Above: the Cayman Islands

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Cayman Islands received more than 380,000 stayover tourist arrivals in 2014, the best year for the destination in more than a decade.

The total of 382,816 visitor air arrivals represented a 10.84 percent increase over the British Overseas Territory’s performance in 2014, according to data from the Department of Tourism.

In fact, it was the best performance for the destination in more than 14 years.

Cayman’s best month was December, which showed the best visitor arrival figures of any December since the year 2000, with 40,568 visitors.

“It has been a wonderful experience throughout 2014 to witness the success of tourism businesses continuing to climb throughout the year,” said Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell. “We know that this success comes from our continued commitment to partnerships with private sector entities, the diligent work of this government, the Department of Tourism and the unique approaches implemented throughout the year to an integrated strategic plan.”

In a release, Rosa Harris, director of Cayman’s Department of Tourism, called 2014 “another successful year of promoting the Cayman Islands to a global audience.”