Caribbean tourist boom
Spring‑break travel to the Caribbean is surging — destinations from the Dominican Republic to Aruba are posting record growth driven by new flights and hotel expansion, with Cuba alone up 12.1% in Jan–Feb 2026. — Travelers are booking earlier and looking for ‘beyond the beach’ experiences like local food and boutique stays despite airport crowding and higher gas prices. (travelandtourworld.com) (wach.com)
Caribbean hotels posted a strong February: regional occupancy reached 76.5% in February 2026, average daily rate hit $444.16, and RevPAR rose to $339.93 — delivering $2.67 billion in hotel revenue for the month. (caribjournal.com) U.S. carriers are adding capacity into the region this year — JetBlue announced expanded service from Fort Lauderdale and new Caribbean routes for 2026 — while transatlantic carriers such as British Airways have added frequencies from London Gatwick to Barbados, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Punta Cana. (sun-sentinel.com) A wave of new and expanded resorts is coming online in 2026: Grand Hyatt Grand Cayman is scheduled to open in April with 382 rooms, and Hilton’s “The Westerly” tower in Aruba will add 161 rooms as a resort‑within‑a‑resort. (travelpulse.com) Booking data shows demand is concentrated and front‑loaded: Allianz Partners’ analysis of more than 1.3 million itineraries ranks Punta Cana, Oranjestad (Aruba) and Nassau among the top spring‑break bookings, and KAYAK reported summer‑2026 searches up about 9% globally with accommodation searches outpacing flight searches. (caribjournal.com) Operational strain at U.S. airports is spilling onto Caribbean travel: major outlets reported longer‑than‑normal security lines and staffing shortfalls at TSA ahead of spring break, a factor that is increasing connection risk for Caribbean‑bound flights. (usatoday.com) Fuel costs are reshaping airline economics this spring: reporters say a recent jet‑fuel spike has led some carriers to raise fares and analysts have urged earlier bookings, while at least one major carrier announced sweeping capacity cuts amid surging fuel expenses. (cnbc.com)
