maldives received 114,896 stopover visitors in September 2021, down 20.0% from the 143,599 stopovers received in August 2021. The Maldives closed its borders to tourist arrivals on March 27th 2020 and re-opened to all tourists as of July 15th 2020. Consequently, the Maldives received just 9,605 stopover visitors in September 2020. The 114,896 stopovers received in September 2021 were 2.3% fewer than the 117,619 stopovers received in September 2019. In September 2021 India was by far the number one source market and generated 43,160 stopovers of the total overall stopovers (37.6%) while Russia was the number two source market and generated 11,435 stopovers (10.0%). The Maldives re-opened its borders to visitors from India as of July 15th 2021. Other markets which generated significant business in September were Germany (9,627 visitors), the USA (4,883 visitors), Saudi Arabia (4,780 visitors) and Spain (3,969 visitors). In the first nine months of 2021 The Maldives saw a 116.7% increase in total arrivals, growing from 401,810 stopovers in the first nine months of 2020 to 870,862 stopovers in the same nine months of 2021 with India (200,449 visitors) and Russia (171,308 visitors) being, by far, the two largest source markets in these nine months. The 870,862 visitors received in the first nine months of 2021 was 69.6% of the 1,251,690 visitors received in the first nine months of 2019. The Maldives saw the overall number of operating accommodation establishments grow by 96.3% from an average of 375 in the first nine months of 2020 to an average of 736 establishments in the same nine months of 2021. The number of beds in operation grew by 95.0% from 24,529 in the first nine months of 2020 to 47,826 this year. It should be noted many accommodation establishments closed in April 2020 consequent upon the closure of the borders. Through the end of September 2021 overall average room occupancy had grown by 27.0 percentage points from 24.3% in 2020 to 51.3% for the first nine months of this year. Of the 736 establishments in operation 152 were resorts which offered 35,848 beds. These resorts achieved a 58.4% average room occupancy through the first nine months of 2021 up from 27.5% for the first nine months of 2020. Through the first nine months of 2020 there was an average of 79 resorts in operation offering 18,648 beds.
Las Vegas saw a 2.1% decline in visitors in September 2021 compared with August 2021. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Las Vegas saw the volume of visitors decline by 2.1% in September 2021, falling from 2,998,400 arrivals in August 2021 to 2,935,600 in September of 2021. The state of Nevada ordered the closure of all casinos as of March 17th, 2020 but re-opened all casinos as of June 4th, 2020. Consequently, Las Vegas received 1,704,300 visitors in September 2020. The 2,935,600 arrivals received in September 2021 were 84.5% of the 3,475,900 arrivals received in September 2019. Las Vegas had a weighted average of 150,518 open hotel rooms in September 2021 (up 13.1% compared with September 2020) and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 73.0% (46.8% in September 2020), an ADR of $155.80 and a RevPar of $113.73. Through the first nine months of 2021 Las Vegas saw a 57.7% increase in the volume of visitors, growing from 14,412,500 arrivals in the first nine months of 2020 to 22,723,700 visitors in the same nine months of 2021. The total number of visitors for the first nine months of 2021 was 71.3% of the 31,880,200 received in the first nine months of 2019. Las Vegas achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 63.3% in the first nine months of 2021 (up 20.1 percentage points compared with the first nine months of 2020), an ADR of $127.61 (up 0.7% compared with the same nine months of 2020) and a RevPar of $80.78, up 47.5%, also compared with the same nine months of 2020. Gaming revenue increased by 76.3% in the first nine months of 2021, from $4.672 billion in 2020 to $8.237 billion in the same nine months of 2021. Gaming revenue in the first nine months of 2021 was 6.2% higher than the $7.754 billion in gaming revenue generated in the first nine months of 2019.
Cayman Islands’ border reopening set for 20th November 2021. The Cayman Islands border will reopen on the 20th November 2021, Premier Wayne Panton announced on Friday October 22nd 2021. At that point, all quarantine requirements will be lifted for most vaccinated travellers entering the jurisdiction as the island moves to Phase 4 of government’s reopening plan. The much-anticipated announcement, made at a government press briefing, paves the way for visitors to return to the islands. There are still several restrictions in place, including testing requirements for arriving passengers. But the removal of quarantine is considered key to allowing tourism to resume. As it stands, children – who cannot be vaccinated – will not be able to come to the islands without quarantining, but Panton said this was being kept under consideration. He said, “While we’ve had some visitors during the recent months, our tourism partners have always made it very clear that the real economic turnaround will come with the removal of quarantine for vaccinated travellers. “This now gives us the opportunity as a country to rebuild our reputation, rebuild our world-class tourism destination and get many families and businesses back to work.” To read more click here.
U.S. citizens’ outbound travel from the USA to international destinations fell by 11.1% in August 2021. The United States Government’s Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) recently released the figures for U.S. citizens outbound travel from the USA to international destinations for August 2021.
The overall number of trips taken by US citizens to international destinations declined by 11.1% in August 2021, falling from 5,512,187 trips in July 2021 to 4,900,377 trips in August 2021.
The number of trips taken to the Caribbean declined by 25.1%, falling from 868,730 trips in July 2021 to 650,496 trips in August 2021.
The 650,496 trips were 13.3% of all international trips taken by US citizens in August 2021 to all international destinations.
Given that many countries had restrictions in place in August 2020, limiting international arrivals, only 147,332 US citizens visited Caribbean countries in August 2020.
The 650,496 trips taken to the Caribbean in August 2021 were 86.0% of the 756,533 trips taken to the Caribbean in August 2019.
Trips to Europe increased by 0.3% in August, growing from 814,907 trips in July 2021 to 817,101 trips in August 2021. Trips to Europe were 16.7% of trips taken by US citizens in August 2021. The 817,101 trips taken by US citizens to Europe in August 2021 were 41.9% of the 1,950,485 trips taken to Europe in August 2019.
The number of trips taken to Mexico by air declined by 31.8%, falling from 1,214,262 trips in July 2021 to 827,615 trips in August 2021.This segment’s share of all trips taken by US citizens was 16.9% in August 2021. The 827,615 trips were 14.0% more than the 726,111 trips taken to Mexico by air by US citizens in August 2019.
Please note the NTTO’s definition of the Caribbean does not include Puerto Rico or the United States Virgin Islands as, for the purposes of the study, they are deemed to be US territories and the focus of the system (APIS) is non-stop air traffic (segmented here for U.S. citizens) to foreign countries.
In the first eight months of 2021
The overall number of trips taken by US citizens to international destinations increased by 23.3% in the first eight months of 2021, growing from 23.40 million trips in the first eight months of 2020 to 28.84 million trips in the same eight months of 2021.
The 28,842,664 total international trips taken in the first eight months of 2021 were 42.4% of the 67,949,965 trips taken in the first eight months of 2019.
The number of trips taken to the Caribbean increased by 92.3% in the first eight months of 2021, growing from 2,204,032 trips in 2020, to 4,190,851 trips in the first eight months of 2021. The share of trips taken to the Caribbean grew from 9.3% in 2020 to 14.5% in 2021.
The 4,190,851 trips taken to the Caribbean in the first eight months of 2021 were 60.2% of the 6,965,753 trips taken by US residents to the Caribbean in the first eight months of 2019.
Trips to Europe increased by 18.9%, growing from 2,204,032 trips in the first eight months of 2020 to 2,620,893 in the same eight months of 2021. The 2,620,893 trips taken in 2021 were just 19.9% of the 13,150,617 trips taken to Europe in the first eight months of 2019.
The number of trips taken to Mexico by air grew by 115.6%, from 2,947,531 trips in the first eight months of 2020 to 6,354,306 in the same eight months of 2021. The 6,354,306 trips were 89.5% of the 7,101,082 trips taken by US citizens by air to Mexico in the first eight months of 2019. This segment’s share of all trips grew from 12.6% in the first eight months of 2020 to 22.0% in the same eight months of 2021.
Saint Lucia received 14,896 stopovers in September 2021, 27.6% fewer than the 20,569 stopovers received in August 2021. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Saint Lucia saw a 27.6% decrease in stopover visitor arrivals in September 2021, falling from 20,569 stopovers in August 2021 to 14,896 stopovers in September 2021. Saint Lucia received 1,433 cruise visitors in September from three cruise ship calls. Saint Lucia reopened its ports to cruise ships in June 2021. Saint Lucia also received 102 visitors in September 2021 who arrived by yacht. Saint Lucia closed its borders to international visitor arrivals on March 23rd 2020 and re-opened its borders in June 2020. Saint Lucia consequently received 4,122 stopover arrivals in September 2020. The 14,896 stopovers received in September 2021 were 68.9% of the 21,608 stopovers received in September 2019. Saint Lucia received 11,191 stopover arrivals from the USA in September 2021, 29.5% fewer than the 15,875 stopovers received in August 2021 with the 11,191 stopovers comprising 75.1% of all stopover arrivals in September 2021. Through the first nine months of 2021, Saint Lucia saw a 24.5% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 100,741 stopovers in the first nine months of 2020 to 125,387 stopovers in the same nine months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 124.9%, from 48,339 in the first nine months of 2020 to 108,703 in the same nine months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. fell by 39.7% from 19,639 in 2020 to 11,850 stopovers in the same nine months of 2021. The 125,387 stopovers received in 2021 were 39.1% of the 320,331 stopovers received in the first nine months of 2019. Saint Lucia has received 5,400 cruise visitors so far in 2021 compared with 297,885 received in 2020 and received 1,170 visitors who arrived by yacht compared with 21,445 in the first nine months of 2020.
Hawaii’s hotels report an 18.2 percentage point decline in average room occupancy in September compared with August, falling to 55.2% According to the Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report published by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), statewide hotel room occupancy fell by 18.2 percentage points from 73.4% in August 2021 to 55.2% in September of this year. ADR also fell 14.2% from $355.24 in August to $304.32 in September, while revpar fell by 35.6%, from $260.84 in August 2021 to $167.92 in September of this year. Hawai‘i’s quarantine order for travelers due to the COVID-19 pandemic began on March 26, 2020, which immediately resulted in dramatic declines for the hotel industry. Many properties closed or reduced operations starting in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hotel sector posted an average room occupancy of 20.6% in September 2020. Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide fell by 60.5%, from $433.4 million in August 2021 to $270.0 million in September 2021. Room demand fell by 27.3%, from 1,220,100 room nights in August to 887,100 room nights in September while room supply fell by 3.2% from 1,661,700 room nights in August to 1,607,700 room nights in September. In September 2021, passengers arriving from out-of-state could bypass the State’s mandatory 10-day self-quarantine if they were fully vaccinated in the United States or with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner prior to their departure through the Safe Travels program. On August 23, 2021, Hawaii Governor David Ige urged travelers to curtail non-essential travel until the end of October 2021 due to the Delta variant resulting in the state’s health care system being overburdened. For the first nine months of 2021 statewide hotel room occupancy increased by 12.2 percentage points from 43.7% in 2020 to 55.9% in the first nine months of 2021. ADR increased by 16.5% from $272.10 in 2020 to $316.88 while revpar grew by 49.0%, from $118.91 in the first nine months of 2020 to $177.19 in the first nine months of this year. In the first nine months of 2021, Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide increased by 110.9% from $1.188 billion in 2020 to $2.504 billion in the first nine months of this year. Room demand increased by 81.1%, to 7,903,100 room nights in the same nine months. Room supply grew by 41.5% to 14,133,600 available room nights also in the first nine months. The Hawaii Hotel Performance Report is produced using hotel survey data compiled by STR, Inc., the largest survey of its kind in Hawaii. The survey generally excludes properties with under 20 lodging units, such as small bed and breakfasts, youth hostels, single-family vacation rentals, cottages, individually rented vacation condominiums and sold timeshare units no longer available for hotel use. The data has been weighted both geographically and by class of property to compensate for any over and/or under representation of hotel survey participants by location and type. For September, the survey included 144 properties representing 46,094 rooms, or 85.4 percent of all lodging properties and 86.0 percent of operating lodging properties with 20 rooms or more in the Hawaiian Islands, including full service, limited service, and condominium hotels. The September survey included 75 properties on Oahu representing 28,639 rooms (95.2% of operating properties); 39 properties in the County of Maui, representing 9,548 rooms (74.4% of operating properties); 15 properties on the island of Hawaii, representing 4,760 rooms (71.4% of operating properties); and 15 properties on Kauai, representing 3,147 rooms (78.8% of operating properties).
Jamaica received 183,676 stopover arrivals in July 2021, a 10.6% increase compared with June 2021. According to the Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica received 183,676 stopover arrivals in July 2021, a 10.6% increase compared with the 166,046 stopovers received in June 2021 and 67.9% of the 270,642 stopovers received in July 2019. Jamaica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and reopened again on June 15th 2020. Jamaica consequently had just 41,941 arrivals in July 2020. Stopover arrivals from the USA totaled 167,289 in July 2021, that is 6.2% more than the 157,472 stopover visitors received from the USA in June 2021. Stopover arrivals from the USA comprised 91.1% of all stopover arrivals received in July 2021. There were no cruise visitors in July 2021 as Jamaica remained closed to cruise ship calls. Through the first seven months of 2021 Jamaica saw a 14.9% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 623,260 stopover arrivals in the first seven months of 2020 to 716,221 arrivals in the same seven months of 2021. The 716,221 stopovers received in the first seven months of 2021 were 43.1% of the 1,661,325 stopovers received in the first seven months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 60.5% in the first seven months of 2021, growing from 420,882 arrivals in 2020 to 675,420 arrivals in the same seven months of 2021. The USA’s share of all stopover arrivals grew from 67.5% in the first seven months of 2020 to 94.3% in the same seven months of 2021.
Costa Rica received 85,183 stopover arrivals in September 2021, 30.3% fewer than the 122,162 stopovers received in August 2021. According to the Costa Rica Institute of Tourism (ICT), Costa Rica received 85,183 stopovers in September 2021, 30.3% fewer than the 122,162 stopovers received in August 2021. Costa Rica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and reopened to international tourists arriving by air as of November 2020. It reopened its land borders in April 2021. Costa Rica consequently received just 3,817 stopovers in September 2020. The 85,183 stopovers received in September 2021 were 53.2% of the 160,206 stopovers received in September 2019. Costa Rica received 48,509 stopovers from the USA in September, 56.9% of the overall total, and 7,359 stopovers from Central America. The volume of stopovers decreased by 1.2% in the first nine months of 2021, falling from 889,218 stopovers in the first nine months of 2020 to 878,574 stopovers in the first nine months of 2021. The 878,574 stopover visitors were 36.9% of the 2,380,844 stopovers received in the first nine months of 2019. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 68.7% in the first nine months of 2021, from 358,379 stopovers in 2020 to 604,639 in 2021 while the number from Central America declined by 76.7%, falling from 192,045 in the first nine months of 2020 to 44,759 in the same nine months of 2021. The share of visitors from the USA grew from 40.3% in the first nine months of 2020 to 68.8% in the first nine months of 2021.
Cuba announces it received 22,448 international stopover visitors in August 2021, 16.4% fewer than the 26,856 international visitors received in July 2021. The Cuban Government’s Office of National Statistics and Information (ONEI) recently announced that total international tourist arrivals declined by 16.4% in August 2021, falling from 26,856 international stopover arrivals in July 2021 to 22,448 arrivals in August of this year. This number includes both stopover visitors and cruise visitors. Cuba closed its borders to international tourist arrivals on March 20 2020 and consequently received just 1,310 international stopovers in August 2020. The 22,448 stopovers received in August 2021 were just 8.3% of the 269,310 international visitors received in August 2019. Cuba received 12,779 stopovers from Russia in August 2021, 56.9% of all stopovers received for the month. In the first eight months of 2021 Cuba saw an 83.4% decrease in total international arrivals, falling from 987,983 arrivals in 2020 to 163,764 stopovers this year. The 163,764 arrivals were just 5.2% of the 3,126,071 international visitors received in the first eight months of 2019. Total tourist arrivals from Canada fell by 98.2% in the first eight months of 2021, from 403,628 arrivals in 2020 to 7,366 in 2021. The number one source market in the first eight months of 2021 was Russia with 103,028 stopovers, 62.9% of all arrivals, up from just 6.4% of all such arrivals in the first eight months of 2020.
Dubai saw 380,000 international visitors in August, an 8.6% increase in visitors compared with July 2021. According to the Government of Dubai’s Statistics Center, Dubai saw an 8.6% increase in the number of international visitors in August 2021, growing from 350,000 visitors in July 2021 to 380,000 in August 2021. The equivalent visitor numbers for August 2020 are not available. It should be noted that Dubai closed its borders to international visitor arrivals as of July 26th 2020. In the first eight months of 2021 Dubai received 3,230,000 international visitors, down 70.2% compared with the 10,850,000 visitors received in the first eight months of 2019. The number one source market in the first eight months of 2021 was India which generated 435,000 visitors, 13.5% of the overall total followed by Russia which generated 236,000 visitors. As of August 2021, Dubai had 531 hotels offering 105,104 hotel rooms and 186 apartment hotels offering 24,285 units. The hotel sector achieved an average room occupancy of 57.1% in the first eight months of 2021 while the apartment sector achieved an average occupancy of 69.4%
The United States Virgin Islands received 66,092 air arrivals in August 2021, 31.7% fewer than the 96,797 air visitors received in July 2021. According to numbers published by the USVI Bureau of Economic Research, the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals decline by 31.7% in August 2021, falling from 96,797 air arrivals in July 2021 to 66,092 air arrivals in August of this year. The 66,092 air arrivals received in August 2021 were 36.6% more than the 48,376 received in August 2019. The USVI closed its borders to air arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and re-opened as of July 1st 2020. The USVI received 29,535 air arrivals in August 2020. The USVI received 10,551 cruise visitors in August 2021. Through the first eight months of 2021 the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 106.6%, from 284,212 air arrivals in the first eight months of 2020 to 587,164 air arrivals in the first eight months of 2021. The 587,164 arrivals received in the first eight months of 2021 were 26.3% higher than the 464,928 air arrivals received in the first eight months of 2019. The USVI reopened to cruise visitors in July 2021 and in the two months of July and August received 14,925 cruise visitors, just 3.4% of the 442,027 cruise visitors received in the first three months of 2020.
Belize received 11,685 stopover visitors in September 2021, down 30.4% from the 16,782 received in August 2021. According to the Belize Tourism Board, Belize received 11,685 stopover visitors in September 2021, down 30.4% from the 16,782 received in August 2021. Belize closed its borders as of April 5th 2020, and consequently just received 772 stopover visitors in September 2020. The country reopened to visitors in October 2020. The 11,685 stopover visitors received in September 2021 were 59.5% of the 19,645 stopover visitors received in September 2019. Belize received 9,226 stopover arrivals from the USA in September 2021, 465 from Europe, 148 from Mexico and 256 from Canada. Belize received eleven cruise ship calls in September with 22,180 cruise visitors. Belize re-opened to cruise visitors in July 2021. In the first nine months of 2021 Belize saw the number of stopovers increase by 16.9%, from 126,875 visitors in the first nine months of 2020 to 148,282 in the first nine months of 2021. The 148,282 visitors received in 2021 were 38.7% of the 383,171 received in the first nine months of 2019. Stopovers from the USA increased by 60.5% in the first nine months of 2021, from 78,256 in 2020 to 125,620 in the same nine months of 2021. Stopovers from Canada fell by 87.4% in the first nine months, to 1,768 arrivals while stopovers from Europe fell by 75.2% in the same nine months, to 3,890 arrivals. Belize received 48,513 cruise visitors in July through September of 2021, down 85.9% compared with the 343,099 cruise visitors received in 2020.
Curacao reports it received 27,539 stopover arrivals in September 2021, 10.7% fewer than the 30,852 received in August of this year. According to the Curaçao Tourist Board, Curaçao saw a 10.7% decrease in stopover visitor arrivals in September, falling from 30,852 stopovers received in August 2021 to 27,539 stopovers received in September of this year. The 27,539 stopovers received in September 2021 were 84.7% of the 32,510 stopovers received in September 2019. Curaçao closed its borders to international visitors as of March 17th, 2020 and reopened its borders to visitors from Europe and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Curaçao received just 10,420 stopover visitors in September 2020. Curacao received 17,137 stopover visitors from the Netherlands in September 2021 and 3,363 stopovers from the USA, 62.2% and 12.2% of all stopovers, respectively. Curacao received seven cruise ship calls with 9,730 cruise visitors in September 2021. The island re-opened to cruise traffic in June 2021. In the first nine months of 2021 Curaçao saw a 9.1% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 137,705 visitors in 2020 to 150,245 visitors in the first nine months of this year. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 17.2% during the first nine months, growing from 21,364 in 2020 to 25,029 in the first nine months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the Netherlands increased by 35.2%, growing from 67,009 visitors during the first nine months of 2020, to 90,582 in the first nine months of 2021. The 150,245 stopovers received in the first nine months of 2021 was 43.4% of the 346,464 stopovers received in the same nine months of 2019. Between June and September 2021 Curacao received 27 cruise ship calls which brought 30,796 cruise passengers.
AHATA reports Aruba’s hotels achieved a 56.3% average room occupancy in September 2021, down 14.6 percentage points from the 70.9% achieved in August. The Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association reports that average hotel room occupancy in September 2021 was 56.3%, 14.6 percentage points lower than the 70.9% achieved in August 2021. Aruba closed its orders to international travel as of March 17, 2020, and while the borders re-opened as of July 2020, Aruba’s hotels achieved a 13.3% average room occupancy in September 2020. And compared with September 2019, the average room occupancy in September 2021 was 23.2 percentage points lower, falling from 79.5% in September 2019 to 56.3% in September this year. ADR was $243.25 in September 2021, 13.6% higher than in September 2019, with revpar at $136.89, 19.6% lower than in September 2019. Aruba’s timeshare resorts reported an average occupancy of 74% in September 2021. Through the first nine months of 2021 AHATA reports that Aruba’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 53.4% compared with 27.4% for the first nine months of 2020. Again, compared with the first nine months of 2020, ADR fell by 26.7% to $254.95 although RevPAR grew by 42.9% to $136.10. By comparison with the first nine months of 2019 average room occupancy was 32.2 percentage points lower in 2021, while ADR fell by 8.6%, and revpar was 43.0% lower. AHATA is projecting that Aruba’s hotels will achieve an average room occupancy of 63% for October, 71% for November, 73% for December and 58% for 2021 as a whole.
Mauritius announces it received 2,494 stopover visitors in September, almost unchanged from the 2,499 received in August 2021. The Mauritius Government’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Development recently reported that the country received 2,494 total stopover arrivals in September 2021, five fewer than the 2,499 stopovers received in August 2021. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors. Mauritius re-entered a hard lock-down in March 2021 consequent upon an increase in local Covid19 infections but re-opened to vaccinated international travellers on the 15th July 2021 as part of a two-phase programme. Mauritius closed its borders to all international arrivals as of March 19th, 2020, and consequently received just 369 stopovers in September 2020. The 2,494 arrivals received in September 2021 were 2.5% of the 100,837 stopovers received in September 2019. From 15th July to 30 September 2021, vaccinated travellers were admitted for a resort-based holiday on the island and had to stay within their chosen resort premises. All travellers had to have proof of a negative PCR test prior to travel and were tested again on arrival. Further tests were taken on day 7 and 14 of their resort holiday if applicable. Phase 2 began on 1 October 2021, allowing vaccinated travellers entry without restrictions upon presentation of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure. In the first nine months of 2021 Mauritius saw a 96.9% decrease in total stopover arrivals, falling from 305,612 arrivals in 2020 to 9,460 arrivals in the first nine months of this year. Mauritius received 973,642 stopovers through the first nine months of 2019 with the total received during the first nine months of 2021 being 1.0% of this total.
Antigua and Barbuda received 11,589 stopovers in September 2021, 38.3% fewer than the 18,792 received in August 2021. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 38.3% decline in stopover visitor arrivals in September 2021, falling from 18,792 stopovers received in August 2021 to 11,589 stopovers this September. Antigua and Barbuda re-opened its borders to international travel as of June 4th, 2020, and consequently received 3,673 visitors in September 2020. The 11,589 stopovers received In September 2021 were 17.9% fewer than the 14,124 stopovers Antigua received in September 2019. The 5,708 stopover visitors received from the USA in September 2021 were 42.2% fewer than the 9,877 stopovers received from the USA in August but comprised 49.3% of all stopovers received in September. Antigua also received 4,736 stopover visitors from the U.K. in September. Through the first nine months of 2021, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 12.6% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 98,483 stopovers in the first nine months of 2020 to 110,890 stopovers in the same nine months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 67.3%, from 45,833 stopovers in the first nine months of 2020 to 76,666 stopovers in the same nine months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. increased by 8.8%, from 22,489 in 2020 to 24,471 stopovers in the same nine months of 2021. The number of stopovers received in the first nine months of 2021 was 51.3% of the 216,228 stopovers received in the same nine months of 2019.
Fiji To Reopen to International Travellers as of December 1st, 2021. Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has announced Fiji will reopen its borders again from December 1, 2021. Bainimarama said this while commemorating Fiji Day and 51 years of the island nation’s independence on the 10th of October 2021. Like other destinations, Fiji was also closed for almost two years due to COVID -19. This official announcement comes off the heels of Fiji reaching its goal to get 80% of its eligible population vaccinated with both doses. Travellers to Fiji must be fully vaccinated (children under 18 can travel with a vaccinated adult) from a “Travel Partner” country (defined as one with high vaccination rates and low-test positivity rates), as well as providing a negative PCR test taken 72-hours prior to departure. “It’s been almost two years since we welcomed international visitors. And in these two years, we’ve struggled, we’ve adapted, and we’ve prepared. Today, our national airline is ready, our hotels and tour providers are ready, and Fijians are ready to safely welcome the world back. We are ready to let happiness find you again,” Faiyaz Koya, Minister for Tourism, Fiji, said. “We are ecstatic that Fiji will open its borders to international visitors before the end of the year,” says Tourism Fiji’s CEO Brent Hill. “This is the moment we have been planning for nearly two years now and I can assure the world that Fiji is safe and ready to welcome you back. The islands are just as beautiful – if not more beautiful – than ever and the locals just as warm and friendly. Fiji is the vacation the world needs and deserves right now, and we can finally offer that again from December.”
The Seychelles received 16,609 visitor arrivals in September 2021, 15.3% fewer than the 19,611 received in August 2021. The Seychelles Government’s National Bureau of Statistics recently announced that the country received 16,609 total stopover arrivals in September 2021, down 15.3% from the 19,611 received in August 2021. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors and transit visitors. The Seychelles re-opened to international visitors from most countries as of March 25th 2021 with visitors being required to produce evidence of a negative PCR test. The 16,609 visitor arrivals received in September 2021 were 66.8% of the 24,860 received in September 2019. The number one source market in September was Germany which generated 2,256 stopover visitors (13.6% of the total for the month) followed by France with 1,974 stopover visitors (11.9%). The Seychelles closed its borders to cruise ships as of March 9th 2020 and to international air visitors as of March 30th 2020. The Seychelles re-opened its borders to visitors from low and medium risk countries as of September 1st 2020 and consequently received 1,575 stopover visitors in September 2020. In the first nine months of 2021 The Seychelles saw a 14.5% increase in total visitor arrivals, growing from 93,269 arrivals in 2020 to 106,826 arrivals in the first nine months of 2021. The 106,826 stopovers received in the first nine months of 2021 were 38.9% of the 274,823 received in the first nine months of 2019. Total stopover arrivals from Germany, the number one source market in 2020, fell by 59.9% from 20,740 arrivals in the first nine months of 2020 to 8,308 arrivals in the same nine months of 2021. The number one source market in the first nine months of 2021 was Russia which generated 20,169 visitors, 18.9% of all visitor arrivals for those first nine months. The Seychelles received no cruise visitors in the first nine months of 2021.
Aruba Airport Authority reports 67,021 departing passengers in September 2021, 32.4% fewer than the 99,093 handled in August 2021. The Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) reports that in September 2021 67,021 Revenue Generating Passengers (RGPs) travelled out of the Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA Airport) to its various markets. This was 32.4% fewer than the 99,093 RGPs who departed in August 2021. A revenue generating passenger is an outbound traveler leaving Aruba and includes tourists returning to their homes as well as Arubans departing for trips overseas. While Aruba reopened to travel to and from Bonaire and Curacao as of June 15th, 2020, the country did not reopen to travel from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean until July 1st, 2020, and from the USA until July 10th, 2020. Consequently, the airport had just 16,818 RGPs in September 2020. The airport also handled 6,309 passengers in transit in September 2021 as well as 133 transferring passengers. In September 2021 67,021 passengers (pax) travelled to the USA,129 pax to Canada, 6,466 pax to Europe, 6,874 pax to Latin America and 2,663 pax to the Dutch Caribbean. The airlines provided 104,837 outbound seats in September 2021, 88.6% of the 118,293 seats provided in September 2019. Airlines flying to the USA in September experienced an average load factor of 68.9%, 69.8% to Canada, while flights to Europe averaged a 78.7% load factor. The overall average load factor for all flights for September was 70.7%. In the first nine months of 2021 the airport handled a total of 624,375 RGPs, up 84.7% compared with the 338,065 handled in the first nine months of 2020. Traffic to the USA increased by 108.5%, from 250,226 RGPs in the first nine months of 2020 to 521,819 in the same nine months of 2021. Traffic to Canada fell by 94.3% to 1,030 RGPs, while traffic to Europe increased by 78.2%, from 25,617 RGPS in the first nine months of 2020 to 45,651 RGPs this year. Seat capacity through the first nine months of 2021 increased by 92.0% compared with the same nine months of 2020, from 501,824 available seats in 2020 to 963,333 seats in 2021. The 963,333 seats available in 2021 were 73.7% of the 1,306,565 seats available in the first nine months of 2019. The overall average load factor of outbound flights fell from 85.4% in the first nine months of 2019 to 70.0% in the same nine months of 2021. The average load factor of flights to the USA fell from 85.5% in the first nine months of 2019 to 69.8% in the same nine months of 2021. The AAA has estimated it will receive a total of 1,350,852 seats for the whole of 2021, 79.4% of the 1,701,062 available seats received in 2019. It also estimates that the airport will receive 1,651,581 seats in 2022, that is 97.1% of the 1,701,062 seats received in 2019. The AAA stated that these seat projections are preliminary and subject to change.
Maldives economy expected to recover by 2023: World Bank The World Bank has said the Maldives' economy is expected to recover to pre-COVID-19 levels by 2023. The Economy Outlook published by the World Bank said the real GDP of the Maldives is projected to grow by 22.3 percent this year. This is possible if the Maldives welcomes at least 1.1 million tourists this year, double the amount recorded last year and 65 percent of 2019 levels, the report said. The Tourism Ministry has said 1.3 million tourists are expected to visit the Maldives this year. The World Bank further said the economy is expected to grow by 11 percent if the number of tourist arrivals continue to pick up as global travel normalizes. The poverty rate is expected to decline to 9.1 percent in 2021 and subsequently to 4.3% by 2023. The World Bank's Country Director to the Maldives, Faris Hadad-Zervos said the Maldives needs to strengthen its finances in preparation for disasters and catastrophes. The Maldives must work to decrease debt and increase economic growth, he said. The Finance Ministry has also predicted that the Maldives' economy will recover in 2023. For full press release click here
Caribbean Hotel Update: Two Markets Showing High Levels of Occupancy Recovery. STR | October 05, 2021 The summer travel season, helped by growing vaccination rates around the world, allowed Caribbean hotels to pick up steam in their road to recovery. Regardless of world region, the markets that truly stand out are those with favorable comparisons to 2019—the last “normal year” prior to the pandemic. In the Caribbean, we have been comparing 2021 vs. 2019 data for year-to-date periods to remove the effects of seasonality, which are usually substantial in the region. As of August, we saw two of fourteen markets with hotel occupancy near or above the 2019 comparable. The only Caribbean market to achieve an August year-to-date occupancy level higher than its 2019 comparable was the U.S Virgin Islands. The market reported an occupancy of 73.4% through the first eight months of the year, which was 8.4% higher than the same period in 2019. Puerto Rico reported a 64.9% occupancy level, which came in relatively close to the 2019 comparable (68.1%). Prior to August, the market had seen eight consecutive months of occupancy improvement, with July occupancy even surpassing the same month in 2020, 2019 and 2018. Despite a month-over-month decline in August, Puerto Rico’s occupancy remained similar to levels seen earlier in the summer. The U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico have benefitted from the U.S. corridor and the fact that U.S. travelers do not need a passport or a different currency. Additionally, domestic tourism in Puerto Rico is quite popular and has carried this market through the COVID-19 storm. Another market that performed closer to its 2019 comparable was Turks and Caicos. Occupancy came in at 59.7%, which was 12.7% below the 2019 comparable (68.4%). While other Caribbean markets hang on the tail of their 2019 comparables, some markets, such as the Cayman Islands, remain far off from achieving similar 2019 levels. The market reported a 42.6% August year-to-date occupancy level, which was down 72.3% from its 2019 comparable. Overall, the Caribbean registered a 39.5% year-to-date occupancy level, down 41.4% from 2019. As shown in STR’s School Break Report, a majority of U.S. K-9 and college students returned to school by mid-to-late August, with some students set for a fall break weekend in mid-October. While travel to the Caribbean is possible, we have seen that travelers often spend those longer weekend trips at drive-to destinations. Add in hurricane season to the mix, and September and October tend to be the slower months for the Caribbean. However, since pent-up demand is still existent, we could see higher performance figures before winter season kicks in.
San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) handled 684,451 total passenger movements in September 2021, 26.9% fewer than the 935,781 handled in August 2021. According to ASUR, which manages many airports in Mexico, Colombia and which also manages the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, SJU saw a 26.9% decline in passenger movements in September 2021, falling from 935,781 total passenger movements in August 2021 to 684,451 movements in September 2021. The 684,451 passenger movements handled in September 2021 were 19.9% higher than the 571,010 handled in September 2019. It should be noted that restrictions on travel began to be put in place in the middle of March 2020. In September 2020 San Juan’s airport handled 297,505 total passenger movements. In the first nine months of 2021 the overall volume of air passenger movements at San Juan’s airport increased by 104.7%, from 3,505,793 in 2020 to 7,175,392 in the same nine months of 2021. The total for the first nine months of 2021 was 1.5% more than the total for the same nine months of 2019, that is 7,175,392 in 2021 of the 7,072,180 passengers handled in the first nine months of 2019.
Cancun’s Airport handled 933,081 international air passenger movements in September 2021, 24.6% fewer than the 1,237,207 passengers handled in August 2021. According to ASUR, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Cancun Airport saw a 24.6% decline in international passenger movements in September 2021, falling from 1,237,207 international movements in August 2021 to 933,081 such movements in September 2021. The 933,081 international passenger movements handled in September 2021 were 4.9% more than the 889,419 international passengers handled in September 2019. Domestic passenger movements declined by 11.7% in September 2021, falling from 824,710 passenger movements in August 2021 to 727,985 domestic movements in September of this year. The 727,985 domestic passenger movements handled in September 2021 were 3.7% more than the 701,857 handled in September 2019. Mexico re-opened to international tourist arrivals as of June 8th, 2020, and consequently Cancun handled 304,003 international passenger movements in September 2020, up from 297,389 handled in August 2020. In the first nine months of 2021 the volume of international air passenger movements increased by 80.1%, growing from 5,032,366 movements in 2020 to 9,062,268 movements in the first nine months of 2021 while the volume of domestic air passenger movements increased by 86.9%, from 3,500,852 movements in the first nine months of 2020 to 6,542,411 in the same nine months of 2021. By comparison with the first nine months of 2019 the volume of international air passenger movements in 2021 was 71.5% of the 2019 total, falling from 12,671,074 movements in 2019 to 9,062,268 movements in the first nine months of 2021 while the volume of 2021 domestic air passenger movements was 97.6% of the 2019 total, falling from 6,703,534 movements in the first nine months of 2019 to 6,542,411 in the same nine months of 2021. In the first nine months of 2021 international passenger movements accounted for 58.1% of all passenger movements, down from 59.0% in 2020 and down from 65.4% in the first nine months of 2019.
Los Cabos handled 235,500 international passenger movements in September 2021, down 24.4% compared with August 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Los Cabos Airport saw a 24.4% decline in international passenger traffic in September 2021, that is enplanements and deplanements, falling from 311,600 international passenger movements in August 2021 to 235,500 international passenger movements in September 2021. Mexico re-opened to international tourist arrivals as of June 8th, 2020, and consequently Los Cabos handled 102,000 international passenger movements in September 2020. The 235,500 international passenger movements seen in September 2021 were 39.6% higher than the 168,700 international movements handled in September 2019. Domestic traffic declined by 10.4%, falling from 191,400 passenger movements in August 2021 to 171,400 passenger movements in September 2021. Los Cabos handled 115,100 domestic passenger movements in September 2020. The 171,400 domestic passenger movements seen in September 2021 were 19.4% more than the 143,600 domestic passenger movements handled in September 2019. Through the first nine months of 2021 Los Cabos Airport saw international passenger movements increase by 95.5%, from 1,259,500 in 2020 to 2,462,000 in the first nine months of 2021. Domestic passenger movements increased by 84.2% in the first nine months of 2021, from 784,500 in 2020 to 1,445,400 in the first nine months of 2021. By comparison with the first nine months of 2019 international passenger movements were down 10.9%, while domestic movements declined by 0.2%.
Montego Bay Airport handled 191,000 total passenger movements in September 2021, 34.9% less than the 293,400 handled in August 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Montego Bay Airport decline by 34.9% in September 2021, falling from 293,400 total movements in August 2021 to 191,000 movements in September 2021. The total number of passenger movements in September 2021 was 74.3% of the 256,900 handled in September 2019. It should be noted that Jamaica closed its borders to international visitors as of March 21st, 2020, and re-opened to such visitors as of June 15th 2020. As a result, Montego Bay Airport handled just 48,000 passenger movements in September 2020. Through the first nine months of 2021 Montego Bay Airport saw total passenger movements increase by 32.9%, from 1,325,100 in 2020 to 1,760,600 in the first nine months of 2021. The 2021 total of 1,760,600 movements was 48.6% of the 3,622,200 passenger movements handled in the first nine months of 2019. In 2021 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
Kingston, Jamaica Airport saw 74,900 total passenger movements in September 2021, 23.0% down compared with August 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Kingston Jamaica’s Airport decline by 23.0% in September 2021, falling from 97,300 total movements in August 2021 to 74,900 total passenger movements in September 2021. While Kingston Airport re-opened to international travelers as of June 15th, 2020, the total number of passenger movements in September 2020 was 33,400 passengers. Through the first nine months of 2021 Kingston’s Airport saw total passenger movements grow by 14.5%, from 495,700 in 2020 to 567,700 in the first nine months of 2021. Numbers for 2019 are not available. In 2021 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
UNWTO reports international tourism shows slight recovery in June and July 2021 driven by vaccinations and border reopening. 4th October 2021 International tourism enjoyed signs of rebound in June and July 2021 as some destinations eased travel restrictions and the global vaccination rollout advanced in many parts of the world. According to the latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, an estimated 54 million tourists crossed international borders in July 2021, down 67% from the same month in 2019, but the strongest results since April 2020. This compares to an estimated 34 million international arrivals recorded in July 2020, though well below the 164 million figure recorded in 2019. Moderate rebound for most destinations Most destinations reporting data for June and July 2021 saw a moderate rebound in international arrivals compared to 2020. Nevertheless, 2021 continues to be a challenging year for global tourism, with international arrivals down 80% in January-July compared to the same seven months of 2019. Asia and the Pacific continued to suffer the weakest results in the period January to July 2021, with a 95% drop in international arrivals compared to 2019. The Middle East (-82%) recorded the second largest decline, followed by Europe and Africa (both -77%). The Americas (-68%) saw a comparatively smaller decrease, with the Caribbean showing the best performance among world subregions, down just 52% compared to the same seven months of 2019. Meanwhile, some small islands in the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia and the Pacific, together with a few small European destinations recorded the best performance in June and July, with arrivals close to, or sometimes exceeding pre-pandemic levels. The true restart of tourism and the benefits it brings, remain on hold as inconsistent rules and regulations and uneven vaccination rates continue to affect confidence in travel Confidence in travel slowly rising This improvement was underpinned by the reopening of many destinations to international travel, mostly in Europe and the Americas. The relaxation of travel restrictions for vaccinated travellers, coupled with progress made in the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines, contributed to lifting consumer confidence and gradually restoring safe mobility in Europe and other parts of the world. In contrast, most destinations in Asia remain closed to non-essential travel. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “There is clearly a strong demand for international tourism, and many destinations have started welcoming visitors back safely and responsibly. However, the true restart of tourism and the benefits it brings, remain on hold as inconsistent rules and regulations and uneven vaccination rates continue to affect confidence in travel.” Tourism Earnings Although destinations continued to report weak international tourism revenues in the first seven months of 2021, several did record a modest improvement in June and July, and some even surpassed the earnings of 2019. Among the larger destinations, Mexico earned roughly the same tourism receipts in June 2021 as in 2019, and in July posted a 2% increase over 2019. The same is true for outbound travel. Among the larger markets, France (-35%) and the United States (-49%) saw a significant improvement in July, though tourism spending was still well below 2019 levels. Looking Ahead Prospects for September-December 2021 remain mixed, according to the latest UNWTO Panel of Experts survey, with 53% of respondents believing the period will be worse than expected. Only 31% of experts expect point to better results towards the end of the year. The survey also shows that most tourism professionals continue to expect a rebound driven by unleashed pent-up demand for international travel in 2022, mostly during the second and third quarters. Almost half of all experts (45%) continue to see international tourism returning to 2019 levels in 2024 or later, while 43% point to a recovery in 2023. By regions, the largest share of experts pointing to a return to 2019 levels in 2024 or later are in Asia and the Pacific (58%). In Europe, half of respondents indicate this could happen in 2023. The Middle East is the most optimistic, with a full recovery expected by 2022. Click here for UNWTO Tourism Barometer - Issue 5 - September 2021.
Cruise leaders stress protocols are working, demand is building. September 28th 2021. Richard Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group, said he expects ships in core markets to be back to 100% occupancy by the end of this year. 'Every day, we're getting further and further along the road of demonstrating how [effective our protocols are],' Fain said. 'People have moved from the zero-risk mindset,' according to Arnold Donald, president and CEO, Carnival Corp. & plc. They're used to dealing with risks in their daily lives, he said, and those who've cruised are 'comfortable' with the environment because they know how much care is taken on board. 'The most powerful marketing tool there is word of mouth. As we continue to sail safely and successfully and people have the time of their life, they're going to communicate that,' Donald said. 'Our guest satisfaction [level] is amazing,' Fain asserted. 'We all assumed' the rebound would be fueled by experienced cruisers; however, Royal Caribbean is actually attracting first-timers thanks to the protocols, and to innovation. 80% of global cruise fleet operating by year-end The cruise industry had 16% of its fleet operating in June, now it's at 56% and is projected to be 80% by end of December, with 220 oceangoing ships carrying passengers by then, CLIA Global Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago said in his keynote address. Taking the stage for this live event in Miami, Vago pumped his arms and said: 'Hello, Miami! It's great to be back!' 'Other industries are looking at how we've managed it,' CLIA President and CEO Kelly Craighead said. She noted the virus is continually evolving and said the industry's protocols are continually evolving, too. Craighead also stressed cruising's economic importance to people around the world, showing a video with workers like a PortMiami longshoreman, a Juneau shopkeeper, ship's crew and officers who all conveyed appreciation for their cruise industry jobs and said these enable them to support their families. Sidestepping politics The panel sidestepped moderator Seema Mody of CNBC's questions about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and whether the Trump or the Biden administration is more cruise-friendly. 'Gov. DeSantis is a strong supporter of the cruise industry,' Craighead said, adding that what's reported can't always be believed. She said CLIA has a good relationship with governors, the Biden administration and officials in the rest of the world. Craighead noted cruise ships weren't sailing from the US when President Biden said he hoped to have the country open by July 4th but the administration is aware of cruising's $55.5bn contribution to the US economy and the fact that it draws 2.5m international visitors to the US in a normal year. 'We're dealing with hundreds, if not thousands of administrations' around the world, Fain pointed out. New competition? As for new companies like Virgin Voyages, Fain indicated: bring 'em on. It's like when Disney expanded into cruising: 'New players benefit us because they attract attention ... They're adding more to the demand than they are to the supply,' he said. The real competition, according to Fain, is land-based vacations and other discretionary purchases like wide-screen TVs. 'We're a tiny industry with 30 million cruisers [annually] pre-COVID, while there's opportunity of over half a billion people a year who take vacations,' Donald added. ESG matters The cruise leaders also talked about the importance of ESG matters and said those continue to be priorities even during the pandemic. All the companies professed to be working toward decarbonization. Vago challenged governments to help wth the development of alternative fuels to meet decarbonization goals, noting that lines are doing their part but the issue is emissions created from well to wake. Cruise industry greenhouse gas emissions are barely measurable in the grand scheme of things, Donald said, adding that many other industries could say that, too, but it's the cumulative impact that's important. The Carnival chief cited efforts like building LNG ships — a bridge to reduced emissions, not the solution, Donald added — and the use of exhaust gas cleaning systems, shore power and work with fuel cells, lithium batteries and biofuels, among other initiatives.
Mexico received 1,188,098 international air arrivals in August, down 23.6% compared with July 2021. According to the Government of Mexico’s SECTUR (Department of Tourism) Mexico received 1,188,098 international air arrivals in August 2021, down 23.6% compared with the 1,554,859 arrivals received in July 2021. Mexico’s border with the USA was closed as of March 20, 2020 and consequently Mexico received 337,421 international visitors in August 2020. The 1,188,098 international air arrivals received in August 2021 were 83.1% of the 1,429,074 international visitors received in August 2019. Mexico received 835,519 air visitors from the USA in August, 70.3% of the total. Colombia was the second biggest market (42,651 visitors) with Spain third largest (32,956 visitors). Cancun Airport received 562,517 international air visitor arrivals in August 2021, 47.3% of the overall total. Los Cabos received 137,960 international air arrivals with Puerto Vallarta receiving 69,591 air visitors. In the first eight months of 2021 the volume of international air arrivals to Mexico increased by 56.4%, from 5,342,543 arrivals in 2020 to 8,356,767 arrivals in the first eight months of this year. The 8,356,767 arrivals received in 2021 were 61.6% of the 13,557,877 international arrivals received in the first eight months of 2019. The volume of air arrivals from the USA increased by 112.2% in the same eight months, from 3,058,713 air arrivals in 2020 to 6,489,302 air arrivals in 2021 while the volume from Canada fell by 88.8%, from 893,988 air arrivals in 2020 to 100,199 in 2021. Cancun Airport saw a 77.8% increase in international air arrivals in the first eight months of 2021, growing from 2,185,200 arrivals in 2020 to 3,884,708 arrivals in 2021 while Los Cabos saw a 97.3% increase growing from 542,224 international air arrivals in 2020 to 1,069,834 air arrivals in 2021. Puerto Vallarta saw a 16.0% increase, growing from 529,201 international arrivals in 2020 to 613,873 international arrivals in the first eight months of 2021.
Las Vegas saw a 9.2% decline in visitors in August 2021 compared with July 2021. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Las Vegas saw the volume of visitors decline by 9.2% in August 2021, falling from 3,302,400 arrivals in July 2021 to 2,998,400 in August of 2021. The state of Nevada ordered the closure of all casinos as of March 17th, 2020 but re-opened all casinos as of June 4th, 2020. Consequently, Las Vegas received 1,537,400 visitors in August 2020. The 2,998,400 arrivals received in August 2021 were 83.8% of the 3,579,000 arrivals received in August 2019. Las Vegas had a weighted average of 150,169 open hotel rooms in August 2021 (up 17.6% compared with August 2020) and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 72.8% (42.7% in August 2020), an ADR of $140.32 and a RevPar of $102.15. Through the first eight months of 2021 Las Vegas saw a 55.7% increase in the volume of visitors, growing from 12,708,200 arrivals in the first eight months of 2020 to 19,788,100 visitors in the same eight months of 2021. The total number of visitors for the first eight months of 2021 was 69.7% of the 28,404,400 received in the first eight months of 2019. Las Vegas achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 62.0% in the first eight months of 2021 (up 19.2 percentage points compared with the first eight months of 2020), an ADR of $123.42 (down 4.5% compared with the same eight months of 2020) and a RevPar of $76.52, up 38.4%, also compared with the same eight months of 2020. Gaming revenue increased by 80.5% in the first eight months of 2021, from $4.005 billion in 2020 to $7.232 billion in the same eight months of 2021. Gaming revenue in the first eight months of 2021 was 5.7% higher than the $6.842 billion in gaming revenue generated in the first eight months of 2019.
Hawaii reports the state received 722,393 out-of-state tourists in August, down 17.9% compared with July 2021. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii saw the volume of air arrivals decline by 17.9% in August 2021, falling from 879,551 air arrivals received in July 2021 to 722,393 arrivals in August 2021. Total spending for visitors arriving in August 2021 was $1.37 billion, down 13.3% compared with July 2021. In August 2021, passengers arriving from out-of-state could bypass the State’s mandatory 10-day self-quarantine if they were fully vaccinated in the United States or with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner prior to their departure through the Safe Travels program. On August 23, 2021, Hawai‘i Governor David Ige urged travelers to curtail non-essential travel until the end of October 2021 due to a surge in Delta variant cases that has overburdened the state’s health care facilities and resources. April 2020 was the first full month of travel restrictions to keep the community safe, following the State of Hawai‘i’s 14-day mandatory travel quarantine for all passengers (effective March 26, 2020). Consequently the number of out of state air arrivals was just 23,356 for August 2020. The 722,393 arrivals received in August 2021 were 77.8% of the 926,417 arrivals received in August 2019. Hawaii received 692,305 air arrivals from the mainland USA in August 2021, 95.8% of the overall total, 6,154 arrivals from Canada, 3,005 arrivals from Japan and 20,929 air arrivals from other markets. Through the first eight months of 2021 Hawaii saw a 100.4% increase in the volume of air arrivals, growing from 2,172,361 air arrivals in the first eight months of 2020 to 4,353,793 air arrivals in the same eight months of 2021. Air arrivals in the first eight months of 2021 were 62.1% of the 7,015,774 received in the first eight months of 2019. For the first eight months of 2021, total visitor spending was estimated to be $7.98 billion, 66.3% of the $12.03 billion spent in the first eight months of 2019. Person per trip spending grew by 6.9% from $1,714.30 per person per trip in the first eight months of 2019 to $1,832.60 per person per trip in the first eight months of 2021. Air arrivals from the USA increased by 181.8% in the first eight months of 2021, growing from 1,496,403 air arrivals in 2020 to 4,217,574 air arrivals in the same eight months of 2021, fell by 95.4% from Japan (from 286,716 arrivals in 2020 to 13,271 air arrivals in 2021) and fell by 91.5% from Canada (from 158,965 in 2020 to 13,586 air arrivals in 2021).
Anguilla received 6,974 air visitors in the first six months of 2021. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Anguilla received 6,974 air visitors in the first six months of 2021, down 70.0% from the 23,220 received in the first six months of 2020 and just 12.4% of the 55,878 visitors who arrived by air in the first six months of 2019. Of the 6,974 visitors 86.7% arrived from the USA while 2.1% arrived from the United Kingdom and 1.9% arrived from Canada.
US Consumer Confidence Fell Further in September The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® declined again in September, following decreases in both July and August. The Index now stands at 109.3 (1985=100), down from 115.2 in August. The Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—fell to 143.4 from 148.9 last month. The Expectations Index—based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions—fell to 86.6 from 92.8. “Consumer confidence dropped in September as the spread of the Delta variant continued to dampen optimism,” said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. “Concerns about the state of the economy and short-term growth prospects deepened, while spending intentions for homes, autos, and major appliances all retreated again. Short-term inflation concerns eased somewhat but remain elevated. Consumer confidence is still high by historical levels—enough to support further growth in the near-term—but the Index has now fallen 19.6 points from the recent peak of 128.9 reached in June. These back-to-back declines suggest consumers have grown more cautious and are likely to curtail spending going forward.” Present Situation Consumers’ appraisal of current business conditions declined in September.
19.3% of consumers said business conditions are “good,” down from 20.2%.
25.4% of consumers said business conditions are “bad,” up from 24.1%.
Consumers’ assessment of the labor market was mixed.
55.9% of consumers said jobs are “plentiful,” up from 55.6%.
Conversely, 13.4% of consumers said jobs are “hard to get,” up from 11.2%.
Expectations Six Month Hence Consumers’ optimism about the short-term business conditions outlook eroded further in September.
21.5% of consumers expect business conditions will improve, down from 23.4%.
17.6% expect business conditions to worsen, up from 17.4%.
Consumers were also less optimistic about the short-term labor market outlook.
21.5% of consumers expect more jobs to be available in the months ahead, down from 23.1%.
20.3% anticipate fewer jobs, up from 18.0%.
Consumers were slightly less positive about their short-termfinancial prospects.
17.3% of consumers expect their incomes to increase, down from 18.2%.
11.5% expect their incomes will decrease, up from 9.9%.
Orlando saw a 23.9 percentage point drop in average room occupancy in August 2021, falling from 76.1% in July 2021 to 52.2% this August. According to STR Orlando had 126,493 hotel rooms in August 2021 and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 52.2%, down 23.9 percentage points compared with July 2021 (76.1%), and an ADR of $113.68 down 15.2% compared with July 2021 ($134.07). Orlando’s theme parks closed to visitors as of March 15th, 2020 and consequently Orlando’s hotels experienced an average room occupancy of 28.6% in August 2020. In the first eight months of 2021 Orlando’s hotels saw an average hotel room occupancy of 56.4%, up 18.4 percentage points from the 38.0% achieved in the first eight months of 2020. ADR fell by 3.0% from $118.25 for the first eight months of 2020 to $114.70 for the first eight months of 2021.
Orlando’s Airports saw a 3.7% drop in international deplanements in August 2021. Orlando, Florida is served by two primary airports, Orlando International (MCO) and Sanford International Airport (SFB). In August 2021, the two airports combined saw a decrease of 3.7% in international deplanements, falling from 106,948 deplanements from international airports in July 2021 to 102,950 international deplanements in August 2021. Orlando International handled 99.8% of all international deplanements. International deplanements made up 5.7% of total deplanements in August 2021. The two airports combined also saw a 20.0% decrease in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, falling from 2,142,785 domestic deplanements in July 2021 to 1,714,562 in August 2021. The two airports combined saw a 19.2% decrease in total deplanements, falling from 2,249,733 deplanements in July 2021 to 1,817,512 in August 2021. The two airports saw just 611,707 total deplanements in August 2020. In the first eight months of 2021, the two airports combined saw a drop of 28.9% in international deplanements, falling from 707,438 deplanements from international airports in the first eight months of 2020 to 502,973 international deplanements in the first eight months of 2021. The two airports combined however saw an 82.7% increase in domestic deplanements, that is from airports within the USA, growing from 7,181,305 domestic deplanements in the first eight months of 2020 to 13,122,728 in the same eight months of 2021. The two airports combined saw a 49.7% increase in total deplanements, growing from 7,888,743 deplanements in the first eight months of 2020 to 13,625,701 in the first eight months of 2021.
Belize received 16,782 stopover visitors in August 2021, down 39.5% from the 27,742 received in July 2021. According to the Belize Tourism Board, Belize received 16,782 stopover visitors in August 2021, down 39.5% from the 27,742 received in July 2021. Belize closed its borders as of April 5th 2020, and consequently just received 705 stopover visitors in August 2020. The country reopened to visitors in October 2020. The 16,782 stopover visitors received in August 2021 were 49.7% of the 33,764 stopover visitors received in August 2019. Belize received 13,508 stopover arrivals from the USA in August 2021, 766 from Europe, 132 from Mexico and 284 from Canada. Belize received seven (7) cruise ship calls in August with 14,932 cruise visitors. July was the first month in 2021 the cruise port in Belize re-opened to cruise visitors. Belize saw the number of stopovers increase by 8.3% in 2021, from 126,103 visitors in the first eight months of 2020 to 136,598 in the first eight months of 2021. The 136,598 visitors received in 2021 were 37.6% of the 363,526 received in the first eight months of 2019. Stopovers from the USA increased by 48.8% in the first eight months of 2021, from 78,211 in 2020 to 116,394 in the same eight months of 2021. Stopovers from Canada fell by 89.2% in the first eight months, to 1,512 arrivals while stopovers from Europe fell by 78.2% in the same eight months, to 3,425 arrivals. Belize received 26,333 cruise visitors in June and July of 2021, down 92.3% compared with the 343,099 cruise visitors received in 2020.
U.S. citizens’ outbound travel from the USA to international destinations grew by 18.4% in July 2021. The United States Government’s Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) recently released the figures for U.S. citizens outbound travel from the USA to international destinations for July 2021.
The overall number of trips taken by US citizens to international destinations increased by 18.4% in July 2021, growing from 4,654,439 trips in June 2021 to 5,512,187 trips in July 2021.
The number of trips taken to the Caribbean increased by 13.6%, growing from 764,838 trips in June 2021 to 868,730 trips in July 2021.
The 868,730 trips were 15.8% of the total number of international trips taken by US citizens in July 2021 to all international destinations.
Given that many countries had restrictions in place in July 2020, limiting international arrivals, only 156,242 US citizens visited Caribbean countries in July 2020.
The 868,730 trips taken to the Caribbean in July 2021 were 88.7% of the 979,916 trips taken to the Caribbean in July 2019.
Trips to Europe increased by 72.0% in July, growing from 473,587 trips in June 2021 to 814,907 trips in July 2021. Trips to Europe were 14.8% of trips taken by US citizens in July 2021. The 814,907 trips taken by US citizens to Europe in July 2021 were 38.8% of the 2,240,071 trips taken to Europe in July 2019.
The number of trips taken to Mexico by air increased by 7.1%, growing from 1,133,996 trips in June 2021 to 1,214,262 trips in July 2021 as Mexico was able to increase its share of such overseas trips consequent upon less rigorous restrictions on entry to Mexico. This segment’s share of all trips taken by US citizens was 22.0% in July 2021. The 1,214,262 trips were 20.6% more than the 1,006,762 trips taken to Mexico by air by US citizens in July 2019.
Please note the NTTO’s definition of the Caribbean does not include Puerto Rico or the United States Virgin Islands as, for the purposes of the study, they are deemed to be US territories and the focus of the system (APIS) is non-stop air traffic (segmented here for U.S. citizens) to foreign countries.
In the first seven months of 2021
The overall number of trips taken by US citizens to international destinations increased by 9.9% in the first seven months of 2021, growing from 21.79 million trips in the first half of 2020 to 23.94 million trips in the first seven months of 2021.
The 23,942,287 total international trips taken in the first seven months of 2021 were 40.9% of the 58,511,523 trips taken in the first half of 2019.
The largest percentage decline was in trips by both land and by air to Canada which declined by 83.4%, falling from 1,727,812 trips in the first seven months of 2020 to just 286,501 in the same seven months of 2021.
The number of trips taken to the Caribbean increased by 74.2% in the first seven months of 2021, growing from 2,032,400 trips in 2020, to 3,540,355 trips in the first seven months of 2021. The share of trips taken to the Caribbean grew from 9.3% in 2020 to 14.8% in 2021.
The 3,540,355 trips taken to the Caribbean in the first seven months of 2021 were 57.0% of the 6,209,220 trips taken by US residents to the Caribbean in the seven months of 2019.
Trips to Europe decreased by 14.1%, falling from 2,100,083 trips in the first seven months of 2020 to 1,803,792 in the same seven months of 2021. The 1,803,792 trips taken in 2021 were just 16.1% of the 11,200,132 trips taken in the first seven months of 2019.
The number of trips taken to Mexico by air grew by 107.8%, from 2,659,356 trips in the first seven months of 2020 to 5,526,691 in the same seven months of 2021. The 5,526,691 trips were 86.7% of the 6,374,971 trips taken by US citizens by air to Mexico in the first seven months of 2019. This segment’s share of all trips grew from 12.2% in the first seven months of 2020 to 23.1% in the same seven months of 2021.
Half of Global Cruise Fleet in Service for Second Consecutive Month. The cruising restart has seen a positive trend over the past few months. Fueled by various countries and markets reopening ports to cruise vessels, the industry saw an unprecedented number of vessels resuming revenue operations around the world over the summer. As the restart continues, 205 ships are expected to be in guest operations by the end of September 2021. This number means that, for the second month in a row, nearly half of the entire global cruise fleet is in operation. According to the 2022 Global Cruise Ship Index by Cruise Industry News, the combined fleets of the nearly 90 active cruise lines currently account for approximately 410 cruise ships. After significant growth over the previous months, 190 cruise ships were sailing with paying guests by August 31st 2021. With 15 additional ships entering service through the end of September, the active cruise fleet is growing nearly 8 percent this month. More ships resuming service means that more cruise lines are relaunching revenue operations. In September, brands like Regent, Plantours and Star Clippers are welcoming guests back, making it 63 brands back in service. The aforementioned data is from the Cruise Ships in Service Report by Cruise Industry News. The restart numbers started growing in May, which saw 55 ships operating revenue sailings. In the preceding eight months – only an average of 20 ships were in service. A turning point, however, was reached in July. With the U.S. ports reopening for business, 141 vessels were back in service by the end of that month – an 82 percent increase over June numbers. From May to September, the average guest capacity per ship grew significantly, too, going from 994 to 1,454.
Hawaii’s hotels report a 9.0 percentage point decline in average room occupancy in August compared with July, to reach 73.4% According to the Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report published by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), statewide hotel room occupancy fell by 9.0 percentage points from 82.4% in July 2021 to 73.4% in August of this year. ADR also fell from $367.81 in July to $355.24 in August, a drop of 3.4%, while revpar fell by 13.9%, from $303.01 in July 2021 to $260.84 in August of this year. Hawai‘i’s quarantine order for travelers due to the COVID-19 pandemic began on March 26, 2020, which immediately resulted in dramatic declines for the hotel industry. Many properties closed or reduced operations starting in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hotel sector posted an average room occupancy of 22.3% in August 2020. Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide fell by 21.2%, from $550.2 million in July 2021 to $433.4 million in August 2021. Room demand fell by 10.3%, from 1,359,800 room nights in July to 1,220,100 room nights in August while room supply grew by 0.7% from 1,650,600 room nights in July to 1,661,700 room nights in August. In August 2021, passengers arriving from out-of-state could bypass the State’s mandatory 10-day self-quarantine if they were fully vaccinated in the United States or with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner prior to their departure through the Safe Travels program. On August 23, 2021, Hawai‘i Governor David Ige urged travelers to curtail non-essential travel until the end of October 2021 due to the Delta variant resulting in the state’s health care system being overburdened. For the first eight months of 2021 statewide hotel room occupancy increased by 10.0 percentage points from 46.0% in 2020 to 56.0% in the first eight months of 2021. ADR increased by 14.9% from $277.24 in 2020 to $318.55 while revpar grew by 40.0%, from $127.41 in the first eight months of 2020 to $178.34 in the first eight months of this year. In the first eight months of 2021, Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide increased by 92.6% from $1.160 billion in 2020 to $2.234 billion in the first eight months of this year. Room demand increased by 67.6%, to 7,014,600 room nights in the same eight months. Room supply grew by 37.6% to 12,529,300 available room nights also in the first eight months. The Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report is produced using hotel survey data compiled by STR, Inc., the largest survey of its kind in Hawai‘i. The survey generally excludes properties with under 20 lodging units, such as small bed and breakfasts, youth hostels, single-family vacation rentals, cottages, individually rented vacation condominiums and sold timeshare units no longer available for hotel use. The data has been weighted both geographically and by class of property to compensate for any over and/or under representation of hotel survey participants by location and type. For August, the survey included 142 properties representing 45,886 rooms, or 85.0% of all lodging properties and 85.6% of operating lodging properties with 20 rooms or more in the Hawaiian Islands, including full service, limited service, and condominium hotels. The August survey included 74 properties on O‘ahu representing 28,581 rooms (95.0% of operating properties); 38 properties in the County of Maui, representing 9,398 rooms (73.2% of operating properties); 15 properties on the island of Hawai‘i, representing 4,760 rooms (71.4% of operating properties); and 15 properties on Kaua‘i, representing 3,147 rooms (78.8% of operating properties).
Trinidad and Tobago received 2,774 air visitors in the first six months of 2021. According to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Trinidad and Tobago received 2,774 air visitors in the first six months of 2021, down 97.0% from the 92,251 received in the first six months of 2020 and just 1.4% of the 197,700 visitors who arrived by air in the first six months of 2019. Of the 2,774 visitors 34.8% arrived from the USA while 8.0% arrived from the United Kingdom and 7.2% arrived from Canada.
The Maldives reports it received 143,599 stopover visitor arrivals in August, up 41.0% compared with July 2021. The Maldives Government’s Ministry of Tourism recently announced that The Maldives received 143,599 stopover visitors in August 2021, up 41.0% from the 101,818 stopovers received in July 2021. The Maldives closed its borders to tourist arrivals on March 27th 2020 and re-opened to all tourists as of July 15th 2020. Consequently, the Maldives received just 7,636 stopover visitors in August 2020. The 143,599 stopovers received in August 2021 were 3.1% more than the 139,338 stopovers received in August 2019. In August 2021 India was by far the number one source market and generated 54,094 stopovers of the total overall stopovers (37.7%) while Russia was the number two source market and generated 17,069 stopovers (11.9%). The Maldives re-opened its borders to visitors from India as of July 15th 2021. Other markets which generated significant business in August were Germany (9,916 visitors), Spain (8,338 visitors), Saudi Arabia (7,448 visitors), and the USA (5,064 visitors). In the first eight months of 2021 The Maldives saw a 92.7% increase in total arrivals, growing from 392,205 stopovers in the first eight months of 2020 to 755,966 stopovers in the same eight months of 2021 with Russia (159,873 visitors) and India (157,289 visitors) being, by far, the two largest source markets in these eight months. The 755,966 visitors received in the first eight months of 2021 was 66.7% of the 1,134,071 visitors received in the first eight months of 2019. The Maldives saw the overall number of registered accommodation establishments grow by 6.6% from an average of 967 in the first eight months of 2020 to an average of 1,031 establishments in the same eight months of 2021. The number of beds in operation grew by 94.1% from 24,430 in the first eight months of 2020 to 47,418 this year. It should be noted many accommodation establishments closed in April 2020 consequent upon the closure of the borders. Through the end of August 2021 overall average room occupancy had grown by 25.2 percentage points from 26.1% in 2020 to 51.3% for the first eight months of this year. Of the 717 establishments in operation 152 were resorts which offered 35,715 beds. These resorts achieved a 58.4% average room occupancy through the first eight months of 2021 up from 29.6% for the first eight months of 2020. Through the first eight months of 2020 there was an average of 79 resorts in operation offering 18,364 beds.
Costa Rica received 122,162 stopover arrivals in August 2021, 21.0% fewer than the 154,706 stopovers received in July 2021. According to the Costa Rica Institute of Tourism (ICT), Costa Rica received 122,162 stopovers in August 2021, 21.0% fewer than the 154,706 stopovers received in July 2021. Costa Rica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and reopened to international tourists arriving by air as of November 2020. It reopened its land borders in April 2021. Costa Rica consequently received just 2,357 stopovers in August 2020. The 122,162 stopovers received in August 2021 were 54.2% of the 225,299 stopovers received in August 2019. Costa Rica received 77,421 stopovers from the USA in August, 63.4% of the overall total, and 7,023 stopovers from Central America. The volume of stopovers decreased by 10.4% in the first eight months of 2021, falling from 885,401 stopovers in the first eight months of 2020 to 793,391 stopovers in the first eight months of 2021. The 793,391 stopovers was 35.7% of the 2,220,638 stopovers received in the first eight months of 2019. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 56.4% in the first eight months of 2021, from 356,906 stopovers in 2020 to 558,130 in 2021 while the number from Central America declined by 80.6%, falling from 191,601 in the first eight months of 2020 to 37,220 in the same eight months of 2021. The share of visitors from the USA grew from 40.3% in the first eight months of 2020 to 70.1% in the first eight months of 2021.
The Dominican Republic’s hotels averaged 60.9% room occupancy during August 2021. According to ASONAHORES, the hotel and tourism association of the Dominican Republic, the hotels of the Dominican Republic posted an overall average hotel room occupancy of 60.9% in August 2021, up 7.3 percentage points from the 53.6% achieved in July 2021. The Dominican Republic’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 65.5% in August 2019. It should be noted that on August 16th 2021 the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Tourism ordered that hotels could open to 100% of their capacity while maintaining social distancing measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19. About 87% of all hotels in the Dominican Republic with approximately 73,000 rooms have re-opened. At a regional level the hotels in Punta Cana posted an average room occupancy of 62.6% for August 2021, with hotels in Puerto Plata averaging 57.2% and hotels in Santo Domingo averaging 57.8%, also in August of this year. The hotel sector posted a combined overall average occupancy of 44.3% for the first eight months of 2021 compared with 76.6% for the first eight months of 2019. At a regional level during the first eight months of the year, the destination Santiago de los Caballeros recorded the highest occupancy rate at 53.1%, being also the only destination to exceed 50 percentage points. Samana’s hotels posted an overall average room occupancy of 46.5% with the Roman–Bayahibe area posting an average occupancy of 48.1%. Punta Cana’s hotels posted an average hotel room occupancy of 44.6% in the first eight months of 2021 while the hotels in Puerto Plata posted an overall average of 41.2%. Hotels in Santo Domingo posted an average room occupancy of 46.2% for the first eight months of 2021.
Saint Lucia received 20,382 stopovers in August 2021, 19.3% fewer than the 25,252 stopovers received in July 2021. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Saint Lucia saw an 19.3% decrease in stopover visitor arrivals in August 2021, falling from 25,252 stopovers in July 2021 to 20,382 stopovers in August 2021. Saint Lucia received 2,331 cruise visitors in August from 10 cruise ship calls. Saint Lucia reopened its ports to cruise ships in June 2021. Saint Lucia also received 284 visitors in August 2021 who arrived by yacht. Saint Lucia closed its borders to international visitor arrivals on March 23rd 2020 and re-opened its borders in June 2020. Saint Lucia consequently received 3,261 stopover arrivals in August 2020. The 20,382 stopovers received in August 2021 were 56.1% of the 36,342 stopovers received in August 2019. Saint Lucia received 15,875 stopover arrivals from the USA in August 2021, 27.9% fewer than the 22,028 stopovers received in July 2021 with the 15,875 stopovers comprising 77.9% of all stopover arrivals in August 2021. Through the first eight months of 2021, Saint Lucia saw a 14.0% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 96,619 stopovers in the first eight months of 2020 to 110,116 stopovers in the same eight months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 115.3%, from 45,287 in the first eight months of 2020 to 97,501 in the same eight months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. fell by 52.8% from 18,963 in 2020 to 8,950 stopovers in the same eight months of 2021. The 110,116 stopovers received in 2021 were 36.9% of the 298,723 stopovers received in the first eight months of 2019. Saint Lucia has received 3,967 cruise visitors so far in 2021 compared with 297,885 received in 2020 and received 1,068 visitors who arrived by yacht compared with 21,386 in the first eight months of 2020.
The average spend by air visitors to Mexico is up by 6.5% in 2021 compared to the same seven months of 2019. According to INEGI (Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics, Geography, and Informatics) the average spend by visitors arriving by air to Mexico has increased by 6.5% from US$1,018.09 for the first seven months of 2019 to US$1,084.27 for the first seven months of 2021. Typically, visitors arriving by air make up 20% of all visitors travelling to Mexico (both by air and by land) but constitute 80% of all tourist spending. The average spend by air visitors increased substantially in June 2021 (up 24.2%) and in July 2021 (up 14.9%), both compared with the same months of 2019. For more information click here
Curacao reports it received 30,852 stopover arrivals in August 2021, 9.8% fewer than the 34,212 received in July of this year. According to the Curaçao Tourist Board, Curaçao saw a 9.8% decrease in stopover visitor arrivals in August, falling from 34,212 stopovers received in July 2021 to 30,852 stopovers received in August of this year. The 30,852 stopovers received in August 2021 were 79.2% of the 38,933 stopovers received in August 2019. Curaçao closed its borders to international visitors as of March 17th 2020 and reopened its borders to visitors from Europe and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Curaçao received just 9,229 stopover visitors in August 2020. Curacao received 20,107 stopover visitors from the Netherlands in August 2021 and 4,349 stopovers from the USA, 65.2% and 14.1% of all stopovers, respectively. Curacao received 11 cruise ship calls with 11,850 cruise visitors in August 2021. The island re-opened to cruise traffic in June 2021. In the first eight months of 2021 Curaçao saw a 3.6% decrease in the number of stopover visitors, falling from 127,283 visitors in 2020 to 122,706 visitors in the first eight months of this year. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 2.1% during the first eight months, growing from 21,229 in 2020 to 21,666 in the first eight months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the Netherlands increased by 25.8%, growing from 58,359 visitors during the first eight months of 2020, to 73,444 in the first eight months of 2021. The 122,706 stopovers received in the first eight months of 2021 was 39.1% of the 313,954 stopovers received in the same eight months of 2019. Between June and August 2021 Curacao received 20 cruise ship calls which brought 21,066 cruise passengers.
Aruba Airport Authority reports 99,093 departing passengers in August 2021, 9.4% fewer than the 109,318 handled in July 2021. The Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) reports that in August 2021 99,093 Revenue Generating Passengers (RGPs) travelled out of the Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA Airport) to its various markets. This was 9.4% fewer than the 109,318 RGPs who departed in July 2021. A revenue generating passenger is an outbound traveler leaving Aruba and includes tourists returning to their homes as well as Arubans departing for trips overseas. While Aruba reopened to travel to and from Bonaire and Curacao as of June 15th 2020 the country did not reopen to travel from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean until July 1st 2020 and from the USA until July 10th 2020. Consequently, the airport had just 21,868 RGPs in August 2020. The airport also handled 8,636 passengers in transit in August 2021 as well as 182 transferring passengers. In August 2021 80,571 passengers (pax) travelled to the USA, 0 pax to Canada, 9,302 pax to Europe, 5,833 pax to Latin America and 3,387 pax to the Dutch Caribbean. The airlines provided 126,662 outbound seats in August 2021, 90.3% of the 140,243 seats provided in August 2019. Airlines flying to the USA in August experienced an average load factor of 86.9% There were no flights to Canada while flights to Europe averaged a 93.3% load factor. The overall average load factor for all flights for August was 85.8%. In the first eight months of 2021 the airport handled a total of 557,354 RGPs, up 73.5% compared with the 321,247 handled in the first eight months of 2020. Traffic to the USA increased by 100.0%, from 235,513 RGPs in the first eight months of 2020 to 470,930 in the same eight months of 2021. Traffic to Canada fell by 95.0% to 901 RGPs, while traffic to Europe increased by 63.6%, from 23,954 RGPS in the first eight months of 2020 to 39,185 RGPs this year. Seat capacity through the first eight months of 2021 increased by 85.3% compared with the same eight months of 2020, from 463,277 available seats in 2020 to 858,496 seats in 2021. The 858,496 seats available in 2021 were 72.2% of the 1,188,272 seats available in the first eight months of 2019. The overall average load factor of outbound flights fell from 85.3% in the first eight months of 2019 to 69.9% in the same eight months of 2021. The average load factor of flights to the USA fell from 87.6% in the first eight months of 2019 to 70.6% in the same eight months of 2021. The AAA has estimated it will receive a total of 1,350,789 seats for the whole of 2021, 79.4% of the 1,701,062 available seats received in 2019. The AAA stated that these seat projections are subject to change.
Aruba received 80,230 stopover visitors in August 2021, 19.9% fewer than the 100,178 stopovers received in July 2021. According to Aruba Tourism Authority, Aruba received 80,230 stopover arrivals in August 2021, 19.9% fewer than the 100,178 stopovers it received in July 2021. On August 9th 2021 the Government of the United States of America’s State Department moved Aruba to Level 4 when it issued a do not travel to Aruba due to COVID-related conditions travel advisory which received wide publicity and resulted in the numerous cancellation of trips. Aruba closed its borders to tourist arrivals as of March 17th 2020 and re-opened only to visitors from Curacao and Bonaire as of June 15th 2020 and then to visitors from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020. Aruba re-opened to visitors from the USA on July 10th 2020. Consequently, there were just 17,420 stopover visitors in August 2020. The 80,230 stopovers received in August 2021 were 83.5% of the 96,100 stopovers received in August 2019. Compared with 2019, stopover arrivals from the USA decreased by 3.9%, falling from 70,990 arrivals in August 2019 to 68,245 arrivals in August 2021. Arrivals from the USA comprised 85.1% of all arrivals in August 2021 up from 73.9% in August 2019. Arrivals from Canada dropped by 83.6%, from 2,879 in August 2019 to 473 stopovers in August 2021. Arrivals from the Netherlands grew by 33.6%, from 3,302 in August 2019 to 4,411 in August this year. Aruba re-opened its ports to visitors in June of this year and during August 2021 received nine cruise ship calls and a total of 12,342 cruise passengers. In the first eight months of 2021 Aruba saw a 95.6% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 259,093 visitors in the first eight months of 2020 to 506,795 visitors in the first eight months of this year. The number of stopovers from the USA grew by 121.8% during the first eight months, from 200,450 in 2020 to 444,535 through the end of August 2021. Compared with the first eight months of 2019, the 506,795 stopover visitors received in the first eight months of 2021 was 65.4% of the 775,213 stopovers received in the first eight months of 2019. There were 444,535 stopovers from the USA in the first eight months of 2021, 75.9% of the 586,058 received from the USA in the first eight months of 2019. The number of visitors staying in hotels in the first eight months of 2021 declined by 41.7% compared with the same eight months of 2019, falling from 402,439 visitors in 2019 to 234,475 in the same eight months of 2021. The share of visitors staying in hotels fell from 51.9% in the first eight months of 2019 to 46.3% in the same eight months of 2021. In the first eight months of 2021 165,012 visitors used timeshare accommodation, 79.5% of the 207,619 visitors who used such accommodation in the first eight months of 2019, with the sector’s share growing from 26.8% in 2019 to 32.6% in 2021. Visitors using other accommodation – private homes, condominiums, short term rental accommodation and apartments – fell by 35.0% when comparing the first eight months of 2019 with the same eight months of 2021 from 165,155 visitors in 2019 to 107,308 in 2021, with the share dropping from 21.3% in 2019 to 21.2% in 2021. In the first eight months of 2021 the primary carrier was JetBlue which brought in 148,484 non-resident visitors, 29.3% of all stopover arrivals, while American Airlines brought in 126,946 non-resident visitors, 25.0% of all visitors. United Airlines brought in 84,451 visitors with Delta carrying 59,109 arrivals. These four carriers brought in 82.7% of all visitors in the first eight months of 2021. Aruba received 16 cruise ship calls in 2021 with 20,861 cruise passengers compared with the 98 calls cruise ships made in 2020 and 255,384 passengers.
Antigua and Barbuda received 18,792 stopovers in August 2021, 19.7% fewer than the 23,405 received in July 2021. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 19.7% decline in stopover visitor arrivals in August 2021, falling from 23,405 stopovers received in July 2021 to 18,792 stopovers this August. Antigua and Barbuda re-opened its borders to international travel as of June 4th 2020 and consequently received 4,763 visitors in August 2020 up from the 4,002 received in July 2020. The 18,792 stopovers received In August 2021 were 6.5% more than the 17,646 stopovers Antigua received in August 2019. The 9,877 stopover visitors received from the USA in August 2021 were 35.6% fewer than the 15,350 stopovers received from the USA in July but comprised 52.6% of all stopovers received in August. Antigua also received 7,429 stopover visitors from the U.K. in August. Through the first eight months of 2021, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 4.7% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 94,810 stopovers in the first eight months of 2020 to 99,301 stopovers in the same eight months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 62.9%, from 43,555 stopovers in the first eight months of 2020 to 70,958 stopovers in the same eight months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. fell by 9.2%, from 21,725 in 2020 to 19,735 stopovers in the same eight months of 2021. The number of stopovers received in the first eight months of 2021 was 49.1% of the 202,097 stopovers received in the same eight months of 2019.
Mauritius announces it received 2,499 stopover visitors in August, 101% more than the 1,242 received in July 2021. The Mauritius Government’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Development recently reported that total stopover arrivals increased by 1,257 stopovers in August 2021 (101%), from 1,242 arrivals received in July 2021 to 2,499 arrivals in August of this year. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors. Mauritius re-entered a hard lock-down in March 2021 consequent upon an increase in local Covid19 infections but re-opened to international travellers on the 15 July 2021 as part of a two-phase programme. Mauritius closed its borders to all international arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and consequently received just 317 stopovers in August 2020. The 2,499 arrivals received in August 2021 were 2.3% of the 107,275 stopovers received in August 2019. From 15 July to 30 September 2021, vaccinated travellers will be admitted for a resort-based holiday on the island and must stay within their chosen resort premises. All travellers must have proof of a negative PCR test prior to travel and will tested again on arrival. Further tests will be taken on day 7 and 14 of their resort holiday if applicable. Phase 2 begins on 1 October 2021, allowing vaccinated travellers entry without restrictions upon presentation of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure. In the first eight months of 2021 Mauritius saw a 97.7% decrease in total stopover arrivals, falling from 305,243 arrivals in 2020 to 6,966 arrivals in the first eight months of this year. Mauritius received 872,805 stopovers through the first eight months of 2019 with the total received during the first eight months of 2021 being 0.8% of this total.
Expedia: 58% of Americans have fall travel plans In a recent survey of 2,200 Americans conducted in collaboration with Morning Consult, Expedia Group found the majority (58%) of respondents have travel plans during the fall—but millennials are in the lead (67%) compared to Gen Z (61%), Gen X (53%) and boomers (53%). Across geographic regions, those who live in suburbia (62%) are most likely to travel as temperatures start to cool down, followed by city dwellers (58%). Travel plans scale with income level, as 80% of those making six-digit salaries have a trip booked in the next three months. Monthly trip searches were up 70% over the summer compared to earlier in the year according to Expedia Group Media Solutions Q2 Travel Recovery Trend Report, and the company reported seeing positive signals continue into the fall. Where are travelers headed? Travelers are prioritizing sunshine and open attractions—but Americans are also choosing cities over small towns, which may indicate some people are more comfortable visiting places where vaccination rates are high. These are the top U.S. locations from September through November based on hotel demand across Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Hotwire, Orbitz and Travelocity:
Las Vegas
Orlando
New York City
Cancun, Mexico
Orange County, CA
Chicago
Los Angeles
Riviera Maya, Mexico
San Diego
Miami
Meanwhile, vacation rental trends tell a slightly different story. Looking at the same months on Vrbo, here are some of the trending fall destinations for American travelers, where they can go off the grid, or soak up the sun oceanside.
Pigeon Forge, TN
Miramar and Rosemary Beach, FL
Gulf Shores, AL
Panama City, FL
Fort Walton, FL
Myrtle Beach, SC
Hilton Head, SC
Clearwater and St. Petersburg, FL
Kissimmee, FL
Fort Myers and Cape Coral, FL
Who are they going with? While most people plan to take trips with a significant other, solo travel is on the rise in recent months, looking at bookings in the fall across multiple lines of Expedia Group’s business. Among those surveyed, the top three reasons were a change of scenery (47%), self-discovery (34%) and to be fully immersed in their destination (27%). Millennials and Gen Z (72%) are more into solo trips compared to Gen X (59%) and boomers (47%). During the pandemic, solo travel can be a responsible option, and planning for one is easier than curating an itinerary for many. Solo travelers can flex their schedules around off hours for attractions, and they don’t have to worry about party size limitations at restaurants or bars.
Expedia Group Media Solutions publishes report on Travel Trends for the Second Quarter of 2021. Searches Globally Are Growing Monthly global search volumes continued to grow in Q2, increasing more than 70% quarter over-quarter. The ongoing rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, expanded vaccine eligibility and production, and changes to travel restrictions around the world, contributed to consecutive weeks of positive global search volume. Search Windows Lengthening Globally Half of global searches fell within the 0 to 21 days search window in Q2, but as travel confidence grows, so too does the global search window. Global searches 22 to 90 days out were up nearly 25% quarter-over quarter, indicating that travelers are starting to plan trips further out. Positive Signs for International Travel Travel shoppers continue to show preference for domestic travel, but the global growth in searches for international destinations outpaced that for domestic destinations during multiple weeks in Q2. This suggests traveler confidence is increasing, in part due to growing vaccination rates, resulting in increased interest and planning for international travel. Big Cities in the Spotlight During Q2, beach and city destinations, such as Atlanta, Mykonos, Paris, Seoul, and Sydney, made up the top 10 booked destinations in each region of the world. However, it’s cities that are making the big moves into the top 10 lists, or up the rankings. The return to big cities is also helping to fuel a rise in global hotel demand. Renewed Interest in Sustainable Travel. As travelers plan and embark on their next trip, many are taking into account environmentally and socially conscious considerations. Sustainability credentials are more than ever impacting their choice of destination and other travel options. For full reportclick here. The Dominican Republic expects 4,840,376 tourists by year end, 75.1% of the 2019 total. Santo Domingo – According to the Minister of Tourism, the Dominican Republic will receive 4,840,376 tourists by the end of this year. While positive this will still be just 75.1% of the 6,446,036 non-resident foreigners who arrived in 2019. On Wednesday, September 8th the Minister of Tourism David Collado said that between January and August 2021 2,938,200 tourists arrived in the country and he projected that, from October to December, “if everything continues normal within the pandemic,” a further 1,552,621 visitors will arrive in the Dominican Republic. “We are going to end the year at 4,840,376 non-resident arrivals, which is a number that we could never imagine we would be able to have in 2021. We are giving clear signals that tourism is recovering in a sustainable way in the Dominican Republic.”
Punta Cana received 218,245 tourists in August 2021, 11.1% fewer than the 245,589 received in July 2021. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, saw the volume of non-resident stopover arrivals decline by 11.1% in August, falling from 245,589 arrivals in July 2021 to 218,245 in August 2021. The volume of arrivals in August 2021 was 84.4% of the 258,457 stopovers received by Punta Cana in August 2019. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and re-opened to tourists as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Punta Cana received 17,405 visitors in August 2020. Punta Cana received 123,112 stopover arrivals from the USA in August 2021, 23.2% fewer than the 160,278 stopovers received in July 2021. Spain was the second largest source market (13,190 stopovers) with France third (13,144 stopovers). The Dominican Republic currently has limited restrictions for entry to the country. During the first eight months of 2021 Punta Cana saw a 53.4% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 777,378 arrivals in the first eight months of 2020 to 1,192,238 non-resident arrivals in the first eight months of 2021. However, the total for 2021 was just 44.8% of the 2,659,487 stopovers received in the first eight months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 251.0% in the first eight months of 2021, growing from 225,334 arrivals in the first eight months of 2020 to 790,876 arrivals in the same eight months of 2021. Traffic was down 91.0% from Canada, falling from 228,224 arrivals in the first eight months of 2020 to 20,603 arrivals in the first eight months of 2021. Traffic was also down 95.9% from the UK, falling from 26,327 arrivals in 2020 to just 1,074 stopovers in the first eight months of 2021. Traffic was down 62.5% from Argentina, down 25.8% from France, down 23.1% from Brazil, but increased by 4.4% from Germany. In the first eight months of 2021, stopover arrivals to Punta Cana made up 40.6% of all non-resident arrivals to the Dominican Republic compared with 47.4% in the same eight months of 2020.
The Dominican Republic received 476,575 non-resident visitors in August, 15.5% fewer than the 563,987 stopovers received in July. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, the Dominican Republic received 476,575 non-resident stopover arrivals in August 2021, 15.5% fewer than the 563,987 stopovers it received in July 2021. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and re-opened to international visitors as of July 1st 2020 and consequently received just 110,284 stopovers in August 2020. The 476,575 arrivals received in August 2021 were 95.8% of the 497,380 stopovers received in August 2019. The Dominican Republic received 213,134 stopover arrivals from the USA in August 2021, 25.6% fewer than the 286,650 stopovers received from the USA in July 2021. 24.9% of the non-resident arrivals in August 2021 were Dominicans living abroad and returning to the Dominican Republic compared with 54.6% in August 2020. In the first eight months of 2021 the Dominican Republic saw a 79.2% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 1,639,538 arrivals in the first eight months of 2020 to 2,938,205 non-resident arrivals in the same eight months of 2021. Non-resident arrivals from the USA increased by 220.2% in the first eight months of 2021, growing from 442,884 arrivals in 2020 to 1,417,903 arrivals from the USA in the first eight months of 2021. Stopover arrivals from Canada fell by 92.8%, from 341,000 in the first eight months of 2020 to 24,718 in the same eight months of 2021. The 2,938,205 stopovers received in the first eight months of 2021 were 63.0% of the 4,664,036 stopovers received in the first eight months of 2019. In the first eight months of 2021 29.6% of all non-resident tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic were non-resident Dominicans returning home, up from 21.1% in the same eight months of 2020.
The United States Virgin Islands received 96,797 air arrivals in July 2021, 5.7% more than the 91,620 air visitors received in June 2021. According to numbers published by the USVI Bureau of Economic Research, the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 5.7% in July 2021, growing from 91,620 air arrivals in June 2021 to 96,797 air arrivals in July of this year. The 96,797 air arrivals received in July 2021 were 57.2% more than the 61,579 received in July 2019. The USVI closed its borders to air arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and re-opened as of June 1st 2020. The USVI received 43,997 air arrivals in July 2020. Through the first seven months of 2021 the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 104.6%, from 254,677 air arrivals in the first seven months of 2020 to 521,072 air arrivals in the first seven months of 2021. The 521,072 arrivals in the first seven months of 2021 were 25.1% higher than the 416,552 air arrivals received in the first seven months of 2019. There were no cruise visitor arrivals in July 2021.
AHATA reports Aruba’s hotels achieved a 70.9% average room occupancy in August 2021, down 8.8 percentage points from the 79.7% achieved in July. The Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association reports that average hotel room occupancy in August 2021 was 70.9%, 8.8 percentage points lower than the 79.7% achieved in July 2021. Aruba closed its orders to international travel as of March 17 2020 and while the borders re-opened as of early July 2020, Aruba’s hotels achieved a 14.2% average room occupancy in August 2020. And compared with August 2019, the average room occupancy in August 2021 was 18.4 percentage points lower, falling from 86.9% in August 2019 to 70.9% in August this year. ADR was $252.72 in August 2021, 6.2% higher than in August 2019, with revpar at $179.25, 13.3% lower than in August 2019. Aruba’s timeshare resorts reported an average occupancy of 79% in August 2021. Through the first eight months of 2021 AHATA reports that Aruba’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 53.0% compared with 29.1% for the first eight months of 2020. Again, compared with the first eight months of 2020, ADR fell by 27.6% to $256.53 although RevPAR grew by 31.9% to $136.00. By comparison with the first eight months of 2019 average room occupancy was 38.6 percentage points lower in 2021, while ADR fell by 10.2%, and revpar was 44.9% lower. AHATA is projecting that Aruba’s hotels will achieve an average room occupancy of 60% for September, 65% for October, 72% for November and 59% for 2021 as a whole.
Cuba will reopen its borders in November, hoping its vaccines will keep COVID cases down Miami Herald SEPTEMBER 07, 2021 Despite an ongoing COVID-19 surge that has overwhelmed its health system, Cuban authorities will reopen the country’s borders starting in mid-November, saying that the country will have vaccinated 90 percent of its population by the beginning of the high season for tourism. COVID-related measures at airports will be relaxed and “focused on symptomatic patients and taking the temperature,” Granma, the Communist Party’s newspaper, said Monday in a brief note citing information provided by the Ministry of Tourism. Travelers will no longer be required to show a recent PCR test, and “vaccination certificates will be recognized,” the paper said. It is unclear if this means certificates are mandatory. The borders will start reopening “gradually” on November 15th 2021. Authorities will also allow domestic tourism. Currently, all travelers are tested for COVID and must comply with a mandatory quarantine in government hotels. According to Granma, authorities weighed “the progress in the vaccination process in Cuba, its demonstrated effectiveness, and the perspective that more than 90% of the entire population will conclude the vaccination schedules in November.” To reach that goal, the country will need to ramp up the speed of vaccination significantly. Since April, when trials for Cuba’s locally produced vaccines started, to now only 30 percent of the population has been fully immunized.
Orlando saw an 8.3 percentage point increase in average room occupancy in July 2021, growing from 67.8% in June 2021 to 76.1% this July. According to STR Orlando had 128,000 hotel rooms in July 2021 and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 76.1%, up 10.8 percentage points compared with June 2021 (67.8%), and an ADR of $134.07 up 9.7% compared with June 2021 ($122.25). Orlando’s theme parks closed to visitors as of March 15th 2020 and consequently Orlando’s hotels experienced an average room occupancy of 25.8% in July 2020. According to Visit Orlando, Orlando saw the volume of air passenger deplanements grow from 656,504 in July 2020 to 2,249,733 in July 2021. The 2,249,733 deplanements seen in July 2021 were 8.9% more than the 2,065,017 deplanements received in June 2021.This includes deplanements at both Orlando International and Sanford airports and includes both international and domestic deplanements. In the first seven months of 2021 Orlando’s hotels saw an average hotel room occupancy of 57.1%, up 9.5 percentage points from the 47.6% achieved in the first seven months of 2020. ADR fell by 6.0% from $122.18 for the first seven months of 2020 to $114.85 for the first seven months of 2021. Orlando saw the volume of air passenger deplanements increase by 62.3% in the first seven months of 2021, growing from 7,277,036 deplanements in the first seven months of 2020 to 11,808,189 deplanements in the first seven months of 2021. This includes deplanements at both Orlando International and Sanford airports and includes both international and domestic deplanements.
San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) handled 935,781 total passenger movements in August 2021, 16.4% less than the total handled in July 2021. According to ASUR, which manages many airports in Mexico, Colombia and which also manages the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, SJU saw a 16.4% decline in passenger movements in August 2021, falling from 1,118,931 total passenger movements in July 2021 to 935,781 movements in August 2021. The 935,781 passenger movements handled in August 2021 were 14.8% higher than the 815,043 handled in August 2019. It should be noted that restrictions on travel began to be put in place in the middle of March 2020. In August 2020 San Juan’s airport handled 302,237 total passenger movements. In the first eight months of 2021 the overall volume of air passenger movements at San Juan’s airport increased by 102.3%, from 3,208,288 in 2020 to 6,490,941 in the same eight months of 2021. The total for the first eight months of 2021 was 99.8% of the total for the same eight months of 2019, that is 6,490,941 in 2021 of the 6,501,170 passengers handled in the first eight months of 2019.
Cancun’s Airport handled 1,237,207 international air passenger movements in August 2021, 14.2% less than the 1,441,679 passengers handled in July 2021. According to ASUR, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Cancun Airport saw a 14.2% decline in international passenger movements in August 2021, falling from 1,441,679 movements in July 2021 to 1,237,207 such movements in August 2021. The 1,237,207 international passenger movements handled in August 2021 were 95.1% of the 1,301,415 international passengers handled in August 2019. Domestic passenger movements declined by 11.5% in August 2021, falling from 931,989 passenger movements in July 2021 to 824,710 domestic movements in August of this year. The 824,710 domestic passenger movements handled in August 2021 were 95.1% of the 867,640 handled in August 2019. Mexico re-opened to international tourist arrivals as of June 8th 2020 and consequently Cancun handled 297,389 international passenger movements in August 2020, up from 221,074 in July 2020. In the first eight months of 2021 the volume of international air passenger movements increased by 71.9%, growing from 4,728,363 movements in 2020 to 8,129,187 movements in the first eight months of 2021 while the volume of domestic air passenger movements increased by 97.0%, from 2,951,018 movements in the first eight months of 2020 to 5,814,426 in the same eight months of 2021. By comparison with the first eight months of 2019 the volume of international air passenger movements in 2021 was 69.0% of the 2019 total, falling from 11,781,655 movements in 2019 to 81,29,187 movements in the first eight months of 2021 while the volume of 2021 domestic air passenger movements was 96.9% of the 2019 total, falling from 6,001,677 movements in the first eight months of 2019 to 5,814,426 in the same eight months of 2021. In the first eight months of 2021 international passenger movements accounted for 58.3% of all passenger movements, down from 61.6% in 2020 and down from 66.3% in the first eight months of 2019.
The Seychelles received 19,611 visitor arrivals in August 2021, 2.7% fewer than the 20,162 received in July 2021. The Seychelles Government’s National Bureau of Statistics recently announced that total stopover arrivals fell by 551 in August 2021 (down 2.7%%) from the 20,162 received in July 2021 to 19,611 in August 2021. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors and transit visitors. The Seychelles re-opened to international visitors from most countries as of March 25th 2021 with visitors being required to produce evidence of a negative PCR test. The 19,611 visitor arrivals received in August 2021 were 58.5% of the 33,536 received in August 2019. The number one source market in August was Russia which generated 3,009 stopover visitors (15.3% of the total for the month) followed by the United Arab Emirates with 2,702 stopover visitors (13.8%). The Seychelles closed its borders to cruise ships as of March 9th 2020 and to international air visitors as of March 30th 2020. The Seychelles re-opened its borders to visitors from low and medium risk countries as of August 1 2020 and consequently received 2,072 stopover visitors in August 2020. In the first eight months of 2021 The Seychelles saw a 1.6% decrease in total visitor arrivals, falling from 91,694 arrivals in 2020 to 90,217 arrivals in the first eight months of 2021. The 90,217 stopovers received in the first eight months of 2021 were 36.1% of the 249,963 received in the first eight months of 2019. Total stopover arrivals from Germany, the number one source market in 2020, fell by 70.6% from 20,566 arrivals in the first eight months of 2020 to 6,052 arrivals in the same eight months of 2021. The number one source market in the first eight months of 2021 was Russia which generated 18,348 visitors, 20.3% of all visitor arrivals for those first eight months. The Seychelles received no cruise visitors in the first eight months of 2021.
Jamaica received 166,046 stopover arrivals in June 2021, a 35.5% increase compared with May 2021. According to the Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica received 166,046 stopover arrivals in June 2021, a 35.5% increase compared with the 122,522 stopovers received in May 2021 and 69.5% of the 238,888 stopovers received in June 2019. Jamaica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and reopened again on June 15th 2020. Jamaica consequently had just 7,188 arrivals in June 2020. Stopover arrivals from the USA totaled 157,472 in June 2021, that is 34.1% more than the 117,443 stopover visitors received from the USA in May 2021. Stopover arrivals from the USA comprised 94.8% of all stopover arrivals received in June 2021. There were no cruise visitors in June 2021 as Jamaica remained closed to cruise ship calls. Through the first six months of 2021 Jamaica saw an 8.4% decline in the volume of stopover arrivals, falling from 581,319 stopover arrivals in the first six months of 2020 to 532,545 arrivals in the same six months of 2021. The 532,545 stopovers received in the first six months of 2021 were 38.3% of the 1,390,683 stopovers received in the first six months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 32.5% in the first six months of 2021, growing from 383,534 arrivals in 2020 to 508,131 arrivals in the same six months of 2021. The 508,131 arrivals in 2021 were 53.7% of the 945,761 arrivals received from the USA in the first six months of 2019. The USA’s share of all stopover arrivals grew from 66.0% in the first six months of 2020 to 95.4% in the same six months of 2021.
U.S. citizens’ outbound travel from the USA to international destinations grew by 30.1% in June 2021. The United States Government’s Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) recently released the figures for U.S. citizens outbound travel from the USA to international destinations for June 2021.
The overall number of trips taken by US citizens to international destinations increased by 30.1% in June 2021, growing from 3,577,328 trips in May 2021 to 4,654,439 trips in June 2021.
The number of trips taken to the Caribbean increased by 29.4%, growing from 591,271 trips in May 2021 to 764,838 trips in June 2021.
The 764,838 trips were 16.4% of the total number of international trips taken by US citizens in June 2021 to all international destinations.
Given that many countries had restrictions in place in June 2020, limiting international arrivals, only 10,790 US citizens visited Caribbean countries in June 2020.
The 764,838 trips taken to the Caribbean in June 2021 were 78.0% of the 980,935 trips taken to the Caribbean in June 2019.
Trips to Europe increased by 156% in June , growing from 185,261 trips in May 2021 to 473,857 trips in June 2021. Trips to Europe were 10.2% of trips taken by US citizens in June 2021. The 473,857 trips taken by US citizens to Europe in June 2021 were just 18.4% of the 2,574,573 trips taken to Europe in June 2019.
The number of trips taken to Mexico by air increased by 21.6%, growing from 932,703 trips in May 2021 to 1,133,996 trips in June 2021 as Mexico was able to increase its share of such overseas trips consequent upon less rigorous restrictions on entry to Mexico. This segment’s share of all trips was 24.4% in June 2021. The 1,133,996 trips were 9.7% more than the 1,033,502 trips taken to Mexico by air by US citizens in June 2019.
Please note the NTTO’s definition of the Caribbean does not include Puerto Rico or the United States Virgin Islands as, for the purposes of the study, they are deemed to be US territories and the focus of the system (APIS) is non-stop air traffic (segmented here for U.S. citizens) to foreign countries. In the first six months of 2021
The overall number of trips taken by US citizens to international destinations decreased by 8.7% in the first six months of 2021, falling from 20.19 million trips in the first half of 2020 to 18.43 million trips in the first six months of 2021.
The 18,430,100 total international trips taken in the first six months of 2021 were 38.6% of the 47,765,856 trips taken in the first half of 2019.
The largest percentage decline was in trips by both land and by air to Canada which declined by 89.5%, falling from 1,687,352 trips in the first six months of 2020 to just 177,692 in the same six months of 2021.
The number of trips taken to the Caribbean increased by 42.4% in the first six months of 2021, growing from 1,876,158 trips in 2020, to 2,671,625 trips in the first six months of 2021. The share of trips taken to the Caribbean grew from 9.3% in 2020 to 14.5% in 2021.
The 2,671,625 trips taken to the Caribbean in the first half of 2021 were 51.2% of the 5,229,304 trips taken by US residents to the Caribbean in the first half of 2019.
Trips to Europe decreased by 51.1%, falling from 2,023,607 trips in the first six months of 2020 to 988,885 in the same six months of 2021. The 988,885 trips taken in 2021 were just 11.0% of the 8,960,061 trips taken in the first half of 2019.
The number of trips taken to Mexico by air grew by 79.7%, from 2,399,206 trips in the first six months of 2020 to 4,312,429 in the same six months of 2021. This segment’s share of all trips grew from 11.9% in the first six months of 2020 to 23.4% in the same six months of 2021.
Los Cabos handled 311,600 international passenger movements in August 2021, down 21.5% compared with July 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico , which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Los Cabos Airport saw a 21.5% decline in international passenger traffic in August 2021, that is enplanements and deplanements, falling from 397,200 international passenger movements in July 2021 to 311,600 international passenger movements in August 2021. Mexico re-opened to international tourist arrivals as of June 8th 2020 and consequently Los Cabos handled 98,000 international passenger movements in August 2020. The 311,600 international passenger movements seen in August 2021 were 19.6% higher than the 260,500 international movements handled in August 2019. Domestic traffic declined by 1.9%, falling from 195,200 passenger movements in July 2021 to 191,400 passenger movements in August 2021. Los Cabos handled 107,100 domestic passenger movements in August 2020. The 191,400 domestic passenger movements seen in August 2021 were 4.9% lower than the 201,300 domestic passenger movements handled in August 2019. Through the first eight months of 2021 Los Cabos Airport saw international passenger movements increase by 92.4%, from 1,157,500 in 2020 to 2,226,500 in the first eight months of 2021. Domestic passenger movements increased by 90.3% in the first eight months of 2021, from 669,400 in 2020 to 1,274,000 in the first eight months of 2021. By comparison with the first eight months of 2019 international passenger movements were down 14.2%, while domestic movements declined by 2.3%.
Montego Bay Airport handled 293,400 total passenger movements in August 2021, 6.6% less than the 314,300 handled in July 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Montego Bay Airport decline by 10.6% in August 2021, falling from 314,300 total movements in July 2021 to 293,400 movements in August 2021. The total number of passenger movements in August 2021 was 73.1% of the 401,500 handled in August 2019. It should be noted that Jamaica closed its borders to international visitors as of March 21st 2020 and re-opened to such visitors as of June 15th 2020. As a result, Montego Bay Airport handled just 67,800 passengers movements in August 2020. Through the first eight months of 2021 Montego Bay Airport saw total passenger movements increase by 22.9%, from 1,277,100 in 2020 to 1,569,300 in the first eight months of 2021. The 2021 total of 1,569,300 movements was 46.6% of the 3,365,300 passenger movements handled in the first eight months of 2019. In 2021 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
Kingston, Jamaica Airport saw 97,300 total passenger movements in August 2021, 1.2% more than the 96,100 handled in July 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Kingston Jamaica’s Airport increase by 1.2% in August 2021, growing from 96,100 total movements in July 2021 to 97,300 total passenger movements in August 2021. While Kingston Airport re-opened to international travelers as of June 15th 2020 the total number of passenger movements in August 2020 was 47,800 passengers. Through the first eight months of 2021 Kingston’s Airport saw total passenger movements grow by 6.6%, from 462,300 in 2020 to 492,900 in the first eight months of 2021. Numbers for 2019 are not available. In 2021 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
Mexico received 1,554,859 international air arrivals in July, up 32.3% compared with June 2021. According to the Government of Mexico’s SECTUR (Department of Tourism) Mexico received 1,554,859 international air arrivals in July 2021, up 32.3% compared with the 1,175,197 arrivals received in June 2021. Mexico’s border with the USA was closed as of March 20 2020 and consequently Mexico received 295,207 international visitors in July 2020. The 1,554,859 international air arrivals received in July 2021 were 89.8% of the 1,731,225 international visitors received in July 2019. Mexico received 1,229,254 air visitors from the USA in July, 79.1% of the total. Colombia was the second biggest market (40,066 visitors) with Brazil third largest (33,360 visitors). Cancun Airport received 697,808 international air visitors in July 2021, 44.9% of the overall total. Los Cabos received 190,017 international air arrivals with Puerto Vallarta receiving 111,481 air visitors. In the first seven months of 2021 the volume of international air arrivals to Mexico increased by 43.2%, from 5,005,122 arrivals in 2020 to 7,168,669 arrivals in the first seven months of this year. The 7,168,669 arrivals received in 2021 were 59.1% of the 12,128,803 international arrivals received in the first seven months of 2019. The volume of air arrivals from the USA increased by 104.1% in the same seven months, from 2,770,008 air arrivals in 2020 to 5,653,783 air arrivals in 2021 while the volume from Canada fell by 91.8%, from 889,497 air arrivals in 2020 to 72,857 in 2021. Cancun Airport saw a 62.6% increase in international air arrivals in the first seven months of 2021, growing from 2,042,784 arrivals in 2020 to 3,322,191 arrivals in 2021 while Los Cabos saw an 87.8% increase growing from 496,215 international air arrivals in 2020 to 931,847 air arrivals in 2021. Puerto Vallarta saw a 6.0% increase, growing from 513,332 international arrivals in 2020 to 544,282 international arrivals in the first seven months of 2020.
The Bahamas reports the islands received 143,509 stopovers in July 2021, 21.4% more than the 118,195 stopovers received in June 2021. According to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, The Islands of The Bahamas received 143,509 stopover visitors in July 2021, 21.4% more than the 118,195 stopovers received in June 2021, The 143,509 stopovers received in July 2021 were 72.1% of the 198,971 stopovers received in July 2019. The Bahamas closed its borders to foreign visitors as of March 24th 2020 and re—opened its borders as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, The Bahamas received 24,551 stopover visitors in July 2020. Of the 143,509 stopover visitors who arrived in July, 136,492 (95.1%) were from the USA with 971 coming from Canada and 1,428 from Europe. During July 102,529 stopovers stayed in Nassau/Paradise Island, that is 71.4% of all stopovers, with 6,704 stopovers (4.7%) staying in Grand Bahama, and 34,276 stopovers (23.9%) staying in The Out Islands. During the first seven months of 2021 The Bahamas saw a 27.7% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 411,350 stopover visitors in the first seven months of 2020 to 525,224 stopovers in the same seven months of 2021. The number of visitors from the USA increased by 51.5% in the first seven months, growing from 330,190 stopovers in 2020 to 500,104 stopovers in the first seven months of 2021. The number from Canada fell by 93.4%, falling from 42,182 in 2020 to 2,805 in the first seven months of 2021, while the number from Europe fell by 68.9%, falling from 24,075 in 2020 to 7,484 in the first seven months of 2021. Traffic from the USA in the first seven months of 2021 was 47.7% of the total from the USA in the first seven months of 2019. Nassau/Paradise Island saw a 14.4% increase in the first seven months of 2021, growing from 311,969 stopovers in the first seven months of 2020 to 356,922 stopovers in the same seven months of 2021, while Grand Bahama Island saw a 23.2% increase in stopover traffic, growing from 20,055 stopovers in 2020 to 24,712 in the same seven months of 2021. Stopover traffic to the Out Islands increased by 81.0%, growing from 79,326 stopover visitors in 2020 to 143,590 in the first seven months of 2021. Traffic to Nassau/Paradise Island in the first seven months of 2021 was 38.5% of the total for the same seven months of 2019 while traffic to Grand Bahama was 29.8% of the total for the same seven months of 2019, while traffic to the Out Islands was 55.2% of the total for the same seven months of 2019. Please note these numbers are preliminary and may be subject to change.
Cuba announces it received 26,856 international stopover visitors in July 2021, 2.4% more than the 26,221 international visitors received in June 2021. The Cuban Government’s Office of National Statistics and Information (ONEI) recently announced that total international tourist arrivals increased by 2.4% in July 2021, growing from 26,221 international stopover arrivals in June 2021 to 26,856 arrivals in July of this year. This number includes both stopover visitors and cruise visitors. Cuba closed its borders to international tourist arrivals on March 20 2020 and consequently received just 1,474 international stopovers in July 2020. The 26,856 stopovers received in July 2021 were just 9.1% of the 295,042 international visitors received in July 2019. Cuba received 17,945 stopovers from Russia in July 2021, 68.4% of all stopovers received for the month. In the first seven months of 2021 Cuba saw an 85.7% decrease in total international arrivals, falling from 986,673 arrivals in 2020 to 141,316 stopovers this year. The 141,316 arrivals were just 4.9% of the 2,856,761 international visitors received in the first seven months of 2019. Total tourist arrivals from Canada fell by 98.9% in the first seven months of 2021, from 403,622 arrivals in 2020 to 4,369 in 2021. The number one source market in the first seven months of 2021 was Russia with 90,249 stopovers, 63.9% of all arrivals, up from just 6.4% of all such arrivals in the first seven months of 2020.
St. Vincent & The Grenadines received 1,260 stopovers in June 2021, 53.9% more than the 819 stopovers received in May 2021. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, St. Vincent & The Grenadines saw a 53.9% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in June 2021, growing from 819 stopovers in May 2021 to 1,260 stopovers in June 2021. St. Vincent & The Grenadines closed its borders to international visitor arrivals on March 27th 2020 and reopened its borders on July 1st 2020. St. Vincent & The Grenadines consequently received 52 stopover arrivals in June 2020. The 1,260 stopovers received in June 2021 were 17.1% of the 7,382 stopovers received in June 2019. St. Vincent & The Grenadines received 741 stopover arrivals from the USA in June 2021, 688% more than the 94 stopovers received from the USA in May 2021 with the 741 stopovers comprising 58.8% of all stopover arrivals in June 2021. St. Vincent & The Grenadines also received 19 visitors who arrived by yacht in June 2021. Through the first six months of 2021, St. Vincent & The Grenadines saw a 72.1% decrease in the number of stopover visitors, falling from 18,729 stopovers in the first six months of 2020 to 5,217 stopovers in the same six months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA decreased by 68.0%, from 6,459 in the first six months of 2020 to 2,067 in the same six months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. fell by 72.0% from 3,883 in 2020 to 1,086 stopovers in the same six months of 2021. The 5,217 stopovers received in the first six months of 2021 were 12.0% of the 43,439 stopovers received in the first six months of 2019. St. Vincent & The Grenadines also received 2,288 visitors who arrived by yacht in the first six months of 2021, a decrease of 90.2% compared with the first six months of 2020. The 2,288 yacht visitors were just 5.7% of the 40,074 visitors who arrived by yacht in the first six months of 2019. St. Vincent & The Grenadines received no cruise visitors in the first six months of 2021.
St. Kitts & Nevis received 1,382 stopovers in June 2021, 8.6% more than the 1,272 stopovers received in May 2021. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, St. Kitts & Nevis saw an 8.6% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in June 2021, growing from 1,272 stopovers in May 2021 to 1,382 stopovers in June 2021. St. Kitts & Nevis closed its borders to international visitor arrivals on March 25th 2020 and did not re-open its borders until October 31st 2020. St. Kitts & Nevis consequently received 8 stopover arrivals in June 2020. The 1,382 stopovers received in June 2021 were 10.7% of the 12,916 stopovers received in June 2019. St. Kitts & Nevis received 1,152 stopover arrivals from the USA in June 2021, 10.0% more than the 1,047 stopovers received from the USA in May 2021 with the 1,152 stopovers comprising 83.4% of all stopover arrivals in June 2021. Through the first six months of 2021, St. Kitts & Nevis saw a 77.3% decrease in the number of stopover visitors, falling from 27,874 stopovers in the first six months of 2020 to 6,314 stopovers in the same six months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA decreased by 71.1%, from 17,777 in the first six months of 2020 to 5,136 in the same six months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. fell by 94.5% from 2,062 in 2020 to 113 stopovers in the same six months of 2021. The 6,314 stopovers received in the first six months of 2021 were 8.5% of the 74,417 stopovers received in the first six months of 2019. St. Kitts & Nevis also received 8 visitors who arrived by yacht in the first six months of 2021, a decrease of 99.7% compared with the first six months of 2020. The 8 yacht visitors were just 0.2% of the 3,259 visitors who arrived by yacht in the first six months of 2019. St. Kitts & Nevis received no cruise visitors in the first six months of 2021.
Dominica received 1,136 stopovers in June 2021, 39.2% more than the 816 stopovers received in May 2021. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Dominica saw a 39.2% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in June 2021, growing from 816 stopovers in May 2021 to 1,136 stopovers in June 2021. Dominica closed its borders to international visitor arrivals on March 26th 2020 and re-opened its borders on August 7th 2020. Dominica consequently received 1 stopover arrival in June 2020. The 1,136 stopovers received in June 2021 were 17.9% of the 6,359 stopovers received in June 2019. Dominica received 572 stopover arrivals from the USA in June 2021, 82.2% more than the 314 stopovers received from the USA in May 2021 with the 572 stopovers comprising 50.4% of all stopover arrivals in June 2021. Dominica also received 54 visitors in June who arrived by yacht. Through the first six months of 2021, Dominica saw a 74.7% decrease in the number of stopover visitors, falling from 18,368 stopovers in the first six months of 2020 to 4,643 stopovers in the same six months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA decreased by 49.1%, from 3,503 in the first six months of 2020 to 1,783 in the same six months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. fell by 77.4% from 1,250 in 2020 to 282 stopovers in the same six months of 2021. The 4,643 stopovers received in the first six months of 2021 were 10.7% of the 43,303 stopovers received in the first six months of 2019. Dominica also received 316 visitors who arrived by yacht in the first six months of 2021, a decrease of 94.8% compared with the first six months of 2020. The 316 yacht visitors were just 3.4% of the 9,289 visitors who arrived by yacht in the first six months of 2019. Dominica received no cruise visitors in the first six months of 2021.
Grenada received 4,192 stopovers in June 2021, 59.9% more than the 2,621 stopovers received in May 2021. According to the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Grenada saw a 59.9% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in June 2021, growing from 2,621 stopovers in May 2021 to 4,192 stopovers in June 2021. Grenada closed its borders to international visitor arrivals on March 10th 2020 and re-opened its borders on July 15th 2020. Grenada consequently received 30 stopover arrivals in June 2020. The 4,192 stopovers received in June 2021 were 34.0% of the 12,346 stopovers received in June 2019. Grenada received 2,705 stopover arrivals from the USA in June 2021, 55.5% more than the 1,739 stopovers received from the USA in May 2021 with the 2.705 stopovers comprising 64.5% of all stopover arrivals in June 2021. Grenada also received 1,236 visitors in June who arrived by yacht. Through the first six months of 2021, Grenada saw a 73.1% decrease in the number of stopover visitors, falling from 37,287 stopovers in the first six months of 2020 to 10,027 stopovers in the same six months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA decreased by 59.7%, from 14,581 in the first six months of 2020 to 5,873 in the same six months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. fell by 95.2% from 6,098 in 2020 to 291 stopovers in the same six months of 2021. The 10,027 stopovers received in 2021 were 12.2% of the 82,399 stopovers received in the first six months of 2019. Grenada also received 1,184 visitors who arrived by yacht in the first six months of 2021, a decrease of 87.0% compared with the first six months of 2020. The 1,184 yacht visitors were just 7.7% of the 15,318 visitors who arrived by yacht in the first six months of 2019. Grenada received no cruise visitors in the first six months of 2021.
Hawaii reports the state received 879,551 out-of-state tourists in July, up 11.2% compared with June 2021. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 11.2% in July 2021, growing from 791,053 air arrivals received in June 2021 to 879,551 arrivals in July 2021. Total spending for visitors arriving in July 2021 was $1.58 billion, up 9.7% compared with June 2021. During July 2021, most passengers arriving from out-of-state and traveling inter-county could bypass the State’s mandatory 10-day self-quarantine with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner prior to their departure to Hawai‘i through the Safe Travels program. In addition, individuals who were fully vaccinated in the United States could bypass the quarantine order beginning July 8. There were no inter-county travel restrictions in July. April 2020 was the first full month of travel restrictions to keep the community safe, following the State of Hawai‘i’s 14-day mandatory travel quarantine for all passengers (effective March 26, 2020). The state’s seven counties enforced strict stay-at-home orders and curfews during July and consequently the number of out of state air arrivals was just 22,562 for July 2020. The 879,551 arrivals received in July 2021 were 88.4% of the 995,210 arrivals received in July 2019. Hawaii received 851,450 air arrivals from the mainland USA in July 2021, 96.8% of the overall total, 1,999 arrivals from Canada, 2,817 arrivals from Japan and 23,285 air arrivals from other markets. Through the first seven months of 2021 Hawaii saw a 69.0% increase in the volume of air arrivals, growing from 2,149,005 air arrivals in the first seven months of 2020 to 3,631,400 air arrivals in the same seven months of 2021. Air arrivals in the first seven months of 2021 were 59.6% of the 6,089,357 received in the first seven months of 2019. For the first seven months of 2021, total visitor spending was estimated to be $6.59 billion, 62.7% of the $10.524 billion spent in the first seven months of 2019. Person per trip spending grew by 5.2% from $1,728.30 per person pert rip in the first seven months of 2019 to $1,817.40 per person per trip in the first seven months of 2021. Air arrivals from the USA increased by 139.5% in the first seven months of 2021, growing from 1,472,076 air arrivals in 2020 to 3,525,269 air arrivals in the same seven months of 2021, fell by 96.5% from Japan (from 294,348 arrivals in 2020 to 10,265 air arrivals in 2021) and fell by 95.2% from Canada (from 155,915 in 2020 to 7,432 air arrivals in 2021).
Hawaii’s hotels report a 5.4 percentage point increase in average room occupancy in July to reach 82.4% According to the Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report published by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), statewide hotel room occupancy grew by 5.4 percentage points from 77.0% in June 2021 to 82.4% in July of this year. ADR increased by 14.8% from $320.30 in June to $367.81 in July, while revpar grew by 22.8%, from $246.75 in June 2021 to $303.01 in July of this year. Hawai‘i’s quarantine order for travelers due to the COVID-19 pandemic began on March 26, 2020, which immediately resulted in dramatic declines for the hotel industry. Many properties closed or reduced operations starting in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hotel sector posted an average room occupancy of 22.3% in July 2020. Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide grew by 29.0%, from $387.7 million in June 2021 to $550.2 million in July 2021. Room demand grew by 12.4%, from 1,210,300 room nights in June to 1,359,800 room nights in July while room supply grew by 5.1% from 1,571,100 room nights in June to 1,650,600 room nights in July. In July 2021, most passengers arriving from out-of-state and traveling inter-county could bypass the State’s mandatory 10-day self-quarantine with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner prior to their departure through the Safe Travels program. In addition, individuals who were fully vaccinated in the United States could bypass the quarantine order beginning July 8th. For the first seven months of 2021 statewide hotel room occupancy increased by 4.9 percentage points from 48.4% in 2020 to 53.3% in the first seven months of 2021. ADR increased by 9.9% from $282.88 in 2020 to $310.88 while revpar grew by 21.1%, from $136.86 in the first seven months of 2020 to $165.75 in the first seven months of this year. In the first seven months of 2021, Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide increased by 59.6% from $1.129 billion in 2020 to $1.802 billion in the first seven months of this year. Room demand increased by 45.2%, to 5,795,000 room nights in the same seven months. Room supply grew by 31.7% to 10,869,100 available room nights also in the first seven months. The Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report is produced using hotel survey data compiled by STR, Inc., the largest survey of its kind in Hawai‘i. The survey generally excludes properties with under 20 lodging units, such as small bed and breakfasts, youth hostels, single-family vacation rentals, cottages, individually rented vacation condominiums and sold timeshare units no longer available for hotel use. The data has been weighted both geographically and by class of property to compensate for any over and/or under representation of hotel survey participants by location and type. For July, the survey included 141 properties representing 45,575 rooms, or 84.3% of all lodging properties and 85.6% of operating lodging properties with 20 rooms or more in the Hawaiian Islands, including full service, limited service, and condominium hotels. The July 2021 survey included 73 properties on O‘ahu representing 28,270 rooms (94.9% of operating properties); 38 properties in the County of Maui, representing 9,398 rooms (73.5% of operating properties); 15 properties on the island of Hawai‘i, representing 4,760 rooms (71.4% of operating properties); and 15 properties on Kaua‘i, representing 3,147 rooms (78.8% of operating properties).
Las Vegas saw an 11.2% increase in visitors in July 2021 compared with June 2021. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Las Vegas saw the volume of visitors increase by 11.2% in July 2021, growing from 2,971,000 arrivals in June 2021 to 3,302,400 in July of 2021. The state of Nevada ordered the closure of all casinos as of March 17 2020 but re-opened all casinos as of July 4th 2020. Consequently, Las Vegas received 1,438,000 visitors in July 2020. The 3,302,400 arrivals received in July 2021 were 89.6% of the 3,685,900 arrivals received in July 2019. Las Vegas had a weighted average of 150,169 open hotel rooms in July 2021 (up 21.4% compared with July 2020) and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 79.4% (42.5% in July 2020), an ADR of $152.13 and a RevPar of $120.79. Through the first seven months of 2021 Las Vegas saw a 50.3% increase in the volume of visitors, growing from 11,170,800 arrivals in the first seven months of 2020 to 16,789,700 visitors in the same seven months of 2021. The total number of visitors for the first seven months of 2021 was 67.6% of the 24,825,400 received in the first seven months of 2019. Las Vegas achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 60.4% in the first seven months of 2021 (up 17.6 percentage points compared with the first seven months of 2020), an ADR of $120.38 (down 9.6% compared with the same seven months of 2020) and a RevPar of $72.71, up 27.5%, also compared with the same seven months of 2020. Gaming revenue increased by 82.9% in the first seven months of 2021, from $3.411 billion in 2020 to $6.238 billion in the same seven months of 2021. Gaming revenue in the first seven months of 2021 was 3.1% higher than the $6.049 billion in gaming revenue generated in the first seven months of 2019.
Aruba Airport Authority reports 109,318 departing passengers in July 2021, 29.0% more than the 84,754 handled in June 2021. The Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) reports that in July 2021 109,318 Revenue Generating Passengers (RGPs) travelled out of the Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA Airport) to its various markets. This was 29.0% more than the 84,754 RGPs handled in June 2021. A revenue generating passenger is an outbound traveler leaving Aruba and includes tourists returning to their homes as well as Arubans departing for trips overseas. While Aruba reopened to travel to and from Bonaire and Curacao as of June 15th 2020 the country did not reopen to travel from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean until July 1st 2020 and from the USA until July 10th 2020. Consequently, the airport had just 11,176 RGPs in July 2020. The airport also handled 6,993 passengers in transit in July 2021 as well as 182 transferring passengers. In July 2021 91,715 passengers (pax) travelled to the USA, 0 pax to Canada, 7,697 pax to Europe, 6,311 pax to Latin America and 3,595 pax to the Dutch Caribbean. The airlines provided 133,094 outbound seats in July 2021, 90.9% of the 146,443 seats provided in July 2019. Airlines flying to the USA in July experienced an average load factor of 90.6% There were no flights to Canada while flights to Europe averaged a 79.5% load factor, while the overall average load factor for all flights for July was 88.1%. In the first seven months of 2021 the airport handled a total of 458,261 RGPs, up 53.1% compared with the 299,379 handled in the first seven months of 2020. Traffic to the USA increased by 41.6%, from 217,967 RGPs in the first seven months of 2020 to 390,359 in the same seven months of 2021. Traffic to Canada fell by 94.9% to 901 RGPs, while traffic to Europe increased by 47.5%, from 20,254 RGPS in the first seven months of 2020 to 29,883 RGPs this year. Seat capacity through the first seven months of 2021 increased by 76.9% compared with the same seven months of 2020, from 414,553 available seats in 2020 to 733,253 seats in 2021. The overall average load factor of outbound flights fell from 84.6% in the first seven months of 2019 to 67.1% in the same seven months of 2021. The average load factor of flights to the USA fell from 85.3% in the first seven months of 2019 to 63.1% in the same seven months of 2021. The AAA has estimated it will receive a total of 1,344,598 seats for the whole of 2021, 79.0% of the 1,701,062 available seats received in 2019. The AAA pointed out these seat projections are subject to change.
The Dominican Republic’s hotels averaged 53.6% room occupancy during July 2021. According to ASONAHORES, the hotel and tourism association of the Dominican Republic, the hotels of the Dominican Republic posted an overall average hotel room occupancy of 53.6% in July 2021, up 3.9 percentage points from the 49.7% achieved in June 2021. The Dominican Republic’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 69.7% in July 2019. At a regional level the hotels in Punta Cana posted an average room occupancy of 52.5% for July 2021, with hotels in Puerto Plate averaging 52.8% and hotels in Santo Domingo averaging 53.1%, also in July of this year. The hotel sector posted a combined overall average occupancy of 41.9% for the first seven months of 2021 compared with 78.2% for the first seven months of 2019. At a regional level during the first seven months of the year, the destination Santiago de los Caballeros recorded the highest occupancy rate at 51.8%, being also the only destination to exceed 50 percentage points. Samana’s hotels posted an overall average room occupancy of 45.3% with the Roman–Bayahibe area posting an average occupancy of 45.9%. Punta Cana’s hotels posted an average hotel room occupancy of 42.0% in the first seven months of 2021 while the hotels in Puerto Plata posted an overall average of 38.9%. Hotels in Santo Domingo posted an average room occupancy of 44.5% for the first seven months of 2021.
Belize received 27,668 stopover visitors in July 2021, up 5.5% from the 26,215 received in June 2021. According to the Belize Tourism Board, Belize received 27,668 stopover visitors in July 2021, up 5.5% from the 26,215 received in June 2021. Belize closed its borders as of April 5th 2020 and consequently just received 621 stopover visitors in July 2020. The country reopened to visitors in October 2020. The 27,668 stopover visitors received in July 2021 were 61.2% of the 45,196 stopover visitors received in July 2019. Belize received 24,549 stopover arrivals from the USA in July 2021, 692 from Europe, 133 from Mexico and 283 from Canada. Belize received four (4) cruise ship calls in July with 11,401 cruise visitors. July was the first month in 2021 the cruise port in Belize re-opened to cruise visitors. In the first seven months of 2021 Belize saw the number of stopovers fall by 4.6%, from 125,398 visitors in the first seven months of 2020 to 119,595 in the first seven months of 2021. The 119,595 visitors received in 2021 were 36.3% of the 329,762 received in the first seven months of 2019. Stopovers from the USA increased by 31.6% in the first seven months of 2021, from 78,165 in 2020 to 102,872 in the same seven months of 2021. Stopovers from Canada fell by 91.2% in the first seven months, to 1,227 arrivals while stopovers from Europe fell by 83.1% in the same seven months, to 2,652 arrivals.
The Maldives reports it received 101,818 stopover visitor arrivals in July, up 81.3% compared with June 2021. The Maldives Government’s Ministry of Tourism recently announced that The Maldives received 101,818 stopover visitors in July 2021, up 81.3% from the 56,166 stopovers received in June 2021, and only 7.1% less than the 109,585 stopovers received in March 2021. The Maldives closed its borders to tourist arrivals on March 27th 2020 and re-opened to all tourists as of July 15th 2020. Consequently, the Maldives received just 1,752 stopover visitors in July 2020. The 101,818 stopovers received in July 2021 were 77.1% of the 132,144 stopovers received in July 2019. In July 2021 Russia was the number one source market and generated 18,153 stopovers of the total overall stopovers (17.8%) while India was the number two source market and generated 13,520 stopovers (13.3%). The Maldives re-opened its borders to visitors from India as of July 15th 2021. Other markets which generated significant business in July were Saudi Arabia (9,626 visitors), Germany (6,079 visitors), the USA (5,837 visitors), and the Spain (5,046 visitors). In the first seven months of 2021 The Maldives saw a 59.2% increase in total arrivals, growing from 384,569 stopovers in the first seven months of 2020 to 612,367 stopovers in the same seven months of 2021 with Russia (142,804 visitors) and India (103,195 visitors) being, by far, the two largest source markets in these seven months. The 612,367 visitors received in the first seven months of 2021 was 61.6% of the 994,733 visitors received in the first seven months of 2019. The Maldives saw the overall number of accommodation establishments in operation grow by 64.2% from an average of 425 in the first seven months of 2020 to an average of 698 establishments in the same seven months of 2021. The number of beds grew by 86.7% from 25,168 in the first seven months of 2020 to 46,993 this year. It should be noted many accommodation establishments closed in April 2020 consequent upon the closure of the borders. Through the end of July 2021 overall average room occupancy had grown by 21.5 percentage points from 28.1% in 2020 to 49.6% for the first seven months of this year. Of the 698 establishments in operation 151 were resorts which offered 35,555 beds (75.7% of the overall number of beds). These resorts achieved a 57.0% average room occupancy through the first seven months of 2021 up from 32.0% for the first seven months of 2020. Through the first seven months of 2020 there was an average of 81 resorts in operation offering 18,670 beds.
Saint Lucia received 25,252 stopovers in July 2021, 18.2% more than the 21,357 stopovers received in June 2021. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Saint Lucia saw an 18.2% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in July 2021, growing from 21,357 stopovers in June 2021 to 25,252 stopovers in July 2021. Saint Lucia also received 1,222 cruise visitors in July from 6 cruise ship calls. Saint Lucia reopened its ports to cruise ships in June 2021. Saint Lucia closed its borders to international visitor arrivals on March 23rd 2020 and re-opened its borders in June 2020. Saint Lucia consequently received 1,959 stopover arrivals in July 2020. The 25,252 stopovers received in July 2021 were 59.0% of the 42,773 stopovers received in July 2019. Saint Lucia received 22,028 stopover arrivals from the USA in July 2021, 12.7% more than the 19,553 stopovers received in June 2021 with the 22,028 stopovers comprising 87.2% of all stopover arrivals in July 2021. Through the first seven months of 2021, Saint Lucia saw a 3.9% decrease in the number of stopover visitors, falling from 93,358 stopovers in the first seven months of 2020 to 89,734 stopovers in the same seven months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 90.2%, from 42,907 in the first seven months of 2020 to 81,626 in the same seven months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. fell by 70.3% from 18,401 in 2020 to 5,462 stopovers in the same seven months of 2021. The 89,734 stopovers received in 2021 were 34.2% of the 262,381 stopovers received in the first seven months of 2019. Saint Lucia received 1,636 cruise visitors in 2021 compared with 297,885 received in 2020 and received 784 visitors who arrived by yacht compared with 21,265 in the first seven months of 2020.
Costa Rica received 154,706 stopover arrivals in July 2021, 24.1% more than the 124,670 stopovers received in June 2021. According to the Costa Rica Institute of Tourism (ICT), Costa Rica received 154,706 stopovers in July 2021, 24.1% more than the 124,670 stopovers received in June 2021. Costa Rica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and consequently received just 1,022 stopovers in July 2020. The 154,706 stopovers received in July 2021 were 57.4% of the 269,376 stopovers received in July 2019. Costa Rica received 111,353 stopovers from the USA in July, 72.0% of the overall total, and 7,282 stopovers from Central America. Costa Rica’s land borders reopened as of April 5th 2021. The volume of stopovers decreased by 24.0% in the first seven months of 2021, falling from 883,044 stopovers in the first seven months of 2020 to 671,229 stopovers in the first seven months of 2021. The 671,229 stopovers was 33.6% of the 1,995,339 stopovers received in the first seven months of 2019. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 34.2% in the first seven months of 2021, from 356,645 stopovers in 2020 to 478,709 in 2021 while the number from Central America declined by 84.2%, falling from 190,859 in the first seven months of 2020 to 38,657 in the same seven months of 2021. The share of visitors from the USA grew from 40.4% in the first seven months of 2020 to 71.3% in the first seven months of 2021.
Florida received 31,693,000 tourist arrivals in the second quarter of 2021, 223% more than the 9,799,000 received in the second quarter of 2020. Visit Florida’s Research Department recently announced that the state of Florida saw a 223% increase in the number of tourist arrivals in the second quarter of 2021, with total arrivals growing from 9,799,000 in the second quarter of 2020 to 31,693,000 arrivals in the second quarter of 2021. These numbers are preliminary and subject to change. Domestic arrivals were up by 216%, from 9,674,000 arrivals in the second quarter of 2020 to 30,563,000 in the second quarter of 2021, while arrivals from Canada grew by 87.5% from 8,000 in the second quarter of 2020 to 15,000 in the same quarter of 2021. Arrivals from overseas grew by 853%, from 117,000 arrivals in the second quarter of 2020 to 1,115,000 in the same three months of 2021. Through the first six months of 2021 Florida saw total visitor arrivals grow by 44.8%, from 39,945,000 in the first half of 2020 to 57,855,000 in the same six months of 2021. Domestic arrivals grew by 53.1%, from 36,654,000 in the first half of 2020 to 56,127,000 in the same six months of 2021. Arrivals from Canada fell by 96% to 49,000 visitors while visitors from overseas fell by 18.4% from 2,058,000 visitors in the first half of 2020 to 1,679,000 in the first half of 2021. By comparison with the first half of 2019 total arrivals fell by 15.2%, from 68,197,000 in the first six months of 2019 to 57,855,000 in the same six months of 2021. International traffic fell by 68.9%, from 5,394,000 visitors in 2019 to 1,679,000 in 2021 while traffic from Canada fell by 97.9%, from 2,361,000 visitors in the first half of 2019 to 49,000 visitors in the same six months of 2021.
Bermuda announces it received 16,438 air visitor arrivals in the second quarter of 2021, 18.3% of the 89,620 received in the 2nd quarter of 2019. The Bermuda Tourism Authority recently released its second quarter 2021 tourist arrival numbers and announced that Bermuda received 16,438 air visitors in the second quarter of 2021, 13,174 more than the 3,264 received in the first quarter of 2021 but just 18.3% of the 89,620 air arrivals received in the second quarter of 2019. Bermuda received 1,090 visitors arriving by yacht in the second quarter of 2021, 49.4% of the 2,208 visitors arriving by yacht in the second quarter of 2019. There were no visitors who arrived by cruise ship in the second quarter of 2021. The 15,064 air visitors received from the number one market the USA in the second quarter of 2021 was 21.9% of the 68,725 visitors received from that market in the second quarter of 2019. Through the first six months of 2021 Bermuda received 19,702 air visitors 17.7% fewer than the 23,939 visitors who arrived by air in the first six months of 2020 but just 15.4% of the 127,969 visitors who arrived by air in the first six months of 2019. Bermuda received 17,465 air visitors from the USA in the first half of 2021, 18.3% of the 95,344 air visitors received from the USA in the first half of 2019. Bermuda received 1,167 visitors who arrived by yacht in the first six months of 2021 51.0% more than the 773 who arrived by yacht in the first six months of 2020, but 48.4% of the 2,414 visitors wo arrived by yacht in the first six months of 2019. No visitors arrived by cruise ship in the first half of 2021.
Aruba received 100,178 stopover visitors in July 2021, 18.4% more than the 84,592 stopovers received in June 2021. According to Aruba Tourism Authority, Aruba received 100,178 stopover arrivals in July 2021, 18.4% more than the 84,592 stopovers it received in June 2021. Aruba closed its borders to tourist arrivals as of March 17th 2020 and re-opened only to visitors from Curacao and Bonaire as of June 15th 2020 and then to visitors from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020. Aruba re-opened to visitors from the USA on July 10th 2020. Consequently, there were just 12,921 stopover visitors in July 2020. The 100,178 stopovers received in July 2021 were 96.8% of the 103,464 stopovers received in July 2019. Compared with 2019, stopover arrivals from the USA increased by 8.9%, growing from 79,725 arrivals in July 2019 to 86,789 arrivals in July 2021. Arrivals from the USA comprised 86.6% of all arrivals in July 2021 up from 77.1% in July 2019. Arrivals from Canada dropped by 86.9%, from 2,692 in July 2019 to 353 stopovers in July 2021. Arrivals from the Netherlands grew by 38.7%, from 3,671 in July 2019 to 5,091 in July this year. Aruba re-opened its ports to visitors in June of this year and during July 2021 received four cruise ship calls and a total of 6,930 cruise passengers. In the first seven months of 2021 Aruba saw a 76.5% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 241,673 visitors in the first seven months of 2020 to 426,565 visitors in the first seven months of this year. The number of stopovers from the USA grew by 103.3% during the first seven months, from 185,108 in 2020 to 376,290 through the end of July 2021. Compared with the first seven months of 2019, the 426,565 stopover visitors received in the first seven months of 2021 was 62.8% of the 679,113 stopovers received in the first seven months of 2019. There were 376,290 stopovers from the USA in the first seven months of 2021, 73.1% of the 515,068 received from the USA in the first seven months of 2019. The number of visitors staying in hotels in the first seven months of 2021 declined by 44.5% compared with the same seven months of 2019, falling from 350,892 visitors in 2019 to 194,781 in the same seven months of 2021. The share of visitors staying in hotels fell from 51.7% in the first seven months of 2019 to 45.7% in the same seven months of 2021. In the first seven months of 2021 140,936 visitors used timeshare accommodation, 78.0% of the 180,579 visitors who used such accommodation in the first seven months of 2019, with the sector’s share growing from 26.6% in 2019 to 33.0% in 2021. The total number of visitors staying in timeshare resorts grew by 124.8% in the first seven months of 2021 compared with the same seven months of 2020. Visitors using other accommodation – private homes, condominiums, short term rental accommodation and apartments – fell by 38.5% when comparing the first seven months of 2019 with the same seven months of 2021 from 147,642 visitors in 2019 to 90,848 in 2021, with the share dropping from 21.7% in 2019 to 21.3% in 2021. In the first seven months of 2021 the primary carrier was JetBlue which brought in 124,232 non-resident visitors, 29.1% of all stopover arrivals, while American Airlines brought in 109,815 non-resident visitors, 25.7% of all visitors. United Airlines brought in 69,925 visitors with Delta carrying 49,781 arrivals. These four carriers brought in 82.9% of all visitors in the first seven months of 2021. Aruba received 7 cruise ship calls in 2021 with 8,519 cruise passengers compared with the 98 calls cruise ships made in 2020 and 255,384 passengers.
Punta Cana received 245,589 tourists in July 2021, 27.6% more than the 192,417 received in June 2021. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, saw the volume of non-resident stopover arrivals increase by 27.6% in July, growing from 192,417 arrivals in June 2021 to 245,589 in July 2021. The volume of arrivals in July 2021 was 78.9% of the 311,038 stopovers received by Punta Cana in July 2019. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and re-opened to tourists as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Punta Cana received 17,871 visitors in July 2020. Punta Cana received 160,278 stopover arrivals from the USA in July 2021, 6.6% more than the 150,391 stopovers received in June 2021. The Dominican Republic currently has limited restrictions for entry to the country. During the first seven months of 2021 Punta Cana saw a 28.2% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 759,973 arrivals in the first seven months of 2020 to 973,993 non-resident arrivals in the first seven months of 2021. However, the total for 2021 was just 40.6% of the 2,401,030 stopovers received in the first seven months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 215.4% in the first seven months of 2021, growing from 211,687 arrivals in the first seven months of 2020 to 667,764 arrivals in the same seven months of 2021. Traffic was down 95.8% from Canada, falling from 227,147 arrivals in the first seven months of 2020 to just 9,527 arrivals in the first seven months of 2021. Traffic was also down 96.4% from the UK, falling from 26,319 arrivals in 2020 to just 955 stopovers in the first seven months of 2021. Traffic was down 54.6% from France, down 63.9% from Argentina, down 37.9% from Brazil, and down 19.5% from Germany. In the first seven months of 2021, stopover arrivals to Punta Cana made up 39.6% of all non-resident arrivals to the Dominican Republic compared with 49.7% in the same seven months of 2020.
The Dominican Republic received 563,987 non-resident visitors in July, 21.9% more than the 462,536 stopovers received in June. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, the Dominican Republic received 563,987 non-resident stopover arrivals in July 2021, 21.9% more than the 462,536 stopovers it received in June 2021. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and re-opened to international visitors as of July 1st 2020 and consequently received just 135,163 stopovers in July 2020. The 563,987 arrivals received in July 2021 were 95.4% of the 591,348 stopovers received in July 2019. The Dominican Republic received 286,650 stopover arrivals from the USA in July 2021, 6.9% more than the 268,140 stopovers received from the USA in June 2021. 26.9% of the non-resident arrivals in July 2021 were Dominicans living abroad and returning to the Dominican Republic compared with 60.0% in July 2020. In the first seven months of 2021 the Dominican Republic saw a 61.0% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 1,529,254 arrivals in the first seven months of 2020 to 2,461,630 non-resident arrivals in the same seven months of 2021. Non-resident arrivals from the USA increased by 200.0% in the first seven months of 2021, growing from 401,647 arrivals in 2020 to 1,204,769 arrivals from the USA in the first seven months of 2021. Stopover arrivals from Canada fell by 96.1%, from 339,836 in the first seven months of 2020 to 13,167 in the same seven months of 2021. The 2,461,630 stopovers received in the first seven months of 2021 were 59.1% of the 4,166,646 stopovers received in the first seven months of 2019. In the first seven months of 2021 30.5% of all non-resident tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic were non-resident Dominicans returning home, up from 18.7% in the same seven months of 2020.
AHATA reports Aruba’s hotels achieved a 79.7% average room occupancy in July 2021. The Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association reports that average hotel room occupancy in July 2021 was 79.7%, 10.2 percentage points higher than the 69.5% achieved in June 2021. Aruba closed its orders to international travel as of March 17 2020 but re-opened to visitors from Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020 and from the USA as July 10th 2020. Consequently, Aruba’s hotels achieved a 7.5% average room occupancy in July 2020. Compared with July 2019, the average room occupancy in July 2021 was 8.9 percentage points lower, falling from 88.6% in July 2019 to 79.7% in July this year. ADR was $258.07 in July 2021, 4.3% higher than in July 2019, and revpar was $205.74 6.1% lower than in July 2019. Aruba’s timeshare resorts reported an average occupancy of 87% in July 2021. Through the first seven months of 2021 AHATA reports that Aruba’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 50.3% compared with 31.3% for the first seven months of 2020. Again, compared with the first seven months of 2020, ADR fell by 28.9% to $257.34 with RevPAR increasing by 14.4% to $129.45. By comparison with the first seven months of 2019 average room occupancy was 36.3 percentage points lower in 2021, while ADR fell by 12.2%, and revpar was 48.9% lower.
Antigua and Barbuda received 23,405 stopovers in July 2021, 58.9% more than the 14,732 received in June 2021. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 58.9% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in July 2021, growing from 14,732 stopovers received in June 2021 to 23,405 stopovers this July. Antigua and Barbuda re-opened its borders to international travel as of June 4th 2020 and consequently received 4,022 visitors in July 2020 up from the 2,677 received in June 2020. The 23,405 stopovers received In July 2021 were 1.6% more than the 23,031 stopovers Antigua received in July 2019. The 15,350 stopover visitors received from the USA in July 2021 were 23.9% higher than the 12,391 stopovers received from the USA in June and comprised 65.6% of all stopovers received in July. Antigua also received 6,521 stopover visitors from the U.K. in July. Through the first seven months of 2021, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 10.6% decrease in the number of stopover visitors, falling from 90,049 stopovers in the first seven months of 2020 to 80,509 stopovers in the same seven months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 51.4%, from 40,352 stopovers in the first seven months of 2020 to 61,081 stopovers in the same seven months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. fell by 40.9%, from 20,836 in 2020 to 12,306 stopovers in the same seven months of 2021. By comparison with the first seven months of 2019 the number of stopovers decreased by 56.3%, falling from 184,319 in 2019 to 80,509 in the same seven months of 2021.
Mauritius announces it received 1,242 stopover visitors in July, 962 more than the 280 received in June 2021. The Mauritius Government’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Development recently reported that total stopover arrivals increased by 962 stopovers in July 2021, from 280 arrivals received in June 2021 to 1,242 arrivals in July of this year. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors. Mauritius re-entered a hard lock-down in March 2021 consequent upon an increase in local Covid19 infections but re-opened to international travellers on the 15 July 2021 as part of a two-phase programme. Mauritius closed its borders to all international arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and consequently received just 45 stopovers in July 2020. Mauritius received 115,448 stopovers in July 2019. From 15 July to 30 September 2021, vaccinated travellers will be admitted for a resort-based holiday on the island and must stay within their chosen resort premises. All travellers must have proof of a negative PCR test prior to travel and will tested again on arrival. Further tests will be taken on day 7 and 14 of their resort holiday if applicable. Phase 2 begins on 1 October 2021, allowing vaccinated travellers entry without restrictions upon presentation of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure. In the first seven months of 2021 Mauritius saw a 98.5% decrease in total stopover arrivals, falling from 304,926 arrivals in 2020 to 4,467 arrivals in the first seven months of this year. Mauritius received 765,530 stopovers through the first seven months of 2019.
Curacao reports it received 34,212 stopover arrivals in July 2021, 61.2% more than the 21,223 received in June of this year. According to the Curaçao Tourist Board, Curaçao saw a 61.2% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in July, growing from 21,223 stopovers received in June 2021 to 34,212 stopovers received in July of this year. The 34,212 stopovers received in July 2021 were 91.9% of the 37,249 stopovers received in July 2019. Curaçao closed its borders to international visitors as of March 17th 2020 and reopened its borders to visitors from Europe and the Caribbean as of July 1st 2020. Consequently, Curaçao received just 8,195 stopover visitors in July 2020. Curacao received 22,249 stopover visitors from the Netherlands in July 2021 and 5,194 stopovers from the USA, 65.0% and 15.2% of all stopovers, respectively. Curacao received six cruise ship calls with 7,630 cruise visitors in July 2021. The island re-opened to cruise traffic in June 2021. In the first seven months of 2021 Curaçao saw a 22.2% decrease in the number of stopover visitors, falling from 118,054 visitors in 2020 to 91,853 visitors in the first seven months of this year. The number of stopovers from the USA declined by 18.1% during the first seven months, falling from 21,138 in 2020 to 17,316 in the first seven months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the Netherlands increased by 4.9%, growing from 50,839 visitors during the first seven months of 2020, to 53,332 in the first seven months of 2021. The 91,853 stopovers received in the first seven months of 2021 was 33.4% of the 275,021 stopovers received in the same seven months of 2019.
In July 2021 Cancun saw its hotels achieve an average hotel room occupancy of 63.9% up 0.9 percentage points from the 63.0% reported for June. Sedetur, the Department of Tourism of the state of Quintana Roo, recently released the hotel occupancy numbers for the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos and Riviera Maya for July 2021. In July, the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos saw a 0.9 percentage point increase in average hotel room occupancy from 63.0% in June 2021 to 63.9% in July of this year. Cancun’s hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 23.7% in July 2020. It should be noted that as of mid-March 2020 the hotels saw a sharp drop in average room occupancies for the second half of the month as strict restrictions on international travel came into effect and the hotels saw very limited business in April, May, June, and July 2020. The 63.9% average room occupancy for July 2021 was 18.4 percentage points lower than the 82.3% achieved in July 2019. The hotels in Riviera Maya saw a 4.3 percentage point increase in average hotel room occupancy from 62.3% in June 2021 to 66.6% in July of this year. As with Cancun, traffic in April, May, June, and July of 2020 was extremely limited. In July 2020, the hotels in Riviera Maya averaged a 19.9% room occupancy. The same hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 84.4% in July 2019. Through the first seven months of 2021 the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos achieved a 50.3% average room occupancy, up 11.9 percentage points from the 38.4% achieved in the same seven months of 2020. The hotels achieved an average occupancy of 80.2% in the first seven months of 2019. For the first seven months of 2021 the hotels in Riviera Maya achieved an average room occupancy of 44.1%, up 8.2 percentage points from the 35.9% achieved in the same seven months of 2020. The hotels achieved an average occupancy of 82.3% in the first seven months of 2019. Riviera Maya/Tulum has 48,200 hotel rooms while the Cancun/Puerto Morelos area has 42,910 hotel rooms.
The Seychelles received 20,162 visitor arrivals in July 2021, 6,749 more than the 13,413 received in June 2021. The Seychelles Government’s National Bureau of Statistics recently announced that total stopover arrivals increased by 6,749 in July 2021 (up 50.3%) from the 13,413 received in June 2021. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors and transit visitors. The Seychelles re-opened to international visitors from most countries as of March 25th 2021 with visitors being required to produce evidence of a negative PCR test. The 20,162 visitor arrivals received in July 2021 were 68.8% of the 29,319 received in July 2019. The number one source market in July was the United Arab Emirates which generated 4,531 stopover visitors (22.5% of the total for the month) followed by Russia with 3,558 stopover visitors (17.7%). The Seychelles closed its borders to cruise ships as of March 9th 2020 and to international air visitors as of March 30th 2020. The Seychelles received just 475 stopover visitors in July 2020. In the first seven months of 2021 The Seychelles saw a 21.2% decrease in total visitor arrivals, falling from 89,622 arrivals in 2020 to 70,606 arrivals in the first seven months of 2021. Total stopover arrivals from Germany, the number one source market in 2020, fell by 80.3% from 20,469 arrivals in the first seven months of 2020 to 4,042 arrivals in the same seven months of 2021. The number one source market in the first seven months of 2021 was Russia which generated 15,339 visitors, 21.7% of all visitor arrivals for those first seven months.
Cancun’s Airport handled 1,441,679 international air passenger movements in July 2021, 11.7% more than the total handled in June 2021. According to ASUR, which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Cancun Airport saw an 11.7% increase in international passenger movements in July 2021, growing from 1,291,026 movements in June 2021 to 1,441,679 such movements in July 2021. The 1,441,679 international passenger movements handled in July 2021 were 97.1% of the 1,484,897 international passengers handled in July 2019. Domestic passenger movements increased by 16.8% in July 2021, from 799,084 passenger movements in June 2021 to 931,989 domestic movements in July of this year. The 931,989 domestic passenger movements handled in July 2021 were 1.9% more than the 914,987 handled in July 2019. Mexico re-opened to international tourist arrivals as of June 8th 2020 and consequently Cancun handled 221,074 international passenger movements in July 2020, up from 44,418 in June 2020. In the first seven months of 2021 the volume of international air passenger movements increased by 55.5%, growing from 4,430,974 movements in 2020 to 6,891,980 movements in the first seven months of 2021 while the volume of domestic air passenger movements increased by 105.4%, from 2,429,042 movements in the first seven months of 2020 to 4,989,716 in the same seven months of 2021. By comparison with the first seven months of 2019 the volume of international air passenger movements in 2021 was 65.8% of the 2019 total, falling from 10,480,240 movements in 2019 to 6,891,980 movements in the first seven months of 2021 while the volume of 2021 domestic air passenger movements was 97.2% of the 2019 total, falling from 5,134,037 movements in the first seven months of 2019 to 4,989,716 in the same seven months of 2021. In the first seven months of 2021 international passenger movements accounted for 58.0% of all passenger movements, down from 64.6% in 2020 and down from 67.1% in the first seven months of 2019.
San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) handled 1,118,931 total passenger movements in July 2021, 10.8% more than the total handled in June 2021. According to ASUR, which manages many airports in Mexico, Colombia and which also manages the Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, SJU saw a 10.8% increase in passenger movements in July 2021, growing from 1,009,754 total passenger movements in June 2021 to 1,118,931 movements in July 2021. The 1,118,931 passenger movements handled in July 2021 were 15.6% higher than the 968,319 handled in July 2019. It should be noted that restrictions on travel began to be put in place in the middle of March 2020. In July 2020 San Juan’s airport handled 363,935 total passenger movements. In the first seven months of 2021 the overall volume of air passenger movements at San Juan’s airport increased by 91.2%, from 2,906,051 in 2020 to 5,555,160 in the same seven months of 2021. The total for the first seven months of 2021 was 97.7% of the total for the same seven months of 2019, that is 5,555,160 in 2021 of the 5,686,127 passengers handled in the first seven months of 2019.
Los Cabos handled 397,200 international passenger movements in July 2021, up 3.8% compared with June 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico , which manages many of Mexico’s airports, Los Cabos Airport saw a 3.8% increase in international passenger traffic in July 2021, that is enplanements and deplanements, growing from 382,800 international passenger movements in June 2021 to 397,200 international passenger movements in July 2021. Mexico re-opened to international tourist arrivals as of June 8th 2020 and consequently Los Cabos handled 84,200 international passenger movements in July 2020. The 397,200 international passenger movements seen in July 2021 were 25.6% higher than the 316,200 international movements handled in July 2019. Domestic traffic increased by 11.7%, growing from 174,700 passenger movements in June 2021 to 195,200 passenger movements in July 2021. Los Cabos handled 83,600 domestic passenger movements in July 2020. The 195,200 domestic passenger movements seen in July 2021 were 10.2% lower than the 217,300 domestic passenger movements handled in July 2019. Through the first seven months of 2021 Los Cabos Airport saw international passenger movements increase by 80.7%, from 1,059,500 in 2020 to 1,914,900 in the first seven months of 2021. Domestic passenger movements increased by 92.5% in the first seven months of 2021, from 562,300 in 2020 to 1,082,600 in the first seven months of 2021. By comparison with the first seven months of 2019 international passenger movements were down 18.0%, while domestic movements declined by 1.8%.
Montego Bay Airport handled 314,300 total passenger movements in July 2021, 10.6% more than the 284,300 handled in June 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Montego Bay Airport increase by 10.6% in July 2021, growing from 284,300 total movements in June 2021 to 314,300 movements in July 2021. The total number of passenger movements in July 2021 was 70.9% of the 443,100 handled in July 2019. It should be noted that Jamaica closed its borders to international visitors as of March 21st 2020 and re-opened to such visitors as of June 15th 2020. As a result, Montego Bay Airport handled just 58,800 passengers movements in July 2020. Through the first seven months of 2021 Montego Bay Airport saw total passenger movements increase by 5.5%, from 1,209,300 in 2020 to 1,275,700 in the first seven months of 2021. The 2021 total of 1,275,700 movements was 43.0% of the 2,963,700 passenger movements handled in the first seven months of 2019. In 2021 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
Kingston Jamaica Airport saw 96,100 total passenger movements in July 2021, 20.7% more than the 79,600 handled in June 2021. According to Aeroportuario del Pacifico, which manages many of Mexico’s airports and which also manages the airports in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica, saw the total number of passenger movements, that is both enplanements and deplanements, at Kingston Jamaica’s Airport increase by 20.7% in July 2021, growing from 79,600 total movements in June 2021 to 96,100 total passenger movements in July 2021. While Kingston Airport re-opened to international travelers as of June 15th 2020 the total number of passenger movements in July 2020 was just 38,100 passengers. Through the first seven months of 2021 Kingston’s Airport saw total passenger movements fall by 4.5%, from 414,400 in 2020 to 395,600 in the first seven months of 2021. Numbers for 2019 are not available. In 2021 international passenger movements made up 100.0% of all passenger movements.
IMF believes tourism in Curacao and Sint Maarten not to recover to pre-pandemic levels until 2024. IMF - Washington D.C., August 2nd 2021. On July 29, 2021, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation discussions with the Kingdom of the Netherlands-Curaçao and Sint Maarten. The COVID-19 pandemic inflicted another major shock on the economies of Curaçao and Sint Maarten. It followed major hurricanes in Sint Maarten in 2017 and the spillovers of the Venezuelan crisis on Curaçao that caused a decline of the oil refining sector, one of Curaçao’s major economic pillars. The pandemic led to a collapse of tourism in both countries. Despite significant response measures swiftly designed by the authorities and financed by the Netherlands, real GDP is estimated to have fallen 20 percent in Curaçao and 24 percent in Sint Maarten in 2020 due to the high dependence on tourism. A particularly severe outbreak of COVID-19 in Curaçao in March-April 2021 required a near-lockdown and brought tourism to a halt again. A combination of depressed fiscal revenue and higher spending needs due to COVID-19 response measures widened fiscal deficits in 2020, increasing government debt stocks to about 89 and 65 percent of GDP in Curaçao and Sint Maarten, respectively. The economic recovery is likely to be protracted as tourism is expected to reach its pre-pandemic levels (in both countries) only in 2024. Zero real GDP growth is projected in Curaçao in 2021 due to the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, followed by 6.5 percent growth in 2022 as tourism partially recovers. Unless the refinery resumes operations in a sustainable way, it could take a decade for real GDP to recover to its pre-pandemic (2019) level as the refinery-related sectors decline. In Sint Maarten, real GDP growth is projected at 4 percent in 2021 and 15 percent in 2022 driven by the recovery of tourism and the implementation of post-hurricane projects including reconstruction of the airport. Real GDP is likely to recover to the pre-pandemic level in 2024. The outlook is subject to elevated uncertainty and risks, including the risk of another COVID-19 outbreak and delays in securing the required liquidity support.
Mexico received 1,175,197 international air arrivals in June, up 20.1% compared with May 2021. According to the Government of Mexico’s SECTUR (Department of Tourism) Mexico received 1,411,003 international air arrivals in June 2021, up 20.1% compared with the 1,175,197 arrivals received in May 2021. Mexico’s border with the USA was closed as of March 20 2020 and consequently Mexico received 117,064 international visitors in June 2020. The 1,411,003 international air arrivals received in June 2021 were 82.7% of the 1,706,927 international visitors received in June 2019. Mexico received 1,158,889 air visitors from the USA in June, 82.1% of the total. Colombia was the second biggest market (35,924 visitors) with Brazil third largest (27,768 visitors). Cancun Airport received 627,283 international air visitors in June 2021, 44.5% of the overall total. Los Cabos received 187,576 international air arrivals with Puerto Vallarta receiving 105,025 air visitors. In the first six months of 2021 the volume of international air arrivals to Mexico increased by 19.2%, from 4,709,915 arrivals in 2020 to 5,613,811 arrivals in the first six months of this year. The volume of air arrivals from the USA increased by 76.6% in the same six months, from 2,505,825 air arrivals in 2020 to 4,424,529 air arrivals in 2021 while the volume from Canada fell by 93.7%, from 886,099 air arrivals in 2020 to 55,694 in 2021. Cancun Airport saw a 36.0% increase in international air arrivals in the first six months of 2021, growing from 1,930,353 arrivals in 2020 to 2,624,383 arrivals in 2021 while Los Cabos saw a 63.5% increase growing from 453,612 international air arrivals in 2020 to 741,857 air arrivals in 2021. Puerto Vallarta saw a 12.9% decrease, falling from 496,937 international arrivals in 2020 to 432,801 international arrivals in the first six months of 2020.
Hawaii reports the state received 791,053 out-of-state tourists in June, up 25.6% compared with May 2021. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 25.6% in June 2021, growing from 629,681 air arrivals received in May 2021 to 791,053 arrivals in June 2021. Total spending for visitors arriving in June 2021 was $1.44 billion. During June 2021, most passengers arriving from out-of-state and traveling inter-county could bypass the State’s mandatory 10-day self-quarantine with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner prior to their departure to Hawai‘i through the Safe Travels program. In addition, individuals who were fully vaccinated in Hawai‘i could bypass the quarantine order beginning June 15, 2021. Inter-county travel restrictions were lifted also as of June 15, 2021. April 2020 was the first full month of travel restrictions to keep the community safe, following the State of Hawai‘i’s 14-day mandatory travel quarantine for all passengers (effective March 26, 2020). The state’s six counties enforced strict stay-at-home orders and curfews during June and consequently the number of out of state air arrivals was just 17,068 for June 2020. The 791,053 arrivals received in June 2021 were 83.2% of the 836,058 arrivals received in June 2019. Hawaii received 769,178 air arrivals from the mainland USA in June 2021, 627 arrivals from Canada, 1,859 arrivals from Japan and 19,390 air arrivals from other markets. Through the first six months of 2021 Hawaii saw a 29.4% increase in the volume of air arrivals, growing from 2,109,375 air arrivals in the first six months of 2020 to 2,751,849 air arrivals in the same six months of 2021. Air arrivals in the first six months of 2021 were 53.8% of the 5,115,051 received in the first six months of 2019. For the first six months of 2021, total visitor spending was estimated to be $4.86 billion, 54.9% of the $8.86 billion spent in the first six months of 2019. Air arrivals from the USA increased by 84.2% in the first six months of 2021, growing from 1,451,670 air arrivals in 2020 to 2,673,818 air arrivals in the same six months of 2021, fell by 97.5% from Japan (from 294,295 arrivals in 2020 to 7,448 air arrivals in 2021) and fell by 96.5% from Canada (from 155,821 in 2020 to 5,434 air arrivals in 2021).
Las Vegas saw a 3.2% increase in visitors in June 2021 compared with May 2021. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Las Vegas saw the volume of visitors increase by 3.2% in June 2021, growing from 2,878,200 arrivals in May 2021 to 2,971,000 in June of 2021. The state of Nevada ordered the closure of all casinos as of March 17 2020 but re-opened all casinos as of June 4th 2020. Consequently, Las Vegas received 1,065,100 visitors in June 2020. The 2,971,000 arrivals received in June 2021 were 82.4% of the 3,607,400 arrivals received in June 2019. Las Vegas had a weighted average of 147,777 open hotel rooms in June 2021 (up 54.9% compared with June 2020) and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 75.9% (40.9% in June 2020), an ADR of $127.90 and a RevPar of $97.08. Through the first six months of 2021 Las Vegas saw a 38.6% increase in the volume of visitors, growing from 9,732,800 arrivals in the first six months of 2020 to 13,487,300 visitors in the same six months of 2021. The total number of visitors for the first six months of 2021 was 63.8% of the 21,139,500 received in the first six months of 2019. Las Vegas achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 57.1% in the first six months of 2021 (up 14.2 percentage points compared with the first six months of 2020), an ADR of $112.61 (down 18.1% compared with the same six months of 2020) and a RevPar of $64.30, up 9.0%, also compared with the same six months of 2020. Gaming revenue increased by 81.4% in the first six months of 2021, from $2.799 billion in 2020 to $5.076 billion in the same six months of 2021.
New report reveals how hard pandemic hit Las Vegas tourism industry in 2020. LAS VEGAS (KTNV) July 28 2021 — Southern Nevada's tourism industry took a big hit in 2020 with a new report revealing the pandemic's impact on visitation to Las Vegas last year and it's not pretty. The 22-page report was commissioned by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and prepared by Applied Analysis, a Las Vegas-based consulting firm. It reveals what many already suspected, that 2020 was arguably Las Vegas' worst economic year ever, and it's all thanks to COVID-19. Employment fell nearly 45% and visitor volume fell 55%. In 2019, visitors spending had an economic output of more than $60 billion in southern Nevada. In 2020, that number was cut by more than half, down to $29.6 billion. Convention attendance fell to its lowest level in 21 years. While Las Vegas’s tourism industry has bounced back in 2021, with visitor numbers through the first five months of 2021 60% of the total for the first five months of 2019, there's one main area where Southern Nevada is still lagging behind pre-pandemic levels. "Probably mid-week visitation because when you're really seeing the town packed, both with the official numbers and when you just walk the streets, is on weekends. And weekdays are getting there, but they still have a ways to go and that’s probably what we’re missing the most. And that has a lot to do with conventions and tourists flying in from overseas," said Anthony Curtis of the Las Vegas Advisor. For full report click here.
Orlando saw a 10.8 percentage point increase in average room occupancy in June 2021, up from 57.0% in May 2021 to 67.8% this June. According to STR Orlando had 128,000 hotel rooms in June 2021 and achieved an average city-wide room occupancy of 67.8%, up 10.8 percentage points compared with May 2021 (57.0%), and an ADR of $122.25 up 7.8% compared with May 2021 ($113.37). Orlando’s theme parks closed to visitors as of March 15th 2020 and consequently Orlando’s hotels experienced an average room occupancy of 25.8% in June 2020. According to Visit Orlando, Orlando saw the volume of air passenger deplanements grow from 511,382 in June 2020 to 2,065,017 in June 2021. The 2,065,017 deplanements seen in June 2021 were 3.8% more than the 1,989,070 deplanements received in May 2021.This includes deplanements at both Orlando International and Sanford airports and includes both international and domestic deplanements. In the first six months of 2021 Orlando’s hotels saw an average hotel room occupancy of 53.7%, up 3.1 percentage points from the 50.6% achieved in the first six months of 2020. ADR fell by 12.5% from $125.35 for the first six months of 2020 to $109.68 for the first six months of 2021. Orlando saw the volume of air passenger deplanements increase by 44.4% in the first six months of 2021, growing from 6,620,632 deplanements in the first six months of 2020 to 9,558,456 deplanements in the first six months of 2021. This includes deplanements at both Orlando International and Sanford airports and includes both international and domestic deplanements.
New Research Reveals Price No Longer Primary Driver Of Travel Decisions Safety and financial security emerge as top considerations in pandemic-focused study from Expedia Group New research from Expedia Group reveals shifting views on travel, including positive sentiment on vaccine passports, increased budgets, and an enduring demand for safety and financial security. The Traveler Value Index examines the views of 8,000 people in eight countries to understand their values and expectations as the pandemic becomes more controlled in many parts of the world. “As vaccination rates rise and borders open across the globe, people are ready and eager to travel. However, the months of uncertainty are weighing on their travel decisions and shifting the conventional belief that price is the top driver of bookings,” said Ariane Gorin, president, Expedia for Business, Expedia Group. “These insights show people want to book with trusted travel providers that will deliver on their experiences, keep them safe, and protect their financial investments.” Improved outlook for 2021 and beyond Despite a period of uncertainty, the Traveler Value Index shows that people are making travel a financial priority. More than a third (34%) of travelers have larger travel budgets now compared to 2020. In fact, nearly one in five respondents globally (18%) expect travel to be the activity they spend most on in 2021, on par with major spending items such as home renovation (18%) and ahead of entertainment (12%), buying or taking care of a car (11%), or healthcare (11%). Additionally, more than third (36%) say they would trade a pay raise for more vacation days Travelers are thinking differently about the frequency and length of travel. Many (60%) are opting for domestic travel in the short-term, however they are planning to get away more often, nearly half (41%) wanting more frequent, shorter, trips. The outlook for international travel is also improving, with more than a quarter (27%) of travelers considering a trip to another country in the next year. In fact, nearly three-quarters (71%) of travelers are comfortable showing a vaccine passport to travel internationally. For full report click here
Costa Rica received 124,670 stopover arrivals in June 2021, 30.1% more than the 95,854 stopovers received in May 2021. According to the Costa Rica Institute of Tourism (ICT), Costa Rica received 124,670 stopovers in June 2021, 30.1% more than the 95,854 stopovers received in May 2021. Costa Rica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and consequently received just 7,210 stopovers in June 2020. The 124,670 stopovers received in June 2021 were 50.1% of the 248,696 stopovers received in June 2019. Costa Rica received 96,878 stopovers from the USA in June, 77.7% of the overall total, and 5,826 stopovers from Central America. Costa Rica’s land borders reopened as of April 5th 2021. The volume of stopovers decreased by 41.4% in the first six months of 2021, falling from 882,022 stopovers in the first six months of 2020 to 516,523 stopovers in first six months of 2021. The 516,523 stopovers was 29.9% of the 1,725,963 stopovers received in the first six months of 2019. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 3.1% in the first six months of 2021, from 356,445 stopovers in 2020 to 367,356 in 2021 while the number from Central America declined by 88.0%, falling from 190,292 in the first six months of 2020 to 22,915 in the same six months of 2021. The share of visitors from the USA grew from 40.4% in the first six months of 2020 to 71.1% in the first six months of 2021.
The Dominican Republic’s hotels averaged 49.7% room occupancy during June 2021. According to ASONAHORES, the hotel and tourism association of the Dominican Republic, the hotels of the Dominican Republic posted an overall average hotel room occupancy of 49.7% in June 2021, up 5.6 percentage points from the 44.1% achieved in May 2021. The Dominican Republic’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 71.5% in June 2019. At a regional level the hotels in Punta Cana posted an average room occupancy of 51.1% for June 2021, with hotels in Puerto Plate averaging 44.0% and hotels in Santo Domingo averaging 48.7%, also in June of this year. The hotel sector posted a combined overall average occupancy of 39.9% for the first six months of 2021 compared with 79.6% for the first six months of 2019. At a regional level during the first six months of the year, the destination Santiago de los Caballeros recorded the highest occupancy rate at 51.3%, being also the only destination to exceed 50 percentage points. Samana’s hotels posted an overall average room occupancy of 42.4% with the Roman–Bayahibe area posting an average occupancy of 42.9%. Punta Cana’s hotels posted an average hotel room occupancy of 40.2% in the first six months of 2021 while the hotels in Puerto Plata posted an overall average of 36.6%. Hotels in Santo Domingo posted an average room occupancy of 43.1% for the first six months of 2021.
Hawaii’s hotels report a 15.5 percentage point increase in average room occupancy in June to 77.0% According to the Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report published by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), statewide hotel room occupancy grew by 15.5 percentage points from 61.5% in May 2021 to 77.0% in June of this year. ADR increased by 11.3% from $287.76 in May to $320.30 in June, while revpar grew by 39.3%, from $177.08 in May 2021 to $246.75 in June of this year. Hawai‘i’s quarantine order for travelers due to the COVID-19 pandemic began on March 26, 2020, which immediately resulted in dramatic declines for the hotel industry. The hotel sector posted an average room occupancy of 20.1% in June 2020. The report’s findings utilized data compiled by STR, Inc., which conducts the largest and most comprehensive survey of hotel properties in the Hawaiian Islands. For June, the survey included 138 properties representing 44,614 rooms, or 82.6 percent of all lodging properties1 and 85.2 percent of operating lodging properties with 20 rooms or more in the Hawaiian Islands, including full service, limited service, and condominium hotels. Vacation rental and timeshare properties were not included in this survey. Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide grew by 35.6%, from $285.9 million in May 2021 to $387.7 million in June 2021. Room demand grew by 21.8%, from 993,600 room nights in May to 1,210,300 room nights in June while room supply fell by 2.7% from 1,614,600 room nights in May to 1,571,100 room nights in June. During June 2021, most passengers arriving from out-of-state and traveling inter-county could bypass the State’s mandatory 10-day self-quarantine with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner prior to their departure to Hawai‘i through the Safe Travels program. In addition, individuals who were fully vaccinated in Hawai‘i could bypass the quarantine order beginning June 15. Inter-county travel restrictions were lifted also on June 15. For the first six months of 2021 statewide hotel room occupancy fell by 3.2 percentage points from 51.3% in 2020 to 48.1% in the first six months of 2021. ADR increased by 1.6% from $288.60 in 2020 to $293.32 while revpar fell by 4.7%, from $148.09 in the first six months of 2020 to $141.14 in the first six months of this year. In the first six months of 2021, Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide increased by 18.5% from $1.098 billion in 2020 to $1.301 billion in the first six months of this year. Room demand increased by 16.6%, to 4,435,600 room nights in the same six months. Room supply grew by 24.3% to 9,218,400 available room nights also in the first six months.
Cuba announces it received 26,221 international stopover visitors in June 2021, 11.5% more than the 23,527 international visitors received in May 2021. The Cuban Government’s Office of National Statistics and Information (ONEI) recently announced that total international tourist arrivals increased by 11.5% in June 2021, growing from 23,527 international stopover arrivals in May 2021 to 26,221 arrivals in June of this year. This number includes both stopover visitors and cruise visitors. Cuba closed its borders to international tourist arrivals on March 20 2020 and consequently received just 1,067 international stopovers in June 2020. The 26,221 stopovers received in June 2021 were just 9.5% of the 274,837 international visitors received in June 2019. Cuba received 20,260 stopovers from Russia in June 2021, 77.3% of all stopovers received for the month. In the first six months of 2021 Cuba saw an 88.4% decrease in total international arrivals, falling from 985,199 arrivals in 2020 to 114,460 stopovers this year. The 114,460 arrivals were just 4.5% of the 2,561,719 international visitors received in the first six months of 2019. Total tourist arrivals from Canada fell by 99.4% in the first six months of 2021, from 403,620 arrivals in 2020 to 2,296 in 2021. The number one source market in the first six months of 2021 was Russia with 72,304 stopovers, 63.2% of all arrivals, up from just 6.4% of all such arrivals in the first six months of 2020.
International Tourist Arrivals Numbers Down 85% in the first five months of 2021, UNWTO Reports. International tourist arrivals plunged 85% in the first five months of 2021 when compared to the same five months of 2019, according to the July issue of the UNWTO’s World Tourism Barometer (Volume 19 Issue 4), published on July 21st 2021. Arrivals were down 65% compared with the same five months of 2020. The Caribbean saw a 59.8% decline in international tourist arrivals in the first five months of 2021 compared with the same five months of 2019 and had the smallest decline in arrivals of any region in the world. Growing travel from the United States has benefitted destinations in the Caribbean and Central America, as well as Mexico. By regions, Asia and the Pacific continued to suffer the largest declines with a 95.5% drop in international arrivals in the first five months of 2021 when compared to the same five months of 2019. Europe recorded the second largest decline with an 84.7% decline, followed by Africa (-81%), and the Americas (-71.9%), all compared to the same five months of 2019. In June, the number of destinations with complete closure of borders decreased to 63, from 69 in February. Of these, 33 were in Asia and the Pacific, while just seven in Europe, the region with the fewest restrictions on travel currently in place. International tourism is slowly picking up, though recovery remains very fragile and uneven. Rising concerns over the Delta variant of the virus have led several countries to reimpose restrictive measures. In addition, the volatility and lack of clear information on entry requirements could continue to weigh on the resumption of international travel during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer season. However, vaccination programmes around the world, together with softer restrictions for vaccinated travellers and the use of digital tools such as the EU Digital COVID Certificate, are all contributing to the gradual normalization of travel. In addition, domestic travel is driving the recovery in many destinations, especially those with large domestic markets. Domestic air seat capacity in China and Russia has already exceeded pre-crisis levels, while domestic travel in the United States is strengthening further. Nearly half of all experts (49%) see a return to 2019 levels in 2024 or later, while the percentage indicating a return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023 has somewhat decreased (36%) when compared to the January survey (43%). Due to weaker-than-expected results in the first quarter of 2021, our scenarios for 2021 were revised downward. The first scenario points to a rebound in July and would result in a 40% increase in international arrivals in 2021 compared to 2020, though still 63% below the pre-pandemic levels of 2019. The second scenario considers a rebound in the month of September and a 10% increase in arrivals compared to 2020, though a 75% decrease compared to 2019. International tourism receipts plunged by US$ 930 billion in 2020, an estimated 64% drop in real terms (local currencies, constant prices) due to the slump in global travel. International visitors spent about US$ 536 billion in destinations last year, about one third of the amount spent in 2019 (US$ 1,466 billion). Click here for full UNWTO Tourism Barometer Report Volume 19 Issue 4 July 2021
The United States Virgin Islands saw 82,172 air arrivals in May 2021, 14.4% more than the 71,837 air visitors received in April 2021. According to revised numbers published by the USVI Bureau of Economic Research, the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 14.4% in May 2021, growing from 71,837 air arrivals in April 2021 to 82,172 air arrivals in May of this year. The 82,172 air arrivals received in May 2021 was 46.2% more than the 56,220 received in May 2019. The USVI closed its borders to air arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and thus received just 7,311 air arrivals in May 2020. Through the first five months of 2021 the USVI saw the volume of air arrivals increase by 77.2%, from 187,751 air arrivals in the first five months of 2020 to 332,655 air arrivals in the first five months of 2021. The 332,655 arrivals in the first five months of 2021 were 13.5% higher than the 292,991 air arrivals received in the first five months of 2019. There were no cruise visitor arrivals in May 2021.
Jamaica received 122,522 stopover arrivals in May 2021, a 48.1% increase compared with April 2021. According to the Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica received 122,502 stopover arrivals in May 2021, a 48.1% increase compared with the 82,702 stopovers received in April 2021 and 58.2% of the 2 stopovers received in May 2019. Jamaica closed its borders to international arrivals as of March 21st 2020 and consequently had zero arrivals in May 2020. Stopover arrivals from the USA totaled 117,443 in May 2021, that is 44.8% more than the 81,114 stopover visitors received from the USA in April 2021. Stopover arrivals from the USA comprised 95.9% of all stopover arrivals received in May 2021. There were no cruise arrivals in May 2021 as Jamaica remained closed to cruise ship arrivals. Through the first five months of 2021 Jamaica saw a 36.2% decline in the volume of stopover arrivals, falling from 574,131 stopover arrivals in the first five months of 2020 to 366,499 arrivals in the same five months of 2021. The 366,499 stopovers received in the first five months of 2021 were 31.8% of the 1,151,795 stopovers received in the first five months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA declined by 7.0% in the first five months of 2021, falling from 377,076 arrivals in 2020 to 350,659 arrivals in the same five months of 2021. The USA’s share of all stopover arrivals grew from 65.7% in the first five months of 2020 to 95.7% in the same five months of 2021.
The Maldives reports it received 56,166 stopover visitor arrivals in June, down 13.1% compared with May 2021. The Maldives Government’s Ministry of Tourism recently announced that The Maldives received 56,166 stopover visitors in June 2021, down 13.1% from the 64,613 stopovers received in May 2021, and down 48.7% since receiving 109,585 stopovers in March 2021. The Maldives closed its borders to tourist arrivals on March 27th 2020 and consequently received just one stopover visitor in June 2020. The 56,166 stopovers received in June 2021 were 49.5% of the 113,475 stopovers received in June 2019. In June 2021 Russia was the number one source market and generated 18,727 stopovers of the total overall stopovers (33.1%) while Saudi Arabia was the number two source market and generated 6,309 stopovers (11.2%). Other markets which generated significant business in June were the USA (3,843 visitors), Germany (2,709 visitors) and the Spain (2,308 visitors). In the first six months of 2021 The Maldives saw a 33.4% increase in total arrivals, growing from 382,817 stopovers in the first six months of 2020 to 510,549 stopovers in the same six months of 2021 with Russia (124,651 visitors) and India (89,675 visitors) being, by far, the two largest source markets in these six months. The Maldives saw the overall number of accommodation establishments in operation grow by 42.2% from an average of 486 in the first six months of 2020 to an average of 691 establishments in the same six months of 2021. The number of beds grew by 68.4% from 27,725 in the first six months of 2020 to 46,702 this year. It should be noted many accommodation establishments closed in April 2020 consequent upon the closure of the borders. Through the end of June 2021 overall average room occupancy had grown by 18.0 percentage points from 31.5% in 2020 to 49.5% for the first six months of this year. Of the 691 establishments in operation 150 were resorts which offered 35,369 beds (75.7% of the overall number of beds). These resorts achieved a 56.6% average room occupancy through the first six months of 2021 up from 36.0% for the first six months of 2020. Through the first six months of 2020 there was an average of 87 resorts in operation offering 20,252 beds.
Belize received 26,215 stopover visitors in June 2021, up 26.0% from the 20,813 received in May 2021. According to the Belize Tourism Board, Belize received 26,215 stopover visitors in June 2021, up 26.0% from the 20,813 received in May 2021. Belize closed its borders as of April 5th 2020 and consequently just received 212 stopover visitors in June 2020. The country reopened to visitors in October 2020. The 26,215 stopover visitors received in June 2021 were 61.0% of the 42,938 stopover visitors received in June 2019. Belize received 23,243 stopover arrivals from the USA in June 2021, 448 from Europe, 144 from Mexico and 194 from Canada. There were no cruise visitors in June 2021 as Belize remained closed to cruise ships. In the first six months of 2021 Belize saw the number of stopovers fall by 26.3%, from 124,777 in the first six months of 2020 to 91,927 in the first six months of 2021. The 91,927 visitors received in 2021 were 32.3% of the 284,566 received in the first six months of 2019. Stopovers from the USA increased by 0.3% in the first six months of 2021, from 78,121 in 2020 to 78,323 in the same six months of 2021. Stopovers from Canada fell by 93.2% in the first six months, to 944 arrivals while stopovers from Europe fell by 87.4% in the same six months, to 1,960 arrivals. There were no cruise visitors in the first six months of 2021.
Aruba received 84,592 stopover visitors in June 2021, 19.7% more than the 70,683 stopovers received in May 2021. According to Aruba Tourism Authority, Aruba received 84,592 stopover arrivals in June 2021, 19.7% more than the 70,683 stopovers it received in May 2021. While Aruba closed its borders to tourist arrivals as of March 17th 2020 and re-opened only to visitors from Curacao and Bonaire as of June 15th 2020 it did not reopen its borders to visitors from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean until July 1st 2020 and from the USA until July 10th 2020. Consequently, there were no tourist arrivals recorded for June 2020. The 84,592 stopovers received in June 2021 were 85.5% of the 98,970 stopovers received in June 2019. Compared with 2019, stopover arrivals from the USA decreased by 2.3%, falling from 77,493 arrivals in June 2019 to 75,727 arrivals in June 2021. Arrivals from the USA comprised 89.5% of all arrivals in June 2021 up from 78.3% in June 2019. Arrivals from Canada dropped by 93.7%, from 2,243 in June 2019 to 142 stopovers in June 2021. Arrivals from the Netherlands fell by 9.1%, from 2,951 in June 2019 to 2,682 in June this year. Aruba re-opened its ports to visitors in June 2021 and received three cruise ship calls and a total of 1,589 cruise passengers. In the first six months of 2021 Aruba saw a 42.7% increase in the number of stopover visitors, growing from 228,752 visitors in the first six months of 2020 to 326,387 visitors in the first six months of this year. The number of stopovers from the USA grew by 65.3% during the first six months, from 175,177 in 2020 to 289,501 through the end of June 2021. Compared with the first six months of 2019, the 326,387 stopover visitors received in the first six months of 2021 was 56.7% of the 575,649 stopovers received in the first six months of 2019. There were 289,501 stopovers from the USA in the first six months of 2021, 66.5% of the 435,343 received from the USA in the first six months of 2019. The number of visitors staying in hotels in the first six months of 2021 declined by 50.4% compared with the same six months of 2019, falling from 294,976 visitors in 2019 to 146,442 in the same six months of 2021. The share of visitors staying in hotels fell from 50.4% in the first six months of 2019 to 44.9% in the same six months of 2021. In the first six months of 2021 110,276 visitors used timeshare accommodation, 72.4% of the 152,254 visitors who used such accommodation in the first six months of 2019, with the sector’s share growing from 26.4% in 2019 to 33.8% in 2021. The total number of visitors staying in timeshare resorts grew by 89.4% in the first six months of 2021 compared with the same six months of 2020. Visitors using other accommodation – private homes, condominiums, short term rental accommodation and apartments – fell by 45.7% when comparing the first six months of 2019 with the same six months of 2021 from 128,419 visitors in 2019 to 69,669 in 2021, with the share dropping from 22.3% in 2019 to 21.3% in 2021. In the first six months of 2021 the primary carrier was JetBlue which brought in 96,389 non-resident visitors, 29.5% of all stopover arrivals, while American Airlines brought in 82,940 non-resident visitors, 25.4% of all visitors. United Airlines brought in 52,699 visitors with Delta carrying 39,039 arrivals. These four carriers brought in 83.0% of all visitors in the first six months of 2021.
Saint Lucia received 21,357 stopovers in June 2021, 48.9% more than the 14,339 stopovers received in May 2021. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Saint Lucia saw a 48.9% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in June 2021, growing from 14,339 stopovers in May 2021 to 21,257 stopovers in June 2021. Saint Lucia also received 414 cruise visitors in June as Saint Lucia reopened its ports to cruise ships. Saint Lucia closed its borders to international visitor arrivals on March 23rd 2020 and consequently received zero stopover arrivals in June 2020. The 21,357 stopovers received in June 2021 were 62.7% of the 34,040 stopovers received in June 2019. Saint Lucia received 19,553 stopover arrivals from the USA in June 2021, 48.1% more than the 13,205 stopovers received in May 2021 with the 19,553 stopovers comprising 91.6% of all stopover arrivals in June 2021. Through the first six months of 2021, Saint Lucia saw a 29.4% decrease in the number of stopover visitors, falling from 91,399 stopovers in the first six months of 2020 to 64,482 stopovers in the same six months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the USA increased by 44.8%, from 41,155 in the first six months of 2020 to 59,598 in the same six months of 2021 while the number of stopover visitors from the U.K. fell by 83.8% from 18,298 in 2020 to 2,962 stopovers in the same six months of 2021.
The Aruba Airport Authority reports 84,754 departing passengers in June 2021, 20.3% more than the 70,452 handled in May 2021. The Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) reports that in June 2021 84,754 Revenue Generating Passengers (RGPs) travelled out of the Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA Airport) to its various markets. This was 20.3% more than the 70,452 RGPs handled in May 2021. A revenue generating passenger is an outbound traveler leaving Aruba and includes tourists returning to their homes as well as Arubans departing for trips overseas. While Aruba reopened to travel to and from Bonaire and Curacao as of June 15th 2020 the country did not reopen to travel from Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean until July 1st 2020 and from the USA until July 10th 2020. Consequently, the airport had just 1,208 RGPs in June 2020. The airport also handled 5,056 passengers in transit in June 2021 as well as 117 transferring passengers. In June 2021 74,566 passengers (pax) travelled to the USA, 0 pax to Canada, 4,384 pax to Europe, 3,569 pax to Latin America and 2,235 pax to the Dutch Caribbean. The airlines provided a total of 116,061 outbound seats in June 2021, 81.6% of the 142,179 seats provided in June 2019. Airlines flying to the USA in June experienced an average load factor of 80.3% There were no flights to Canada while flights to Europe averaged a 74.1% load factor. The overall average load factor for all flights for June was 78.1%. In the first six months of 2021 the airport handled a total of 348,943 RGPs, up 21.1% compared with the 288,203 handled in the first six months of 2020. Traffic to the USA increased by 41.6%, from 210,925 RGPs in the first six months of 2020 to 298,644 in the same six months of 2021. Traffic to Canada fell by 94.9% to 901 RGPs, while traffic to Europe increased by 25.4%, from 17,688 RGPS in the first six months of 2020 to 22,186 RGPs this year. Seat capacity through the first six months of 2021 increased by 58.2% compared with the same six months of 2020, from 379,487 available seats in 2020 to 600,159 seats in 2021. The overall average load factor of outbound flights fell from 83.3% in the first six months of 2019 to 62.5% in the same six months of 2021. The average load factor of flights to the USA fell from 85.3% in the first six months of 2019 to 63.1% in the same six months of 2021. The Aruba Airport Authority projects that the airport will handle 347,716 seats in the third quarter of 2021, up 184% over the 122,337 seats offered in third quarter of 2020. The 347,716 seats offered in 2021 will be 85.9% of the 404,979 offered in the third quarter of 2019. The AAA has estimated it will receive a total of 1,336,269 seats for the whole of 2021, 78.6% of the total for 2019. The AAA pointed out these seat projections are subject to change.
In June 2021 Cancun saw its hotels achieve an average hotel room occupancy of 63.0% up 5.9 percentage points from the 57.1% reported for May. Sedetur, the Department of Tourism of the state of Quintana Roo, recently released the hotel occupancy numbers for the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos and Riviera Maya for June 2021. In June, the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos saw a 5.9 percentage point increase in average hotel room occupancy from 57.1% in May 2021 to 63.0% in June of this year. Cancun’s hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 15.2% in June 2020. It should be noted that as of mid-March 2020 the hotels saw a sharp drop in average room occupancies for the second half of the month as strict restrictions on international travel came into effect and the hotels saw very limited business in April, May, and June. The 63.0% average room occupancy for June 2021 was 16.0 percentage points lower than the 79.0% achieved in June 2019. The hotels in Riviera Maya saw an 8.9 percentage point increase in average hotel room occupancy from 53.4% in May 2021 to 62.3% in June of this year. As with Cancun, traffic in April, May and June was extremely limited. In June 2020, the hotels in Riviera Maya averaged an 11.0% room occupancy. The same hotels reported an average hotel room occupancy of 80.8% in June 2019. Through the first six months of 2021 the hotels in Cancun/Puerto Morelos achieved a 48.1% average room occupancy, up 7.3 percentage points from the 40.8% achieved in the same six months of 2020. The hotels achieved an average occupancy of 79.9% in the first six months of 2019. For the first six months of 2021 the hotels in Riviera Maya achieved an average room occupancy of 40.3%, up 1.7 percentage points from the 38.6% achieved in the same six months of 2020. The hotels achieved an average occupancy of 82.0% in the first six months of 2019. Riviera Maya/Tulum has 48,200 hotel rooms while the Cancun/Puerto Morelos area has 42,910 hotel rooms.
Mauritius announces it received 280 stopover visitors in June, 143% more than the 115 received in May 2021. The Mauritius Government’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Development recently reported that total stopover arrivals increased by 143% in June 2021, from 115 arrivals received in May 2021 to 280 arrivals in June of this year. This number includes both air and sea stopover visitors. Mauritius re-entered a hard lock-down in March 2021 consequent upon an increase in local Covid19 infections. Mauritius closed its borders to all international arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and consequently received just 9 stopovers in June 2020. Mauritius received 92,398 stopovers in June 2019. Mauritius will open up to international travellers from 15 July 2021 during a two-phase programme. From 15 July to 30 September 2021, vaccinated travellers will be admitted for a resort-based holiday on the island and must stay within their chosen resort premises. All travellers must have proof of a negative PCR test prior to travel and will tested again on arrival. Further tests will be taken on day 7 and 14 of their resort holiday if applicable. Phase 2 begins on 1 October 2021, allowing vaccinated travellers entry without restrictions upon presentation of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before departure. In the first six months of 2021 Mauritius saw a 98.9% decrease in total stopover arrivals, falling from 304,881 arrivals in 2020 to 3,225 arrivals in the first six months of this year. Mauritius received 650,082 stopovers through the first six months of 2019.
Curacao reports it received 21,223 stopover arrivals in June 2021, 140% more than the 8,845 received in May of this year. According to the Curaçao Tourist Board, Curaçao saw a 140% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in June, growing from 8,845 stopovers received in May 2021 to 21,223 stopovers received in June of this year. The 21,223 stopovers received in June 2021 were 62.6% of the 33,926 stopovers received in June 2019. Curaçao closed its borders to international visitors as of March 17th 2020 and consequently Curaçao received just 947 stopover visitors in June 2020. Curacao received 12,148 stopover visitors from the Netherlands in June 2021 and 4,763 stopovers from the USA, 57.2% and 22.4% of all stopovers, respectively. Curacao received three cruise ship calls with 1,586 cruise visitors in June 2021 as the island re-opened to cruise traffic. In the first six months of 2021 Curaçao saw a 47.5% decrease in the number of stopover visitors, falling from 109,859 visitors in 2020 to 57,641 visitors in the first six months of this year. The number of stopovers from the USA declined by 42.5% during the first six months, falling from 21,080 in 2020 to 12,122 in the first six months of 2021. The number of stopovers from the Netherlands declined by 30.1%, falling from 44,467 visitors during the first six months of 2020, to 31,083 in the first six months of 2021. By comparison with the first six months of 2019 the number of stopovers decreased by 75.8%, falling from 237,749 in 2019 to 57,641 in the same six months of 2021.
The Central Bank of Aruba estimates that by the end of 2021 stopover visitor arrivals to Aruba will reach 55% of the 2019 total. The latest projections by the Centrale Bank van Aruba (CBA) foresee a rebound in output in terms of real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2021. Specifically, real GDP is expected to grow by 15.5 percent under the optimistic scenario, 12.7 percent under the baseline scenario, and 8.2 percent under the pessimistic scenario. Total inflation in 2021 is estimated at 0.0 percent, as a result of the diminishing effect of the electricity tariff reduction in January 2020, as well as the anticipated gradual increase in the price of gasoline. However, core inflation is expected to become negative in 2021, reaching -0.1 percent at the end of the year. In conjunction with pay cuts in the public sector, and the anticipated drop in the Average Daily Rate (ADR), a negative deflator for overall GDP is observed. The main driver for the 2021 envisaged recovery in economic activities is the tourism sector, as it continues its path to a relatively strong recovery. Each scenario deviates from the baseline based upon the expected number of stay-over visitors in 2021 and its impact on the export of services, benchmarked against the 2019-level. The optimistic scenario assumes stay-over visitors to recover to 58.0 percent of the 2019-level, the baseline 55.0 percent, and the pessimistic scenario 49.0 percent. The execution pace of the construction projects related to private investments differs in each scenario. In addition, a different unemployment rate, given the recovery of the tourism sector is assumed in each scenario. Therefore, the performance in private consumption is dependent on developments in the labor market, which in turn are determined by the strength of tourism recovery. The Emergency Social Assistance Fund (FASE) program and the wage subsidy program, which are assumed to be available throughout the year, also positively contribute to private consumption. For more information: https://www.cbaruba.org/cba/manageArticle.do?dispatch=view&id=1747
Punta Cana received 192,417 tourists in June 2021, 27.3% more than the 151,155 received in May 2021. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, saw the volume of non-resident stopover arrivals increase by 27.3% in June, growing from 151,155 arrivals in May 2021 to 192,417 in June 2021. The volume of arrivals in June 2021 was 58.0% of the 331,503 stopovers received by Punta Cana in June 2019. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 consequently Punta Cana received 126 visitors in June 2020. Punta Cana received 150,391 stopover arrivals from the USA in June 2021, 38.3% more than the 108,710 stopovers received in May 2021. The Dominican Republic currently has limited restrictions on entry to the country. During the first six months of 2021 Punta Cana saw a 1.8% decrease in the volume of stopover arrivals, falling from 742,102 arrivals in the first six months of 2020 to 728,404 non-resident arrivals in the first six months of 2021. However, the total for 2021 was just 34.9% of the 2,089,992 stopovers received in the first six months of 2019. Arrivals from the USA increased by 154.3% in the first six months of 2021, growing from 199,551 arrivals in the first six months of 2020 to 507,486 arrivals in the same six months of 2021. Traffic was down 97.8% from Canada, falling from 226,605 arrivals in the first six months of 2020 to just 5,034 arrivals in the first six months of 2021. Traffic was also down 97.2% from the UK, falling from 26,295 arrivals in 2020 to just 727 stopovers in the first six months of 2021. Traffic was down 76.0% from France, down 64.8% from Argentina, down 51.5% from Brazil, and down 39.3% from Germany. In the first six months of 2021, stopover arrivals to Punta Cana made up 38.4% of all non-resident arrivals to the Dominican Republic compared with 53.2% in the same six months of 2020.
The Dominican Republic received 462,536 non-resident visitors in June, 18.3% more than the 390,948 stopovers received in May. According to the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, the Dominican Republic received 462,536 non-resident stopover arrivals in June 2021, 18.3% more than the 390,948 stopovers it received in May 2021. The Dominican Republic closed its borders to international tourist arrivals as of March 19th 2020 and consequently received just 1,021 stopovers in June 2020. The 462,536 arrivals received in June 2021 were 78.8% of the 587,143 stopovers received in June 2019. The Dominican Republic received 268,140 stopover arrivals from the USA in June 2021, 37.6% more than the 194,902 stopovers received from the USA in May 2021. 28.0% of the non-resident arrivals in June 2021 were Dominicans living abroad and returning to the Dominican Republic compared with 65.0% in June 2020. In the first six months of 2021 the Dominican Republic saw a 36.1% increase in the volume of stopover arrivals, growing from 1,394,091 arrivals in the first six months of 2020 to 1,897,643 non-resident arrivals in the same six months of 2021. Non-resident arrivals from the USA increased by 158.3% in the first six months of 2021, growing from 355,440 arrivals in 2020 to 918,119 arrivals from the USA in the first six months of 2021. Stopover arrivals from Canada fell by 97.6%, from 339,159 in the first six months of 2020 to 8,002 in the same six months of 2021. The 1,897,643 stopovers received in the first six months of 2021 were 53.1% of the 3,575,298 stopovers received in the first six months of 2019. In the first six months of 2021 31.6% of all non-resident tourists arriving in the Dominican Republic were non-resident Dominicans returning home, up from 14.7% in the same six months of 2020.
AHATA reports Aruba’s hotels achieved a 69.5% average room occupancy in June 2021. The Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association (AHATA) reports that average hotel room occupancy in June 2021 was 69.5%, 13.2 percentage points higher than the 56.3% achieved in May 2021. Aruba closed its orders to international travel as of March 17 2020 and consequently Aruba’s hotels achieved a 0.6% average room occupancy in June 2020. And compared with June 2019, the average room occupancy in June 2021 was 13.5 percentage points lower, falling from 83.0% in June 2019 to 69.5% in June this year. ADR was $246.05 in June 2021, 8.2% higher than in June 2019, and revpar was $171.06, 9.3% lower than in June 2019. Aruba’s timeshare resorts reported an average occupancy of 81% in June 2021. Through the first six months of 2021 AHATA reports that Aruba’s hotels achieved an average room occupancy of 45.1% compared with 35.3% for the first six months of 2020. Again, compared with the first six months of 2020, ADR fell by 29.6% to $257.11 with RevPAR falling by 10.2% to $104.48. By comparison with the first six months of 2019 average room occupancy was 41.1 percentage points lower in 2021, while ADR fell by 14.6%, and revpar was 55.4% lower. AHATA is projecting that Aruba’s hotels will achieve an average room occupancy of 76% for July, 70% for August, 63% for September, 70% for October and 57% for 2021 as a whole.
Antigua and Barbuda received 14,732 stopovers in June 2021, 28.0% more than the 11,512 received in May 2021. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Investment, Antigua and Barbuda saw a 28.0% increase in stopover visitor arrivals in June 2021, growing from 11,512 stopovers received in May 2021 to 14,732 stopovers this June. Antigua and Barbuda re-opened its borders to international travel as of June 4th 2020 and consequently received 2,677 visitors in June 2020 up from the 11 received in May 2020. The 14,732 stopovers received In June 2021 were 69.6% of the 21,174 stopovers Antigua received in June 2019. The 12,391 stopover visitors received from the USA in June 2021 were 30.8% higher than the 9,474 stopovers received from the USA in May and comprised 84.1% of all stopov