Caribbean Tourism 2026: Hotel Occupancy at 73%, More Winter Flights, and Where Sint Maarten Stands

Caribbean tourism in 2026 is running ahead of forecast. Hotel occupancy across the region averaged 73.4% from January to July, up 5.4% on last year, with average rates near $394 a night, according to STR data reported by Caribbean Journal. The Caribbean Tourism Organization had projected only 3 to 4% growth in stayover arrivals this year. Sint Maarten's first-half air arrivals grew faster than most of the region.

The numbers

The regional baseline (CTO, released April 2, 2026)

• 2025: about 35 million stayover arrivals (+2.5%) and 35.5 million cruise visits (+5.2%).

• 2025 hotel occupancy 63.7%, down from 65% in 2024; average daily rate $350.37 (+2.1%).

• 2026 forecast: stayovers +3 to 4%, cruise +5 to 7% (CTO statistics).

Hotels in 2026 (STR, January to July, reported August 18)

• Occupancy 73.4% (+5.4%), average daily rate $393.50 (+5.3%), revenue per available room $288.90 (+11%).

• March peaked at 80.5%. Room supply was lower than a year earlier in every month, by 10% in July.

Destination results

• Dominican Republic: 8,556,415 visitors from January to August (+6.9%), of which 6,610,258 by air and 1,946,151 by cruise (Ministry of Tourism via Dominican Today).

• Turks and Caicos: 384,590 stayovers in the first half (+6%), while Grand Turk cruise traffic fell 16% (Ministry of Tourism, July 21).

• Anguilla: 81,907 stayovers in the first half (+19.9%), a record in every month from January to June (Caribbean Journal, September 25).

• Jamaica: 2.34 million visitors and US$2.5 billion in revenue through August 31, with about 30% of hotel rooms still closed after Hurricane Melissa in October 2025 (Caribbean Journal, September 11).

• Cruise: The Bahamas remained the largest cruise destination in CTO's first-quarter data with 3,314,627 passengers; the US Virgin Islands (+68%) and Puerto Rico (+51.6%) grew fastest (Caribbean Journal, July 31).

Airlift for winter 2026–27

• American Airlines from Miami: up to eight daily flights to San Juan, six to Tortola, four to St. Thomas, three daily to Exuma and two to St. Kitts from December 17 to April 5 (Caribbean Journal, September 10).

• WestJet: Latin America and Caribbean capacity up 12% year over year this winter (Caribbean Journal, August 19).

• BermudAir: six new routes to Providenciales from October 26 and through December (Caribbean Journal, June 13).

Where Sint Maarten sits

Sint Maarten recorded 566,722 air arrivals in the first half of 2026, up 21.4%, and 993,649 cruise passengers, up 13.9%, according to the Department of Statistics (STAT). That air growth outpaces Turks and Caicos and the Dominican Republic, though part of the comparison with earlier years reflects improved arrival counting introduced by Immigration in late 2024. We covered the island detail in our first-half tourism report.

The island's last big airlift gain came with the 2025–26 season: JetBlue from Fort Lauderdale, American and United from Chicago, and Southwest from Orlando and Baltimore. Contour Airlines adds a twice-weekly St. Thomas service from October 5, 2026, on 30-seat jets, according to the airport. We have not seen a major new US gateway announced for Sint Maarten this winter; the big frequency gains in the region are going to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos.

Why it matters

Three regional trends support owners who rent.

Demand is up while room supply is down. STR's data shows fewer hotel rooms available than last year in every month of 2026, and Jamaica alone still has about 30% of its rooms closed. That tends to push guests toward villas and condos and supports nightly rates.

Rates are holding, not only occupancy. Average daily rates rose about 5% in the first seven months. That matters more for owners' net income than a few points of occupancy.

The growth is not uniform. Cruise-heavy Grand Turk fell while luxury stayover destinations grew. Islands that depend on air visitors staying several nights, as Sint Maarten's rental market does, are on the right side of that split.

Our read

The Caribbean is having a stronger year than the forecasters expected, and Sint Maarten is among the faster-growing air markets. We would be careful about one thing: part of 2026's regional strength comes from temporary factors, including Jamaica's missing rooms and Canadian travelers redirected from Cuba after airlines suspended service there in February, as Caribbean Journal reported in April. Owners should price this winter on current bookings rather than on headline growth.

The airlift gap is worth watching. Competitors are adding daily frequencies from Miami and new routes from the US Northeast; Sint Maarten's next step is keeping its new routes full so airlines extend them. For owners, a well-run rental in the right location is still the best hedge. If you want an honest estimate for this season, talk to our rental management team.

Sources: Caribbean Tourism Organization (April 2, 2026); STR via Caribbean Journal (August 18, 2026); Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism via Dominican Today (September 2026); Turks and Caicos Ministry of Tourism via Newsline TCI (July 21, 2026); Caribbean Journal (June 13, July 31, August 19, September 10, 11 and 25, 2026); STAT Sint Maarten via SMN News (2026); Princess Juliana International Airport (September 2026).

Ready to look at what is on the market? Browse our condos for sale in Sint Maarten and villas for sale in Sint Maarten, or see every property for sale.