Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (27 May 2026) – The Cayman Islands continued its record-breaking - tourism performance in April 2026 by welcoming 47,884 stayover visitors, making this the best April in the Island’s history. Stayover arrivals were 3.9% higher than the previous record set in April 2019 and were up 12% year over year, compared to the corresponding period in 2025.
April’s stayover results were driven by growth from North America, with the US recording its best April ever and Canada recording six consecutive months of double-digit growth in stayover visitation.
Total visitation for April, including both stayover visitors and cruise passengers, reached 173,596 visitors, reflecting an overall increase of 37% year over year.
April’s exceptional performance follows a strong first quarter for visitation in which the Cayman Islands surpassed results from every previous year on record. This includes topping the destination’s record for the highest ever arrivals in a single month which was set the month prior, in March 2026. This outstanding start to the second quarter places the Islands tourism sector in a stronger position to navigate the fluidity of the typically slower summer season.
Hon. Gary Rutty, Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism and Trade Development commented on the results saying, “Tourism continues to play a vital role in Cayman’s economy, supporting local businesses, creating jobs, and providing opportunities for Caymanians. After a bumper winter season and now the strongest April on record, we are entering the summer from a position of strength. Increased airlift, growing interest from new markets, and the continued quality of our tourism product give us confidence that this positive momentum can continue throughout 2026.”
“Most importantly,” he continued, “strong visitation is delivering real economic benefits for Caymanians with increased visitor spending translating into stronger business performance and greater income potential across the tourism sector.”
United States Marks Best April Ever
April 2026 marked the strongest April on record for stayover visitation from the United States, with 38,968 visitors. This represents a 9.8% increase compared to April 2025 and a 5% increase over the previous record set in April 2019.
Growth from the United States was driven primarily by the Western region, which increased by 10.4%, and the Midwest, which grew by 14.8%. The strongest U.S source markets included Denver and Chicago, respectively.
Canada Remains a Key Area for Growth
Canada continues to be one of the fastest growing source markets for the Cayman Islands, with 4,277 stayover visitors in April 2026, representing an increase of 69% year-over-year. These results build on Canada’s strong contribution to both the record winter season and the destination’s prior best month ever, in March 2026.
With strong projected nonstop airlift through five weekly summer flights from Toronto, the destination anticipates continued growth from Canada. This capacity builds in fall with up to nine weekly flights, surpassing previous airlift records from Canada. Further expansion in December will include the return of Porter Airlines, increasing connectivity from both Toronto and Ottawa with up to 15 flights per week – the highest level of service ever from Canada to the Cayman Islands.
“The success achieved in 2026 has been made possible through partnership. We rely on strong industry ties with tourism partners such as on-island operators, global agencies, airlines and the travel trade. The Department of Tourism team collaborates worldwide across borders to plan and deliver these results. I commend the efforts of our partners and my team.” said Rosa Harris, Director of Tourism.
“As a result of our strategic partnerships with airlines, we are now witness to a secondary market’s standout performance. April 2026 represents the strongest airlift programme our destination has ever recorded from Canada and demonstrates the investment in relationships and marketing activities that has affected the positive trajectory from the Canadian market. The increase in flights underscores the success of our business development and market diversification efforts, and we look forward `to continuing our collaboration with Canadian airline partners to anchor future growth.” Director Harris continued.
Secondary Markets Show Sustained Growth
Visitors from Continental Europe climbed 23.3% in April, with gains from Germany, France and the Netherlands. Visitors from Latin America showed a sustained increase of 4.3%.
Expanded Airlift Fuels Demand
Total inbound airlift capacity from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada for April 2026 increased by 15.1% over the same period in 2025. This growth was primarily driven by capacity increases from Chicago, through United Airlines and American Airlines, as well as Toronto and Ottawa via Porter Airlines. This expanded connectivity from key gateway cities continues to support sustained growth across the destination’s top-performing source markets.
Strong Results Drive Robust Accommodations Sector
April’s strong tourism performance continued to translate into strong commercial results for the destination’s accommodations sector. According to global hotel intelligence firm STR, Inc., hotel occupancy reached 77.8% in April 2026, up 9.4 percentage points compared with April 2025. Average daily rate (ADR) rose 6.1% and Revenue per available room (RevPAR) increased 20.8%.
Year-to-date through April, occupancy rose by 6.7% compared to 2025, with ADR also increasing by 6.7% and RevPAR rising 16.6% year-over-year. These gains reflect a sustained growth in demand and highlight the tourism industry’s increasing contribution to the Cayman Islands economy.
As the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism transitions into its summer initiatives, the focus remains on sustaining momentum, supporting local stakeholders, deepening partnerships, and ensuring that growth continues to benefit Caymanians and protect the values that define the Cayman experience. The record-setting start to 2026 provides not only a milestone to celebrate, but a platform to build from as the destination works to extend its strongest year on record across every season ahead.
To learn more about how tourism drives economic growth across the Cayman Islands, the public is encouraged to follow the Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Matters series.
The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (CIDOT) supports the overall strategic objectives of the destination by providing reliable statistical data, useful information and analysis for future planning, decision making, and policy formulation. CIDOT provides online statistical data in an easy-to-use format for persons requiring tourism related figures.
To view visitation statistics please visit: www.ourcayman.ky
April’s stayover results were driven by growth from North America, with the US recording its best April ever and Canada recording six consecutive months of double-digit growth in stayover visitation.
Total visitation for April, including both stayover visitors and cruise passengers, reached 173,596 visitors, reflecting an overall increase of 37% year over year.
April’s exceptional performance follows a strong first quarter for visitation in which the Cayman Islands surpassed results from every previous year on record. This includes topping the destination’s record for the highest ever arrivals in a single month which was set the month prior, in March 2026. This outstanding start to the second quarter places the Islands tourism sector in a stronger position to navigate the fluidity of the typically slower summer season.
Hon. Gary Rutty, Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism and Trade Development commented on the results saying, “Tourism continues to play a vital role in Cayman’s economy, supporting local businesses, creating jobs, and providing opportunities for Caymanians. After a bumper winter season and now the strongest April on record, we are entering the summer from a position of strength. Increased airlift, growing interest from new markets, and the continued quality of our tourism product give us confidence that this positive momentum can continue throughout 2026.”
“Most importantly,” he continued, “strong visitation is delivering real economic benefits for Caymanians with increased visitor spending translating into stronger business performance and greater income potential across the tourism sector.”
United States Marks Best April Ever
April 2026 marked the strongest April on record for stayover visitation from the United States, with 38,968 visitors. This represents a 9.8% increase compared to April 2025 and a 5% increase over the previous record set in April 2019.
Growth from the United States was driven primarily by the Western region, which increased by 10.4%, and the Midwest, which grew by 14.8%. The strongest U.S source markets included Denver and Chicago, respectively.
Canada Remains a Key Area for Growth
Canada continues to be one of the fastest growing source markets for the Cayman Islands, with 4,277 stayover visitors in April 2026, representing an increase of 69% year-over-year. These results build on Canada’s strong contribution to both the record winter season and the destination’s prior best month ever, in March 2026.
With strong projected nonstop airlift through five weekly summer flights from Toronto, the destination anticipates continued growth from Canada. This capacity builds in fall with up to nine weekly flights, surpassing previous airlift records from Canada. Further expansion in December will include the return of Porter Airlines, increasing connectivity from both Toronto and Ottawa with up to 15 flights per week – the highest level of service ever from Canada to the Cayman Islands.
“The success achieved in 2026 has been made possible through partnership. We rely on strong industry ties with tourism partners such as on-island operators, global agencies, airlines and the travel trade. The Department of Tourism team collaborates worldwide across borders to plan and deliver these results. I commend the efforts of our partners and my team.” said Rosa Harris, Director of Tourism.
“As a result of our strategic partnerships with airlines, we are now witness to a secondary market’s standout performance. April 2026 represents the strongest airlift programme our destination has ever recorded from Canada and demonstrates the investment in relationships and marketing activities that has affected the positive trajectory from the Canadian market. The increase in flights underscores the success of our business development and market diversification efforts, and we look forward `to continuing our collaboration with Canadian airline partners to anchor future growth.” Director Harris continued.
Secondary Markets Show Sustained Growth
Visitors from Continental Europe climbed 23.3% in April, with gains from Germany, France and the Netherlands. Visitors from Latin America showed a sustained increase of 4.3%.
Expanded Airlift Fuels Demand
Total inbound airlift capacity from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada for April 2026 increased by 15.1% over the same period in 2025. This growth was primarily driven by capacity increases from Chicago, through United Airlines and American Airlines, as well as Toronto and Ottawa via Porter Airlines. This expanded connectivity from key gateway cities continues to support sustained growth across the destination’s top-performing source markets.
Strong Results Drive Robust Accommodations Sector
April’s strong tourism performance continued to translate into strong commercial results for the destination’s accommodations sector. According to global hotel intelligence firm STR, Inc., hotel occupancy reached 77.8% in April 2026, up 9.4 percentage points compared with April 2025. Average daily rate (ADR) rose 6.1% and Revenue per available room (RevPAR) increased 20.8%.
Year-to-date through April, occupancy rose by 6.7% compared to 2025, with ADR also increasing by 6.7% and RevPAR rising 16.6% year-over-year. These gains reflect a sustained growth in demand and highlight the tourism industry’s increasing contribution to the Cayman Islands economy.
As the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism transitions into its summer initiatives, the focus remains on sustaining momentum, supporting local stakeholders, deepening partnerships, and ensuring that growth continues to benefit Caymanians and protect the values that define the Cayman experience. The record-setting start to 2026 provides not only a milestone to celebrate, but a platform to build from as the destination works to extend its strongest year on record across every season ahead.
To learn more about how tourism drives economic growth across the Cayman Islands, the public is encouraged to follow the Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Matters series.
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The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (CIDOT) supports the overall strategic objectives of the destination by providing reliable statistical data, useful information and analysis for future planning, decision making, and policy formulation. CIDOT provides online statistical data in an easy-to-use format for persons requiring tourism related figures.
To view visitation statistics please visit: www.ourcayman.ky