12.5% reduction in stayover arrivals first 5 months of 2025

by Linda Straker

• In first 3 months of 2024, Grenada was not yet faced with economic high tension and uncertainty
• Decline of Caribbean stayover arrivals by 16.6%; Grenada recorded 12.5% drop
• Stayover arrivals from all major markets showed significant reduction

Grenada recorded a 12.5% drop in stayover arrivals for the first 5 months of 2025. A government official is hopeful that activities in the second half of 2025, such as carnival and the upcoming winter season, will reflect an overall improvement by 31 December 2025.

Ciera Duncan, a Policy Analyst in the Ministry of Finance, who presented a report on the economy’s performance, said the data gathered by the ministry showed a significant reduction in stayover arrivals from all major markets.

“What we see is that there were tremendous declines in the first 5 months of the year. We have seen a decline in records from advanced economies. If we look at the United States, Europe and Canada, you will see they have the highest decline,” Duncan said, addressing the St Patrick Budget Consultation last Monday. “This has resulted in an overall 12.5% decline in overall stayover arrivals as compared to the first 5 months of 2024,” describing Caribbean stayover arrivals as “a bit disheartening.”

“There has also been a decline of Caribbean stayover arrivals by 16.6% and when we had consultations with stakeholders in the tourism sector, they were explaining to us that there are many factors that can cause this,” Duncan told the consultation. “And one of these is that there is such a high airlift cost; that as well as there are limited direct flights between Caribbean islands. These are things that are faced within the tourism sector as well as the international developments that are happening right now.”

A review of the data for the first 3 months of 2024 and 2025 shows a high difference, Duncan said, because of the economic conditions that Grenada had in 2024. “The fact is, this time last year we were not we were not faced with this high tension and uncertainty within the economy as well as we were not struck with Hurricane Beryl as yet as well, and we had the 50th Independence celebrations as well as CARIFTA games,” she said.