Tourism to the French Caribbean island of Martinique is surging in 2019, according to newly-released data from the Caribbean Tourism Organization.

The island reported a total of 312,134 stayover tourist arrivals in the first half of 2019 — that represented a 6.1 percent increase in arrivals compared to the same period in 2018.

It’s a very strong sign for an island that is increasingly on the radar of travelers in the United States.

That growth rate also put Martinique among the fastest-growing destinations in the Caribbean so far this year.

The growth is in part due to newly-burgeoning hotel growth. For the first time in decades, a pair of new hotels opened on the island this year: the Diamant Les Bains hotel on the south coast of the island and the Pelican in the Schoelcher area near Martinique’s capital of Fort-de-France.

It means more visitors to a destination that is among the most diverse in the region, from its home as the global capital of rum to a diverse cultural scene and a remarkable culinary offering.

Last year, Martinique was named the “culinary capital of the Caribbean.”

Martinique continues to see strong demand from Europe and Canada.

From the United States market, its chief gateway is Miami, from which American Airlines runs up to seven nonstop flights each week.

— CJ