The Caribbean continues to shine as a leading winter destination, with travel peaking from December to March and reinforcing its seasonal appeal while supporting year-round strategies. Central America also shows solid momentum, with passenger demand up 3.1% year-on-year (July 2024–June 2025), underscoring the region’s growing appeal and ongoing recovery.
These insights are featured in Travel Insights 2025: Focus on the Americas, a report published by Amadeus in collaboration with UN Tourism, drawing on data from Amadeus Navigator360™.
“At UN Tourism, we are committed to helping destinations in Central America and the Caribbean use strategic data to strengthen planning. In a region where travel patterns are evolving quickly, timely insights are essential to support smarter decisions, unlock new demand, and build more resilient and sustainable tourism strategies.”
Zurab Pololikashvili Secretary-General, UN Tourism
Latin America drives Caribbean growth, and China shows remarkable interest in Central America
Peru (+15%), Argentina (+15%), and Puerto Rico (+9%) lead travel growth to the Caribbean, while search interest surged in China (+427%), Mexico (+47%), and Peru (+46%). However, markets such as China and Costa Rica showed high search volumes without matching bookings—highlighting untapped potential. Destination management organizations (DMOs) can close this gap through targeted visibility, airline partnerships, and localized content.
In Central America, the U.S. remains the top market, though bookings dropped 7% YoY, suggesting evolving traveler behavior. China showed a +413% increase in searches, signaling long-term opportunity.
Top destinations hold, new ones rise
The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico continue to lead in both searches and bookings, supported by strong brand appeal and connectivity. Jamaica, Bahamas, and Cuba remain popular but saw slight booking declines, suggesting room for conversion-focused strategies.
Secondary Caribbean markets like Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Trinidad & Tobago are held steady, while Saint Vincent, Saint Kitts, and Saint Croix show the highest YoY booking growth among the top 30 destinations.
In Central America, Costa Rica leads in both searches and bookings, with El Salvador rising to second in search volume. San Salvador (+31%), Liberia (+28%) and Guatemala City (+27%) gained visibility as the fastest-growing searched destinations with the highest growth, while nature-focused places such as Quepos (+278%), Drake Bay (+241%), and Puerto Jimenez (+120%) are booming destinations showing the highest growth in bookings.
Connectivity and hotel trends support strategic growth
The Caribbean added 177 new air routes, led by the U.S. with 44, reinforcing its role as the region’s top origin market. New connections highlight Puerto Rico’s growing role as a regional hub, while the Dominican Republic appears in over 30% of top new international routes by seat capacity.
Hotel occupancy exceeded 80% in Aruba and Puerto Rico during Q1 2025, validating early-year campaigns. Bahamas and Dominican Republic follow different seasonal patterns, offering opportunities for staggered promotions.
Average daily rates (ADR) peaked during the high-demand winter months, with the Bahamas exceeding $600 and most Caribbean markets holding above $300. Puerto Rico and Aruba offer value-based pricing, which balances accessibility for a broader range of travelers with premium potential.
In Central America, Costa Rica leads with ADRs nearing $400 USD in December, likely driven by high-end tourism and holiday demand during the holiday period. Other markets like Panama, Guatemala, and El Salvador remained under $150 USD, appealing to price-sensitive travelers.
“This report brings together forward‑looking intelligence on traveler trends across Central America and the Caribbean. These insights help destinations anticipate demand, adapt campaigns, and uncover new growth opportunities”
Sergio Rosarios Regional Vice President, Latin America & Caribbean, Amadeus
Amadeus and UN Tourism reaffirm their commitment to supporting destinations with actionable insights and strategic guidance to foster a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable travel future.
Download the full report here.
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