FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — The Caribbean tourism industry has shown extraordinary resilience in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, with data revealing a rapid rebound in travel bookings, Caribbean Hotel and Tourist Association said Friday.

“Despite the initial impact of the storm, which made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in the Grenadines on July 1, the region has experienced a remarkable turnaround, driven particularly by its largest market, the United States,” the organisation said in a press statement.

According to the CHTA, comprehensive air travel data from ForwardKeys, analysed in collaboration with the association, “reveals a swift rebound in tourism, most notably from the United States. While analysis of data is ongoing with results to be shared in a future report, the overall trend shows the Caribbean’s impressive ability to recover and adapt”.

Acknowledging that there was a short-term decline in regional bookings in the wake of Beryl, CHTA said analysis of air tickets issued between June 30 and July 23 showed a modest two per cent drop compared to the same period in 2023.

“Destinations which were in the storm’s direct path saw more pronounced falls, such as Grenada with a 14 per cent decline and Jamaica with a 24 per cent drop. Notably, the period leading up to the hurricane saw a nine per cent increase in bookings across the Caribbean, demonstrating strong pre-storm travel interest. During that period, Jamaica recorded a five per cent increase while Grenada recorded an impressive 26 per cent rise,” CHTA disclosed.

“The swift rebound in bookings from the US, our largest source market, underscores our region’s enduring appeal. This rapid recovery not only highlights our industry’s resilience and strength but also reaffirms our unwavering commitment to overcoming challenges,” remarked Nicola Madden-Greig, president of CHTA.

The association said that the US, which is the largest source market for the Caribbean, had shown encouraging signs of a swift recovery. Starting from July 9, 2024, ticket sales from the US to the Caribbean had returned to year-on-year growth, marking a faster recovery compared to the overall average.

This was particularly significant given that the US initially saw a decline of 36 per cent immediately after the hurricane, highlighting the resilience and ongoing appeal of the region.

Grenada, one of the islands directly impacted by the storm, had shown a remarkable recovery.

“Although intra-Caribbean ticket sales fell 23 per cent and bookings were down 18 per cent from key US markets — such as Boston (-19 per cent), Miami (-18 per cent) and New York (-15 per cent), Grenada’s market has quickly bounced back to near-normal levels.

“Booking patterns have shifted, with last-minute trips to Grenada from the US in July seeing a 51 per cent increase in cancellations due to the hurricane disruption. However, cancellations for trips from August onwards were less impacted, rising by six per cent.

“The dramatic rebound is particularly significant given the initial challenges, with key segments like business and visiting friends and relatives (VFR) showing notable growth of 57 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively, since July 2,” CHTA said.

It added that bookings to Jamaica from elsewhere in the Caribbean have followed a similar pattern as Grenada and the region as a whole, with a swift recovery to 2023 levels, suggesting that the initial hurricane impact was short-lived and traveller confidence was restored “within a matter of days”.

Olivier Ponti, director of intelligence and marketing at ForwardKeys, commented: “ForwardKeys’ comprehensive travel intelligence clearly shows the significant short-term impact that Hurricane Beryl had on travel to the Caribbean, particularly to those islands in the direct path of the storm.

“However, the speed of the recovery is a highly encouraging sign of the resilience of the region’s tourism economy. The US market, which is so critical for the Caribbean, is leading the way, while segments such as group travel and VFR are rebounding more strongly as humanitarian and essential travel pick up pace. “While the impact of Hurricane Beryl was felt directly in the affected destinations — St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, and south coast of Jamaica — as well as indirectly in other islands in the region —it’s crucial to remember that the Caribbean is vast. While travel to affected areas temporarily decreased, numerous destinations untouched by the storm remain fully operational and open for business,” said Ponti.

Beachfront view of Sandals Negril resort.