Tourism numbers – both stayover and cruise – dipped in May, but Cayman’s visitor arrivals for 2025 are still on the rise, with visitation charting steady growth over the first five months of the year.
New data shows that total visitation to the Cayman Islands rose by 3.3% between January and May compared to the same period in 2024 – an encouraging sign as the sector aims to return to pre-pandemic levels. Still, cruise arrivals hit their lowest May on record, reinforcing a growing trend that suggests future tourism growth may increasingly be driven by stayover visitors.
Stayover visitation records modest decline
While May recorded a modest 1.6% drop in stayover arrivals, year-to-date numbers are up 6% overall.
May brought 34,338 stayover tourists to Cayman – one of the strongest Mays on record and among the top five since tourism data tracking began in 2000. It was also the first month of 2025 to post a year-on-year decline in stayover figures, highlighting just how strong the recovery has been to date.
The US continues to lead as Cayman’s top tourism source, accounting for 83% of May stayovers – a 6.5% increase from last year. Canada followed with 7.5% of arrivals, while the UK contributed 3.1%. Jamaica saw a notable 8.1% year-on-year increase, making up 1.1% of total visitors.
Between January and May, Cayman welcomed 221,490 stayover visitors – just 5% below the 232,474 recorded during the same period in 2019, which remains the best year on record for tourism. With an airlift strategy offering 870,000 inbound airline seats in 2025 – spread across 5,300 flights, 25 markets, and 10 airlines – the gap could be closed by year’s end.
“These statistics are tangible results of success because of the active collaboration the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism exercises in engaging with our on-island partners to drive demand and with our aviation partners to ensure that we have the necessary airlift to complement our marketing and business development efforts,” said Tourism Minister Gary Rutty in an earlier statement.
While May’s figures indicate a brief dip, the overall trend shows stayover arrivals gaining momentum – potentially setting the stage for another record-breaking year.
Cruise plunge
The cruise sector painted a less encouraging picture for May, with the lowest monthly arrivals recorded since the country began tracking cruise tourism in 2000.
Just 53,076 cruise passengers visited the islands during the month – fewer even than in May 2022, when ships had only just resumed sailing after the pandemic shutdown.
The figure marks a sharp 37% drop from April’s 83,933 cruise visitors and a 15% decline compared to May last year.
Despite the monthly slump, cruise tourism is still trending upward overall in 2025. From January through May, Cayman received 589,783 cruise passengers – a 2% increase from the same period last year.
The gains have been buoyed by significant growth from two industry giants: Carnival Corporation increased its Cayman arrivals by 26%, while Royal Caribbean surged by 47% year-on-year. However, those gains were partially offset by steep declines from other cruise lines, with Disney Cruise Line down 37%, Norwegian Cruise Line down 26% and MSC Cruises down a staggering 66%.
The figures echo recent public statements by Cayman’s tourism leadership. On 26 June, Director of Tourism Rosa Harris told Tammi Sulliman on Compass TV’s Forefront political talk show, “We’re not out of the cruise business; we still have cruise ships coming.”
Just days later, on 8 July, Rutty reiterated that message at the Cayman Islands Tourism Association forum, stating, “Cruise tourism is not a second-tier product, and it is not something we do on the side. … It is, and must remain, an integral part of our tourism economy.”
