by Brian Major
Last updated: 9:00 AM ET, Fri January 30, 2015
Photo: Puerto Rico added 931 new hotel rooms in 2014. (Photo by Brian Major).
Tourism officials and stakeholders in destinations across the Caribbean anticipate continued visitor arrivals increases in 2015 following a 2014 season marked by consistent growth.
Attendees at this week's Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) Caribbean Travel Marketplace conference issued statistics that detail the region's arrivals growth over the past year. Overall, Caribbean hotels posted year-over-year increases in occupancy, average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR) in 2014, according to travel research firm STR.
Caribbean hotel occupancy increased 1.5 percent to 68 percent; ADR climbed 6.4 percent to $194.66 and RevPAR rose eight percent to $132.28 in 2014. Caribbean hotels also generated RevPAR increases of more than 10 percent in January, April and May, and the same hotels also posted positive ADR and RevPAR figures in every month of 2014, said STR officials.
"All indicators are showing strong growth," said Stephen Hennis, director of STR Research.
Several Caribbean destinations also posted strong 2014 results. Puerto Rico, which hosted this week's CHTA gathering, added 931 new hotel rooms in 2014 and posted an average occupancy of 70 percent, said Ingrid Rivera Rocafort, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC).
In addition, travel retailer Travelzoo named Puerto Rico one of the world's "best cost-saving travel destinations" due to "increased infrastructure and competition" with other global destinations, said Chris Loughlin, the company's chief executive officer.
"Thanks to the addition of new routes and increased services from airports around the U.S. in recent months from JetBlue, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines, flights to Puerto Rico are now among the cheapest in the Caribbean," said Loughlin. The trend is expected to continue through 2015, he added.
Saint Lucia also reported strong 2014 tourist arrivals, with a six percent year-over year increase to nearly 340,000 visitors. The destination reported record tourist arrival numbers for February, March, April, June, October, November and December. Full-year totals included an 11 percent growth in visitors from North America, who accounted for 42 percent of the island's arrivals in 2014.
As with Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia's arrivals increases were driven in part by increased airlift. Airline service to Saint Lucia increased 14 percent in 2014, including a 10 percent increase in U.S.-departing flights.
Saint Lucia also benefited from a diverse slate of events and attractions as well as new hotel and resort properties said Louis Lewis, the Saint Lucia Tourist Board's director.
"Partnership is key to keeping the momentum strong for Saint Lucia's marketing efforts," said Lewis. "We work closely with our hotel and product partners, travel agent partners, tour operators, and airlines, to harness ideas and resources for the success of the overall destination."
Other Caribbean destinations to post strong arrivals growth figures in 2014 included Belize, the Cayman Islands, Grenada, Haiti Montserrat and the Turks & Caicos, which all posted growth in excess of 10 percent in 2014 according to Caribbean Tourism Organization statistics.
In addition, Aruba reached one million overnight visitors for the first time in 2014 while Jamaica recorded its first year with two million visitors. Already the number one Caribbean destination in terms of arrivals, the Dominican Republic hosted 5,141,377 visitors in 2014, an 8.8 percent increase over 2013.
Despite the Caribbean's successful 2014, several significant challenges remain, said Emil Lee, CHTA's president. "There are regional issues that we all share such as the need for improved political transparency and integrity, airlift development strategies, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change, and addressing ever increasing costs of doing business," he said.
"Ultimately, whether you are a tour operator selling Caribbean product, or an allied company selling your products to the Caribbean, or a Caribbean-based business, we all benefit from a healthy and vibrant Caribbean."
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