Tourism
Tourism
Visitor Arrivals Cruise performance continues to have a positive impact on visitor arrivals to the destination especially when cruise ships are calling during the slow months (May to September). This was evident in the month of September 2009, when visitor arrivals to Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique recorded a total 9,100, a significant increase of 56.14% compared to 5,828 for the same month in 2008. Contributing to such a huge increase was cruise arrivals which recorded a total of 3,409 for 2009 compared to no cruise passengers for the same month in 2008. Stayover Arrivals for the month accounted for 63%, whilst the Cruise ship passenger arrivals represented 37%. Similarly, for the nine months of the year, visitor arrivals grew by 11.81% representing a total of 33,486 in real terms. Total visitor arrivals recorded for the period January to September, 2009 was 316,995 compared to 283,509 for the corresponding period in 2008. Cruise arrivals accounted for 72% representing 229,415 cruise passengers whilst stayover arrivals accounted for 28% with a total of 87,580. Arrivals by Sea Cruise Arrivals For the month of September 2009, a total of 3,408 cruise passenger arrivals were recorded from a total of four (4) calls. For the nine months of the year, cruise passengers recorded a total of 229,415 in comparison to 181,162 for the corresponding period in 2008, an increase of 26.64% representing a total of 48,253 in real terms. Similarly, cruise calls grew by 20.28% with a total of 172 as against 143 for the same period in 2008. Stayover Arrivals For the month of September 2009, stayover arrivals declined by 2.35% with a total of 5,691 in comparison to 5,828 for the same month in 2008. Stayover arrivals for the nine months of the year declined by 14.43% representing a total of 14,767 in real terms moving from 102,347 in 2008 to 87,580 in 2009. USA Since the introduction of the American Airlines flight, the US market was able to perform positively notwithstanding the recession and the decline of US arrivals to other destinations. For instance, American Airlines brought a total of 8,753 visitors representing 36% of all US visitors including Grenadians Residing Abroad to the destination for the period January to September, 2009. Consequently, stayover arrivals from the US market for the month of September 2009 grew by 5.59% with a total of 925 compared to 876 for the same month in 2008. The market share recorded for the month was 16.25% with US arrivals staying for an average length of stay of 6.99 nights compared to 7.69 nights for the same month in 2008. For the nine months of the year, US stayover arrivals recorded little or no movement with a total of 21,053 when compared to 20,970 for the same period in 2008. The major contributing States were New York (5,369, a decline of 12.76%) in the North East, Florida (2,193, an increase of 5.38%) in the South, California (2,087, 24.45% increase) on the West Coast. Other States contributing significantly were New Jersey (1,387, an increase of 2.66%) and Texas (1,065, an increase of 20.20%). Cumulatively, arrivals from the US market recorded a 24% market share and stayed for an average of 8.49 nights compared to 8.93 nights in 2008. CANADA The Canadian market declined by 3.87% with a total of 174 in comparison to 181 for the same month in 2008. Stayover arrivals from the Canadian market stayed for an average of 7.40 nights compared to 7.36 nights in 2008. For the nine months of 2009, the Canadian market recorded a total of 5,575 in stayover arrivals; 24 arrivals less than last year’s total of 5,599 with 74.49% (4,153) of the overall total coming from Ontario, an increase of 8%. Canadian arrivals stayed for an average of 7.40 nights for the nine months in 2009 compared to 11.06 nights for the same period in 2008. EUROPE United Kingdom Stayover arrivals from the UK market are on a spiral descent since the recession and have plummeted to an all time low. For the months, January to August, declines were recorded in the double digits the lowest being 12.52% in the month of January, 2009. Those sharp declines can be attributed to the absence of the two flights from Excel which operated during the same period in 2008, which were curtailed in September, 2008. However, for the period January to September, 2009 two of the major UK airlines – British Airways and Virgin - recorded increases of 1.23% and 19.70% with arrivals totaling 4,932 and 8,390 respectively. Overall, UK airlines (BA, Monarch and Virgin) brought 17,991 arrivals representing 78% of total UK arrivals. LIAT, the major inter regional flight which brings a number of UK arrivals to the destination from international connecting flights has brought 1,823 less than the number which came last year, 2008 a total of 5,646. For the month of September 2009, stayover arrivals from the UK registered a decline of over 1% with a total of 1,517 as against 1,542 for the same month in 2008. For the period January to September, 2009 UK arrivals declined by 26.45% with a total of 20,704, representing 7,446 arrivals less than the number of arrivals that came during the corresponding period in 2008 and registered a market share of 23.64%. Stayover arrivals from the UK stayed for an average of 10.79 nights compared to 10.33 nights. Other Europe For the month of September 2009, the Other Europe category recorded a total of 264 in stayover arrivals when compared to 448 for the same month in 2008, a decline of 41.07%. Similarly for the period Jan uary to September 2009, stayover arrivals declined by 8.95% moving from 6,701 in 2008 to 6,101 in 2009. Germany declined significantly by 65.32%, with a total of 60 compared to 173 for the same month in 2008. Correspondingly Germany declined by 15.31% for the period January to September 2009 with a total of 1,870 as against 2,208 for the same period in 2008. German visitors stayed for an average of 10.74 nights compared to 11.44 nights for the same period in 2008. French arrivals grew by 2.44% for the month of September, 2009 with 42 arrivals compared to 41 for the same month in 2008. For the period January to September, 2009 arrivals from France grew by 5.07% with a total of 829 as against 789 for the same period in 2008. All the months recorded double digit increases above 10% except January and August which recorded decreases of 29.22% and 39.36% respectively. French arrivals stayed for an average of 7.50 nights
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