Anguilla just set an all-time recored for stay over visitors arrivals to the island, continuing what has become a trend across the Caribbean, Caribbean Journal has learned.
The tiny island just off the coast of St Martin welcome 95,944 stayover visitors last year, topping its previous high set back in 2019, before the onset of the pandemic. Anguilla also reported 155,732 visitor arrivals, when including stayover and day-tripper arrivals.
Many destinations across the Caribbean posted record visitor arrivals in 2023, buoyed by a still-strong global travel market.
“These results affirm that Anguilla remains a highly sought-after destination, in a highly competitive region,” said Kenroy Herbert, Chairman of the Anguilla Tourist Board. “We made a strategic decision to diversify our tourism product, developing and promoting experiences that go beyond our spectacular beaches and superb cuisine, and this is resonating with consumers in our target markets, and attracting first-time visitors to our shores.”
Anguilla’s numbers were buoyed by a very strong December that saw 19,178 stayover visitors, up 27.9 percent from December 2022. It was the second-highest total of any December in the island’s history, surpassed only by December 2014.
“We are delighted with the industry’s performance, which is due in no small measure to the hard work of our ATB teams across all our markets, and the generous support extended by our stakeholders for our various marketing initiatives,” said Kimberly King, who was recently named Anguilla’s Chief Marketing Officer. “This achievement is the result of our collaborative efforts, and we are approaching 2024 in the same spirit of cooperation.”