Anguilla celebrates record-breaking arrivals

THE VALLEY, ANGUILLA – Anguilla is celebrating a record-breaking surge in visitor arrivals. In December 2024, Anguilla welcomed 23,871 visitors, reflecting a 24.5% increase from the 19,178 arrivals recorded in December 2023. This figure represents the highest number of December arrivals since 1993.

In 2024, visitor arrivals for March and December marked Anguilla’s best-performing months, mirroring the strong performance seen in 2019. Additionally, June and October marked Anguilla’s best-performing months over the previous year’s visitor arrivals. The northeastern United States remains the island’s top source market, reflecting consistency and sustained interest from U.S. travelers. Meanwhile, emerging markets such as Canada and Latin America are displaying notable growth, underscoring Anguilla’s expanding appeal to visitors from a broader range of international regions.

Anguilla’s Director of Tourism, Stacey Liburd, highlighted that this milestone strengthens the island’s reputation as a leading travel destination. “These impressive figures showcase Anguilla’s growing appeal to travellers, confirming our status as a preferred choice in the Caribbean, particularly within the luxury sector. This accomplishment is the result of strategic collaborations with our public and private stakeholders, along with regional partners, as well as the Anguilla Tourist Board’s (ATB) successful marketing efforts. Furthermore, Anguilla’s distinctive charm, pristine beaches, excellent dive sites, exceptional cuisine, and authentic experiences continue to captivate visitors.” 

The Deputy Director, Mrs. Chantelle Richardson, expressed her agreement with Director Liburd and noted that, “as we near the end of the first quarter of 2025, we are optimistic that this positive trend in visitor arrivals will persist. Our marketing efforts will prioritize enhancing the Anguillian experience by showcasing our vibrant array of cultural events. We remain committed to welcoming travellers from our established markets in the USA, Canada, and the UK, while simultaneously exploring new markets to invite potential visitors to experience Anguilla’s unparalleled beauty and hospitality.”

This figure 23,871 marks the highest number of December arrivals recorded between 1993 and 2024. The second and third-highest December totals were recorded in 2014 (20,961) and 2023 (19,178), respectively. An increase in stay-over tourists and excursionists drove the growth in visitor arrivals for December 2024. Notably, 99.3% of visitors arrived for vacation, while the remaining 0.7% traveled for business.

A review of the source markets for December 2024, from which the 13,205 tourists visiting Anguilla originated, showed that seven source markets registered increases over their corresponding figures from 2023. Anguilla’s primary source market, the USA, accounted for the majority, 70.6% (9,317) of the tourist arrivals, representing an increase of 14.3% compared to the December 2023 figure. The Canadian and Caribbean markets followed with shares of 6.8% (896) and 4.8% (636) of the tourist market, respectively.

The article Anguilla celebrates record-breaking arrivals first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.