In an effort to better measure tourism growth and development in Africa, UNWTO signed a Cooperation Agreement with the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation for the Strengthening of the National Tourism Statistical System of Nigeria and the Development of a Tourism Satellite Account.

UNWTO is committed to developing tourism measurement for furthering knowledge of the sector, monitoring progress, evaluating impact, promoting results-focused management, and highlighting strategic issues for policy objectives.

On the occasion of the meeting between UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, and the Minister of Information and Culture of Nigeria, Mr. Lai Mohammed, the agreement to host the Sixty-First meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Africa and the Seminar on ‘Tourism Statistics: A Catalyst for Development’ in Nigerian capital, Abuja, from 4 to 6 June 2018, was signed.

The meetings will be open to the participation of UNWTO Member States and Affiliate Members, as well as invited delegations and representatives of the tourism and related sectors. Officials of immigration departments, national statistics bureaus, central banks and other relevant stakeholders will be invited to join

BRUSSELS, February 13, 2018 —

Europe welcomed 671 million international tourist arrivals in 2017, an outstanding 8% growth compared to 2016 (+2%). Europe has consolidated, for the eight consecutive year, its position as the leading destination worldwide.

According to the latest European Travel Commission’s “European Tourism 2017-Trends & Prospects”, regional expansion was supported by the economic growth in major source markets and the recovery of destinations previously affected by security concerns. Almost all monitored destinations saw increases in tourist arrivals with more than a half growing in excess of 10%.

“The upturn in the global economy paves the way to reorient European and national policy to support the drivers of tourism growth, promote long-term sustainable development and be a more effective catalyst for job creation in Europe,” said Eduardo Santander, Executive Director of ETC.

Turkey (+28%) experienced an impressive rebound in visitor arrivals with growth largely driven by Russian outbound flows (+465.2%). Iceland (+24%), the fastest growing destination since 2012, showed robust results while its government considers measures to address “over tourism”.

Destinations in Southern/Mediterranean Europe Montenegro (+19%), Serbia (+18%) Malta (+16%), Slovenia and Cyprus (both +15%) also boosted growth and have proved their success in overcoming seasonality. Finland (+14%) enjoyed a solid increase fuelled by Chinese and Indian arrivals. Established summer destinations Croatia (+14%), Portugal (+12%) and Spain (+9%) also saw healthy growth. In Spain political tensions in Catalonia seem not have weighed down tourism demand while improved air connectivity continues to underpin Portugal’s strong performance.

Strengthening Economic Conditions in Key Source Markets Boost European Tourism Demand

Growth from the UK largely continued despite a weakened Pound with several destinations posting double-digit increases. France and Germany continued to be a source of notable arrivals growth for several European destinations aided by encouraging economic conditions that support private consumption.

Russian outbound travel has picked up following years of declines. All but one reporting destinations enjoyed a strong rebound in arrivals from this market. Despite some recent softening, a stronger US dollar and competitive air fares contributed to growth in tourist arrivals from the US, up +12% in 2017 compared to 2016. In China improved air connectivity and its expanding middle class continue to drive travel demand. In 2017, Europe saw a remarkable 16% increase from China, compared to the flat growth in 2016.

“As tourists, each of us can change the world if we act responsibly with regard to the places, the people and the cultures we visit. I feel part of this team and I support the World Tourism Organization in its efforts to ensure that tourism benefits everyone,” said Hierro upon accepting the distinction from UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

Fernando Hierro’s legacy is closely associated with Real Madrid, a team with which he played more than 600 matches. Over his career, he won five Spanish La Liga titles, five Spanish Super Cups, the Copa del Rey, three UEFA Champions League titles and two Intercontinental Cups, among others. As part of the national team of Spain, he played 89 matches and participated in the World Cup in 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002 and in the UEFA European Championship in 1996 and 2000. He is currently the sports director of the Royal Spanish Football Federation.

“Fernando is an exceptional athlete and an example of personal integrity, and as a friend of the UNWTO, he will help us promote the positive values and real benefits that tourism can represent,” said Zurab Pololikashvili.

Fernando Hierro thus joins Vicente del Bosque, the legendary Spanish football coach, who was named Ambassador for Responsible Tourism last 17 January during the annual UNWTO Awards for Tourism Innovation.

The Travel & Tourism sector is set to generate 2.4 million new jobs in Indonesia. This is according to new data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Travel & Tourism contributed 6.2% of Indonesia’s GDP, a total of 770 trillion rupiah. Jakarta itself contributes 41% of Indonesia’s Travel & Tourism.

Speaking at the Panorama Mega Conference in Jakarta, Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of WTTC said, “Travel & Tourism is an important contributor to Indonesia’s economy, accounting for over 6% of GDP. In addition, with foreign visitor spend contributing 220 trillion rupiah to the economy, Travel & Tourism accounted for over 55% of Indonesia’s service sector exports. I congratulate the government of President Widodo, in particular Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya, on their prioritisation of and commitment to our industry. Thanks to their support for the Travel & Tourism sector, 2.4m new jobs will be created.”

President Widodo has set an ambitious target to attract 20 million visitors in 2019, nearly double that of 2016. He also called for $20 billion in investment in the sector to support this rapid growth. In 2016 Indonesia granted visa free access to nationals of 169 countries, opening up the country to more foreign visitors.

Ms Guevara continued, “Indonesia is a prime example of a government which is taking the right approach to tourism development with strategic investment to support sustainable growth and policies which facilitate travel. There is work still to be done, and partnership between the public-sector authorities and private sector enterprises is vital for the ambitious target. WTTC is delighted to support Indonesia’s travel sector in this endeavour.”

Prior to the Conference, Ms Guevara held a private meeting with Minister Yahya, to discuss opportunities and priorities for Indonesia’s Travel & Tourism sector. She also commended the Minister on the government’s handling of the recent volcanic eruptions from Mount Agung in Bali.

Pemuteran Bay Coral Protection Foundation in Bali has been shortlisted for the WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Innovation Award, which will be presented at the upcoming 18th WTTC Global Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 18-19 April 2018.

BANGKOK, January 30, 2018 — The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is now accepting submissions for PATA Face of the Future 2018. The winner will receive complimentary round-trip economy class air ticket and accommodation to attend the Association’s Dinner and Awards Presentation during the PATA Annual Summit 2018 on May 18-21 in Gangneung, Korea (ROK). Deadline for submissions is March 9, 2018.

The winner will also be provided a speaking opportunity at the PATA Youth Symposium and the one-day conference during the PATA Annual Summit 2018 and will be invited to join the PATA Executive Board as a non-voting member and observer.

Other benefits include:

Recognition as the PATA Face of the Future 2018 including the use of a corresponding brand identity logo
Mentorship opportunity with PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy
Opportunities to speak at other PATA events or partner events on behalf of PATA
Global media exposure via PATA’s far-reaching communication channels
Opportunity to participate in PATA Committee meetings as an ‘Observer’. Join international discussions and grow your professional network in various sectors including Aviation/Carrier, Government/Destination, Hospitality, HCD, Industry Council and Sustainability
Build your profile as a mentor for the PATA Young Tourism Professional (YTP) Mentorship Programme to develop young tourism professional students in the region
Complimentary registration to one PATAcademy-HCD training of your choice (June or December 2018)
One blog post about your passion and journey to success 

PATA is a non-profit membership association dedicated to human capital development (HCD) across the broad spectrum of the travel and tourism industry. The primary focus of the Association’s HCD programme for 2018 is upon the development of the ‘Young Tourism Professional’ (YTP).

To highlight PATA’s commitment to HCD, the Association annually presents a special award and prize to an exceptional ‘rising star’ in the industry. All recipients of this prestigious award have exhibited initiative and leadership in the advancement of tourism as well as demonstrating commitment to the sustainable development of the Asia Pacific travel industry in line with PATA’s mission.

“I feel so honoured and humbled to have been recognised with the prestigious PATA Face of the Future 2017 award. This award is a recognition for my amazing team at Tripfez and Salam Standard who have put in tremendous effort in promoting the concept of inclusive travel focusing on localisation of our travel products for Muslim travellers,” said Faeez Fadhlillah, CEO and co-founder of Tripfez, Malaysia and PATA Face of the Future 2017. “Being recognised as the PATA Face of the Future opens up a whole new opportunity to connect with national tourism organisations, associations, hotels, and travel stakeholders to promote Muslim travel as an integral part of the hospitality industry and move towards culturally localised travel experiences.”

“The PATA Face of The Future recipient also has the opportunity to join the PATA Executive Board and be part of the dynamic team in deciding the future of the industry and association at large and be able to experience and see first-hand its operations. I think for young travel professionals, it opens a whole new world, not just in networking, but also in understanding first-hand how the travel industry works and to witness how important policies are made. It’s a great learning experience,” he added.

Dr Helena Lo, Director of Pousada de Mong-Há – the Educational Hotel of Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT), Macau SAR and PATA Face of the Future 2015 said, “It was truly an honour being PATA Face of the Future and being invited to join the prestigious PATA Executive Board for a one year term. I had the chance to join different PATA events during my term, which was a great opportunity to meet remarkable tourism leaders from various PATA destinations. I also met many other outstanding young tourism professionals, whom inspired me to continually think and better myself in order to keep pace with my counterparts. I also benefited from global media exposure via PATA’s far-reaching communication channels. If you would like to be the next PATA Face of the Future and be found on different search engines, ACT NOW!”

ELIGIBILITY

An individual is eligible to enter the 2018 PATA ‘Face of the Future’ Award if he or she is:

Aged 18-35 as of May 21, 2018
Working for a PATA member organisation in good-standing as of May 21, 2018
JUDGING CRITERIA

The judges will seek to identify an individual who has best:
Exhibited initiative and leadership in the implementation of local, regional and/or international tourism initiatives (including research projects)
Demonstrated commitment to the sustainable development of the Asia Pacific travel industry in a spirit compatible with PATA’s mission
JUDGING COMMITTEE
Faeez Fadhillah – PATA Face of the Future 2017 | CEO, Tripfez
Sarah Mathews – Chairperson, PATA | Head of Destination Marketing APAC, TripAdvisor
Dr. Mario Hardy – CEO, PATA
Parita Niemwongse – Director of Human Capital Development, PATA
JC Wong – Young Tourism Professional Ambassador, PATA
HOW TO ENTER
The candidate him/herself OR a third-party person may submit the nomination.
No entry form is required. Simply submit a nomination letter, along with the nominee’s full professional contact details and bio-data with photo (JPG format, 300 dpi resolution, maximum 500KB total file size), in soft copy only (DOC or PDF file; maximum three pages).
Submit a video (up to three minutes in length) detailing the nominee’s experiences to date and aspirations for the future of travel and tourism. Movie clips shot on smart phones or tablets are acceptable.
Please email the entry, clearly labelled ‘PATA Face of the Future 2018 Nomination’, to Parita Niemwongse at [email protected] by March 9, 2018.

The results will be notified to all entrants by March 16, 2018. Public announcement will be made by March 20, 2018.
For further information, please visit http://www.pata.org/face-of-the-future

The PATA Annual Summit 2018, generously hosted by the Korea Tourism Organization and Gangwon Province, brings together international thought leaders, industry shapers, and senior decision-makers who are professionally engaged with the Asia Pacific region, attracting 200-400 delegates from 30+ countries. The Summit serves both as the Association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) and as a global tourism forum for enhancing the sustainable growth, value and quality of travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region.

The 4-day programme consists of the association’s executive and advisory board meetings, annual general meeting, and the PATA Youth Symposium; and a one-day conference that addresses major issues relevant to the travel and tourism industry. In addition, PATA in partnership with the UNWTO will be holding a half-day PATA/UNWTO Leaders Debate. More information about the event can be found at www.PATA.org/pas.

Past winners of PATA Face of the Future

2017 Mr Faeez Fadhlillah, CEO and co-founder of Tripfez, Malaysia
2016 Mr Danny Ho, Executive Pastry Chef, Hotel ICON, Hong Kong SAR
2015 Dr Helena Lo, Director of Pousada de Mong-Há – the Educational Hotel of Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT), Macau SAR
2014 Ms Soulinnara Ratanavong, Teacher/Trainer at the Lao National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality (Lanith), Lao PDR
2013 Mr James Mabey, Senior Director of Development, Marco Polo Hotels, Hong Kong SAR
2012 Mr Justin Malcolm, General Manager, Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort, & Chairman of the PATA Chiang Rai Chapter, Thailand
2011 Ms Tavalea Nilon, Miss Samoa 2010, Samoa
2010 Mr Toney K Thomas, Programme Director & Senior Lecturer of the School of Tourism, Events & Recreation, Taylor’s University College, Malaysia
2009 Mr Andrew Nihopara, Marketing Manager, South Pacific Tourism Organisation, Fiji
2008 Mr Kenneth Low, Director Strategy – Asia Pacific, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Singapore
2007 Mr Tran Trong Kien, CEO, Buffalo Tours, Vietnam
2006 Mr Shikher Prasai, Managing Director, Natraj Tours & Travels, Nepal
2005 Ms Sally Hollis, Manager, Tourism Council of Western Australia, Australia
2004 Ms Silvia Sitou, Head of the Research & Planning Department, Macau Government Tourist Office, Macau SAR
2003 Mr Vivek Sharma, Sales & Marketing Manager – Eastern USA, SITA World Tours, United States
2002 Mr Mayur (Mac) Patel, Founder, eTravelConsult.com, Australia

Note: All stated positions are as of year obtaining their award.

Nearly 30 African Tourism ministers convened at INVESTOUR to debate and exchange experiences on the development of the sector in the continent. This unique Tourism Investment and Business Forum for Africa is jointly organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Casa Africa and FITUR.

Two round tables and a business-to-business component integrates the 9th edition of INVESTOUR that took place in the framework of FITUR, the Tourism Fair in Madrid. The first session, moderated by Thebe Ikalafeng, Chairman at Brand Africa, addressed branding strategies to position the African continent in the travel market.

“International tourist arrivals in Africa grew by around 8% for the second consecutive year with 62 million arrivals registered for 2017. These strong results that show the potential of tourism in Africa but also the prioritization of the sector in the development agenda in the continent,” said UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili.

“INVESTOUR has become a consolidated platform for sharing ideas and projects around the tourism sector in Africa. We started as a small summit and nine years later, nearly 30 African tourism ministers convene here to position the African continent, a topic that will occupy the debates in this year’s edition,” explained Luis Padrón, Director General of Casa Africa.

The second panel evaluated the added value of African biodiversity as a strong component of the tourism sector in the continent. Wildlife, reserves and geographic treasures make Africa unique with regard to its tourism offer. According to UNWTO research, wildlife watching travel represents 80% of the total annual tourist arrivals to Africa. However, it is mandatory to continue working on conservation and protection measures and to engage stakeholders of different nature such as governments, local communities, private sector recipients and the media.

Within that round table, the UNWTO/Chimelong Programme on Wildlife Conservation and Tourism was presented. The initiative, jointly implemented by UNWTO and the Chimelong Group, based in Guandong (China), aims at contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda through sustainable tourism and particularly wildlife conservation. The initiative comprises capacity building, advocacy and knowledge sharing methodologies and addresses multiple stakeholders such as governments, civil society and the media.

In the afternoon, tourism stakeholders gathered to discuss business opportunities in the continent. 15 inspiring projects were shared with the aim to build partnerships around tourism development in African nations.

Speaking to the press at that Investour 2018, Elsia Grandcourt, Head of the Africa Commission at the UNWTO said:- “One of the greatest challenges we face, together, is how the world views Africa. We are all aware of the negative stereotypes and perceptions that our continent sadly is much too often referred to”.

Elsia Grandcourt went on to say that there are many forces of influence that work against Africa and together we often blame the media for reinforcing a negative narrative. “The fact remains, however, that we must work towards redefining and shifting the narrative. We must tell our story, as individual African nations, and as one Africa. This is one of the priorities for the Commission for Africa”. Elsia Grandcourt, the Head of the Africa Commission at the UNWTO said.

The Community of Madrid stand will bring the main players in the sector together to find out what the only Spanish trade fair with a commitment to sustainability, the climate and nature has to offer

The Nature, Climate and Sustainable Tourism Fair presents its main courses of action in the area of corporate social responsibility

Madrid.- 18 January 2018.- EXPOTURAL, the Nature, Climate and Sustainable Tourism Fair, was introduced to the main players in the tourism sector at the Community of Madrid stand at FITUR. Carlos González, Sales Director of IFEMA; Stephan Labarrieri, CEO of Abeo; José Manuel Vilanova, promoter of Expotural, and Alfonso Polvorinos, Technical Director of Expotural, explained the key aspects of this event, which has returned to Madrid reinvigorated, with a clear international ambition and a programme of events and content that make it the biggest forum in terms of experience and knowledge about the environment.

The fair, which is organised by IFEMA, will be held from 1 to 4 November 2018. It will present its main courses of action in the area of corporate social responsibility, as it is the only fair in Spain that is firmly committed to sustainability, climate and nature in three ways:

– By making a direct financial contribution to a reforestation project (directly benefiting biodiversity conservation and indirectly benefiting the climate), which will come from a percentage of the entry fee.

– By contributing to fighting climate change and promoting sustainability. The aim is to be a carbon-neutral fair by offsetting the carbon generated during the fair through carbon offsets or credits (Kyoto Protocol CERs)

– By taking part in the 2018 events of the international association “Respect The Mountains”, an international project of the UIAA (International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation), which will take place all over the world throughout the year. The UIAA will include Expotural among its 2018 events.

In the first edition of this new era, EXPOTURAL, which will be held on 1-4 November 2018, will feature more than 10,000 square metres of exhibition space dedicated to rural, nature and adventure tourism, and a richly varied national and international selection of mountain destinations around the world.

The new project will therefore include a broad cross-section of mountain sports, natural spaces, protected national parks, ornithological tourism, climbing as a new Olympic sport and adventure sports, segments that will also be extensively developed in the programme of lectures that will accompany the professional and commercial activity of EXPOTURAL.

The major milestones of this edition include, firstly, the organisation, for the first time at a trade fair, of the final stage of the Spanish Lead Climbing Cup, arranged by Entre-Prises and ABEO, for which a large xxx-metre-high rockodrome, representing Mount Everest, will tower over the centre of the fair.
Secondly, in the area of information and knowledge, for the first time in Spain, the 1st Congress on Ornithological Tourism will be held, a meeting underpinned by Spain’s having 10 natural spaces for birding, with almost 600 SPAs and 450 nomadic and migratory species, in addition to the first Madrid Conference on Sustainable Tourism and Climate Change.

There will be a series of one-day events that will also address active tourism and adventure sports, involving companies dedicated to rafting, trekking, hiking and other activities related to active tourism and nature-based tourism.

These events will also feature companies, entities and participating institutions, so they can present their own projects and experiences based around two major thematic areas: “National Parks and Protected Natural Areas”, a key element in a country like Spain that has the largest natural protected area in​the European Union, and “Mountains and their Ecosystems”, which will act as the focal points of the fair.

A final theme will be rural gastronomy as an important distinguishing feature of rural tourism, with talks on the Mediterranean diet and the main types of rural gastronomy from the different autonomous communities that will have a presence at the fair.

This intense and attractive programme is open to the citizens of Madrid who are interested in learning about and enjoying nature and mountain tourism – always with the common denominator of the impact of climate change and from the perspective of responsibility for the protection of the environment.

In Spain today, tourism is one of the economic sectors with the most relevance and weight in GDP and job creation. Caring for the natural surroundings is therefore a very important factor of the tourism products on offer in this country, as any change in the conditions of these spaces could have a very significant impact on the future of nature tourism.

Skål Andorra, member of Skål International, will host the forthcoming Congress of Skål Spain, which will take place from May 10-17, 2018.

Founded in 1934, Skål International is the leading organization of tourism professionals with over 15,000 members around the world. It is the only that unites travel executives from all sectors of the tourism industry, who meet to discuss topics of common interest and do business.

The Skål Spain Congress in Andorra will bring together a large group of entrepreneurs from the Spanish tourism sector but at the same time will receive visits from delegations from the rest of the world.

This Congress will brand Andorra with another fantastic opportunity to show that the country is an ideal venue for international congresses, an activity encompassed in the growing MICE segment.

The Capital City, Andorra la Vella, and Andorra Turisme are the main sponsors and the company My World of Experiences is the DMC in charge of execution, together with the Congress Committee of the Andorran Skål Club, supervised by the Board.

The Congress will include B2B networking sessions and knowledge sharing, and will also offer the participants the possibility to enjoy post congress activities to discover the best of Andorra and become recommenders of Andorra as business and leisure destination.

The official presentation will take place at FITUR on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at 13.00 hours in the Press Room, Pavillion 10, followed by a cocktail at the Skål stand 10B61.

International tourist arrivals grew by a remarkable 7% in 2017 to reach a total of 1,322 million, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. This strong momentum is expected to continue in 2018 at a rate of 4%-5%.

Based on data reported by destinations around the world, it is estimated that international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) worldwide increased 7% in 2017. This is well above the sustained and consistent trend of 4% or higher growth since 2010 and represents the strongest results in seven years.

Led by Mediterranean destinations, Europe recorded extraordinary results for such a large and rather mature region, with 8% more international arrivals than in 2016. Africa consolidated its 2016 rebound with an 8% increase. Asia and the Pacific recorded 6% growth, the Middle East 5% and the Americas 3%.

2017 was characterised by sustained growth in many destinations and a firm recovery in those that suffered decreases in previous years. Results were partly shaped by the global economic upswing and the robust outbound demand from many traditional and emerging source markets, particularly a rebound in tourism spending from Brazil and the Russian Federation after a few years of declines.

“International travel continues to grow strongly, consolidating the tourism sector as a key driver in economic development. As the third export sector in the world, tourism is essential for job creation and the prosperity of communities around the world.” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. “Yet as we continue to grow we must work closer together to ensure this growth benefits every member of every host community, and is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals”.

Growth expected to continue in 2018

The current strong momentum is expected to continue in 2018, though at a more sustainable pace after eight years of steady expansion following the 2009 economic and financial crisis. Based on current trends, economic prospects and the outlook by the UNWTO Panel of Experts, UNWTO projects international tourist arrivals worldwide to grow at a rate of 4%-5% in 2018. This is somewhat above the 3.8% average increase projected for the period 2010-2020 by UNWTO in its Tourism Towards 2030 long-term forecast. Europe and the Americas are both expected to grow by 3.5%-4.5%, Asia and the Pacific by 5%-6%, Africa by 5%-7% and the Middle East by 4%-6%.

2017 results by UNWTO region

International tourist arrivals in Europe reached 671 million in 2017, a remarkable 8% increase following a comparatively weaker 2016. Growth was driven by the extraordinary results in Southern and Mediterranean Europe (+13%). Western Europe (+7%), Northern Europe and Central and Eastern Europe (both +5%) also recorded robust growth.

Asia and the Pacific (+6%) recorded 324 million international tourist arrivals in 2017. Arrivals in South Asia grew 10%, in South-East Asia 8% and in Oceania 7%. Arrivals to North-East Asia increased by 3%.

The Americas (+3%) welcomed 207 million international tourist arrivals in 2017, with most destinations enjoying positive results. South America (+7%) led growth, followed by Central America and the Caribbean (both +4%), with the latter showing clear signs of recovery in the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria. In North America (+2%), robust results in Mexico and Canada contrasted with a decrease in the United States, the region’s largest destination.

Based on available data for Africa, growth in 2017 is estimated at 8%. The region consolidated its 2016 rebound and reached a record 62 million international arrivals. North Africa enjoyed a strong recovery with arrivals growing by 13%, while in Sub-Saharan Africa arrivals increased by 5%.

The Middle East (+5%) received 58 million international tourist arrivals in 2017 with sustained growth in some destinations and a strong recovery in others.

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (11 Jan 2018) Record-breaking arrivals for 2017 in both air and cruise visitation represent the best year of recorded statistical data for the Cayman Islands. A total of 418,403 stayover visitors, an increase of 8.55 percent over 2016 and 1,728,444 cruisers visited the islands.

For the seventh consecutive month (June through December), air arrivals surpassed all previously recorded statistics. A total of 49,003 stayover visitors arrived in December, an increase of 21.61 percent over December 2016; and an increase of 20.8 percent over December 2014, which was standing as the best ranked December in recorded history.

December increases were fuelled by growth predominantly in North America. Key markets such as the United States and Canada, which saw increases of 27.43 percent and 22.71 percent respectively over 2016; represented the highest standout growth. The USA Northeast region delivered an additional 2,997 visitors, or 28.89 percent increase year over year, making it the top performing region of 2017. The Midwest region anchored solid volume levels with 2,325 additional visitors, or a 37.81 percent increase over 2016.

Commenting on this achievement, Deputy Premier and Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Moses Kirkconnell said, “The performance of the country’s tourism sector and all who played a role in attracting more visitors to the destination should be extraordinarily proud of their efforts. It is the mandate of the Ministry of Tourism to facilitate annual growth in visitation; however, it is a collective effort that makes it a success. I encourage all of us in the tourism industry and its auxiliary partners to use this accomplishment as a springboard for even greater success in 2018.”

Overall annual performance in 2017, marked visitation from the United States and Canada with growth rates of 13.44 percent and 6.37 percent respectively. The Northeast region of the United States saw the largest increase in visitation for the year with 15, 042 more visitors, or 15.71 percent increase over 2016. The Midwest grew by 16.91 percent in 2017, presenting the second largest increase in 2017 by any region; while the Southeast region increased by 13,036 visitors, or 26.94 percent increase over 2016, surpassing the Southwest as the region producing the third highest number of stayover visitors. Growth in this region was driven by Miami-Ft. Lauderdale which saw 4,057 additional visitors, as well as Tampa-St. Pete, Orlando, Daytona Beach and Melbourne areas. The Southwest region grew by 12.75 percent in 2017 with Dallas-Ft. Worth posting 2,060 additional visitors and Austin and Denver posting 1,181 and 1,179 additional visitors respectively.

The statistics for 2017 reflect incremental growth in not just key markets, but also burgeoning markets such as Latin America, which saw a total increase of 22.61 percent. Specifically, South America increased by 8.92 percent, whilst Central America increased by 5.64 percent

Reflecting on a successful year in 2017, the Department of Tourism (DOT) executed a visually arresting and diversified marketing plan to increase brand awareness globally. The year saw the implementation of key initiatives such as the “Worry Free Hurricane Guarantee.” Launched on 1 June, the guarantee gave travelers peace of mind during one of the most active hurricane seasons for the Caribbean region to date. In addition, on 4 June the DOT proudly celebrated the start of Southwest Airlines’ daily nonstop service from Fort Lauderdale to Grand Cayman.

Through a partnership with Chef’d, the only non-subscription, fresh ingredient meal kit delivery service based in the United States, the DOT in June launched the first-ever destination inspired meal kits, curated by some of the most talented Cayman Islands’ chefs. Foodies had the opportunity to bring a taste of the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean into their homes with the touch of a button.

In July, the DOT launched Cayman Vows magazine – the first-ever definitive resource for couples and wedding planners looking for inspiration and guidance on world-class destination weddings in the Cayman Islands. Available online and across newsstands in the United States and Canada, the publication featured Grace and Trai Byers on the cover, who later became the face of the Cayman Islands’ destination ad campaign launched in October.

“Through strategic marketing initiatives from the Department of Tourism and strong, cohesive relationships with our tourism partners, together we have been able to achieve unprecedented growth in arrivals to the Cayman Islands in 2017,” said Director of Tourism, Mrs. Rosa Harris. “I am pleased to see that our efforts to diversify the Cayman Islands source markets such as Latin America coupled with our global teams’ drive to be fearless innovators in destination marketing have taken visitation volume to its highest levels the destination has experienced. I look forward to working with my team and our tourism community to continue to attract quality visitors and offer an enriched experience with the goal of providing value through annual growth in 2018.”

Looking ahead to 2018, the Cayman Islands will also be celebrating a major aviation milestone as the national flag carrier, Cayman Airways celebrates its 50th anniversary. In addition to the recent announcement of Southwest Airlines service from Houston, Texas, the destination will see further air service commence this fall with the launch of Jetblue service from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Grand Cayman.

“Aviation is the catalyst to driving visitation. With increased seats available, travellers have more opportunities to select their preferred airline itinerary. The Cayman Islands will offer over 10 non-stop flight options, this is an excellent opening to 2018 for all stakeholders in the Cayman Islands tourism industry.”