The Cayman Islands recorded its strongest first half for tourism on record after welcoming 288,694 stayover visitors between January and June 2026, an 11.3 percent increase over the same period last year.

The milestone came as the destination extended its streak of year-over-year stayover growth to eight consecutive months.

Figures released by the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism showed 40,460 stayover visitors arrived in June, up 6.9 percent compared with June 2025.

Cruise tourism also continued to rebound, with 55,639 passengers arriving during the month, a 15.5 percent increase year on year.

Combined, the islands welcomed 96,099 visitors in June, representing an overall increase of 11.7 percent.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism and Trade Development Gary Rutty said the continued growth is delivering tangible benefits across the tourism sector and wider economy.

“Tourism is one of the strongest engines of our national economy, and a record first half of the year means that engine is delivering for Caymanians,” Rutty said.

He noted that the sustained increase in visitors is supporting jobs, restaurants, taxi operators, watersports businesses and other tourism-related enterprises across the three islands.

The United States remained the Cayman Islands’ largest source market in June, contributing the biggest increase in visitor numbers with an additional 2,259 arrivals, a 6.8 percent rise compared with the same month last year.

Growth was led by travellers from the southern United States, particularly Austin and the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area.

Canada continued to post the fastest growth of any major source market.

The destination welcomed a record 1,679 Canadian visitors in June, a 44.1 percent increase over June 2025. During the first six months of the year, arrivals from Canada climbed 48.9 percent to a record 26,674 visitors, increasing the country’s share of total stayover arrivals from 6.9 percent to 9.2 percent.

European markets also recorded solid gains.

Visitor arrivals from the United Kingdom and Ireland increased by 4.1 percent in June, while arrivals from continental Europe surged 73.9 percent, driven by stronger demand from France, Germany and Spain.

Although arrivals from Latin America declined by 4.8 percent in June, the region remained ahead for the year, with visitor numbers up 10.8 percent over the first six months of 2025.

The Department of Tourism attributed much of the growth to expanded airlift.

Available airline seats from the United States and Canada, together with British Airways’ London-Grand Cayman service via Nassau, increased by nine percent compared with last year.

Additional capacity from cities including Miami, Toronto, Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta, along with new routes from Ottawa, Fort Lauderdale and Austin, helped support visitor growth.

Cayman Airways launched its new Austin service in June.

The increase in visitor arrivals also translated into stronger performance for the accommodation sector.

According to hotel data from STR, hotel occupancy reached 61 percent in June, up 5.3 percentage points compared with the same month last year. Average daily room rates rose 6.7 percent, while revenue per available room increased 16.8 percent despite an increase in hotel inventory following the opening of ONE GT in May.

For the first six months of the year, hotel occupancy averaged 73.3 percent, while hotel revenue increased 17.3 percent compared with the same period in 2025.

Director of Tourism Rosa Harris said the results reflected the department’s long-term strategy of diversifying source markets, strengthening airlift and expanding relationships with international travel partners.

She said the department will continue focusing on growing air service and increasing visitor demand from key markets, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and continental Europe.