Sun-seeking Americans flock to the Caribbean at pre-recession levels
Photo Credit: Tourists tan at Great Bay Beach on the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean. Flickr / Richie Diesterheft
Skift Take
A series of major storms and stringent work schedules has made the Caribbean the ideal location for Americans looking for warm weekend getaways that are no more than a few hours' flight away.
The number of people traveling to the Caribbean is bouncing back to pre-recession levels, with visitors from Canada and the U.S. giving a boost to a region struggling to recover from a global economic crisis, a top tourism official said Wednesday.
About 25 million tourists visited the Caribbean last year, a more than 5 percent increase from 2011. It's a growth rate that outpaced the rest of the world, which saw arrivals increase by 4 percent, said Beverly Nicholson-Doty, chairwoman of the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization.
"All the signs suggest Caribbean tourism is rallying," said Nicholson-Doty. "The region as a whole has regained ground lost in the heat of the global economic depression."
The Caribbean also saw its largest number
