US Market Leads Anguilla Tourism Growth as Visitor Arrivals Climb Over Thirty Nine Percent in May 2026
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US Market Leads Anguilla Tourism Growth as Visitor Arrivals Climb Over Thirty Nine Percent in May 2026. The reason is clear. US travellers dominated Anguilla’s stay-over market, while overall visitor arrivals reached 26,143. Meanwhile, stay-over tourists rose 15.6 percent and excursionists jumped 65.1 percent. Therefore, stronger American demand helped lift the island’s May performance. Leisure travel also remained dominant, while tourists planned slightly longer stays. Together, these gains show Anguilla entering May 2026 with powerful momentum across holiday travel and visitor demand overall.
Anguilla Tourism Statistics Show Strong May Growth
The official May 2026 tourism figures show growth across several important measures.
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| Indicator | May 2026 | May 2025 | Year-on-Year Change | Key Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total visitor arrivals | 26,143 | 18,731 | +39.6% | Highest May visitor total in 34 years |
| Stay-over tourists | 11,180 | 9,669 | +15.6% | Highest May total in available data since 1993 |
| Excursionists / day-trippers | 14,963 | 9,062 | +65.1% | Highest May excursionist total in 34 years |
| Total passenger arrivals | 33,324 | 25,608 | +30.1% | Includes visitors and residents |
| Total passenger departures | 32,975 | 25,672 | +28.4% | Strong outbound passenger movement |
| Average intended tourist stay | 6.1 days | 5.8 days | +0.3 days | Tourists planned slightly longer stays |
| Visitors travelling for vacation | 99.1% | — | — | Leisure dominated visitor purpose |
| Visitors travelling for business | 0.9% | — | — | Small business-travel share |
The table highlights the scale of Anguilla’s tourism growth in May 2026, with improvements across almost every major visitor indicator. Total visitor arrivals climbed to 26,143, representing a strong 39.6% increase compared with May 2025. Stay-over tourism also strengthened, reaching 11,180 visitors, up 15.6%, while excursionist arrivals surged 65.1% to 14,963, making day-trippers the fastest-growing visitor segment. Wider passenger movement followed the same upward trend. Total passenger arrivals increased 30.1% to 33,324, while departures rose 28.4% to 32,975. Visitors were also planning slightly longer holidays, with the average intended stay increasing from 5.8 days to 6.1 days. Leisure tourism remained the clear driver of demand, with 99.1% of visitors travelling for holidays and only 0.9% visiting for business. Together, these figures show that Anguilla experienced exceptionally strong tourism demand in May 2026, supported by higher stay-over traffic, rapid day-trip growth and overwhelmingly leisure-focused travel.
Stay-Over Tourism Reaches a New May High
Stay-over tourist arrivals reached 11,180 in May 2026, up 15.6% from 9,669 in May 2025.
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The Statistics Department said this was the highest May stay-over total in its available data going back to 1993. Stay-over tourists represented 42.8% of all visitors during the month.
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The average intended stay also increased from 5.8 days in May 2025 to 6.1 days in May 2026.
Most Tourists Plan Four to Seven Days in Anguilla
The largest share of stay-over visitors planned trips lasting between four and seven days.
| Intended Length of Stay | Tourists | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 days | 2,922 | 26.1% |
| 4–7 days | 6,459 | 57.8% |
| 8–15 days | 1,207 | 10.8% |
| 16–22 days | 106 | 0.9% |
| 23+ days | 486 | 4.3% |
| Average intended stay | 6.1 days | — |
The table shows a powerful rise in Anguilla’s tourism performance in May 2026. Total visitor arrivals reached 26,143, up 39.6% year on year, while stay-over tourists increased 15.6% to 11,180. Excursionists recorded the strongest growth, jumping 65.1% to 14,963. Passenger arrivals also rose 30.1%, and departures increased 28.4%, pointing to stronger overall travel movement. Tourists planned slightly longer stays, with the average intended visit reaching 6.1 days. Leisure travel dominated demand, accounting for 99.1% of visitors, while business travel represented only 0.9%, confirming Anguilla’s strong position as a holiday-focused Caribbean destination during one of its strongest May periods on record.
United States Dominates Anguilla’s Stay-Over Market
The United States remained by far Anguilla’s largest source of stay-over tourists.
In May 2026, 8,305 tourists arrived from the US. They represented 74.3% of all stay-over arrivals and were 12.9% higher than the corresponding May 2025 figure.
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The Statistics Department reported that nine of the ten monitored tourist source markets recorded increases during the month.
Day-Tripper Arrivals Jump 65.1%
Excursionists recorded the fastest growth.
Anguilla received 14,963 excursionists in May 2026, up 65.1% from 9,062 in May 2025. This was the highest May excursionist total recorded within the previous 34 years.
Excursionists represented 57.2% of all visitors during the month.
The United States also dominated this segment, accounting for 10,941 excursionists, or 73.1% of the total.
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Leisure Travel Drives Anguilla’s Tourism Momentum
The May figures show that Anguilla’s tourism growth was overwhelmingly leisure-led. The Statistics Department reported that 99.1% of visitors travelled with the intention of vacationing, while only 0.9% came for business.
The combination of record visitor arrivals, higher stay-over tourism, longer intended stays and rapidly growing day-trip traffic shows a strong May performance for Anguilla. The US market remains central to this growth, supplying nearly three-quarters of both stay-over tourists and excursionists.
US Market Leads Anguilla Tourism Growth as Visitor Arrivals Climb Over Thirty Nine Percent in May 2026 because American travellers remained the island’s largest source market. The US supplied 74.3 percent of stay-over tourists and 73.1 percent of excursionists. At the same time, total arrivals rose 39.6 percent, stay-over tourism increased 15.6 percent and day-tripper arrivals surged 65.1 percent. The cause was broad leisure demand, supported by stronger visitor movement and slightly longer intended stays. The result is clear: Anguilla recorded an exceptional May, with US demand playing a central role in the island’s tourism growth and Caribbean travel momentum.
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