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Tourism Trinidad Limited (TTL), in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism (MTTI), has officially wrapped the 2025/2026 cruise season, delivering significant growth in visitor arrivals and a measurable boost to local economic activity.

From October 2025 to February 2026, Trinidad welcomed 23,961 cruise passengers across 14 calls, alongside 10,723 crew members. This marks a 36% increase in passenger arrivals compared to the previous season, signalling renewed momentum and confidence in the destination.

Stronger Engagement, More Experiences

Visitor participation in local tours also grew, with 6,521 passengers exploring curated experiences — a 17% increase year-on-year.

Cruise lines calling on Trinidad included major brands such as Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Holland America Line, Oceania Cruises, and Swan Hellenic, reinforcing Trinidad’s position on key regional itineraries.

The season also saw five maiden calls, including vessels like SH Vega, Coral Princess, and Hebridean Sky, pointing to growing international interest.

Notably, Brilliance of the Seas facilitated 200 passenger embarkations, highlighting Trinidad’s emerging potential as a homeport destination.

Key Markets Driving Growth

The United States remained Trinidad’s largest source market, accounting for 66% of arrivals (15,865 passengers). This was followed by:

• Canada – 17%
• United Kingdom – 6%
• Germany – 4%
• Caribbean & other markets – 7% combined

This mix underscores Trinidad’s continued appeal among North American and European travellers.

Real Economic Impact: Supporting Local

Approximately 15,799 passengers disembarked to explore the island, with an average spend of USD $59 per visitor, generating an estimated USD $932,141 in onshore expenditure.

This directly supported local vendors, artisans, tour operators, and small businesses, strengthening the link between cruise tourism and opportunities to buy local.

Visitors engaged with Trinidad’s culture through:

• Handcrafted souvenirs and local fashion
• Authentic cuisine, including doubles and bake and shark
• Cultural performances featuring Moko Jumbies, tassa, steelpan, and parang

Top Visitor Experiences

Passengers took part in a range of immersive tours, including:

• City of Port of Spain and Maracas Beach excursions
• Caroni Bird Sanctuary tours
• Heritage and cultural experiences
• Nature-based adventures, including Paramin 4×4 tours and visits to the Asa Wright Nature Centre

Delivering a Strong Visitor Experience

The Cruise Information Team, supported by Visitor Ambassadors and enumerators, played a key role in enhancing the arrival experience — guiding visitors, promoting attractions, and encouraging deeper engagement with local businesses.

Minister: Growth Must Benefit Local Communities

Minister of Trade, Investment and Tourism, Senator the Honourable Satyakama Maharaj, welcomed the strong performance:

“The 2025/2026 cruise season reflects the growing strength and appeal of Trinidad as a destination. Beyond the increase in arrivals, what is especially encouraging is the level of engagement with local businesses — from food vendors to artisans and tour operators. Cruise tourism continues to create meaningful opportunities for our people, and we remain committed to ensuring visitors not only experience what is local, but actively support what we produce.”

Looking Ahead

TTL and MTTI will continue working with stakeholders to expand local participation in the tourism value chain, strengthen partnerships with cruise lines, and ensure that more visitor spending stays within communities.

The focus remains clear: grow the sector, deepen the experience, and maximise benefits for Trinidad and its people.

Travel to Trinidad and Tobago is becoming faster and more convenient with the introduction of the country’s new Online Arrival and Departure (AD) Card system.

Launched by the Ministry of Homeland Security, the digital platform allows travelers to complete their arrival and departure information online before entering or leaving the country, helping to streamline the immigration process at Piarco International Airport and A.N.R. Robinson International Airport.

Beginning March 14, 2026, travelers can access the system at travel.gov.tt and complete the form up to 72 hours before travel by uploading the biodata page of their passport. Once submitted, users will receive a digital receipt with a QR code to present to immigration officials upon arrival or departure.

The online system will be fully implemented on March 17, 2026, when the traditional paper forms will be discontinued.

This new platform is part of ongoing efforts to modernize Trinidad and Tobago’s border management while making the visitor journey smoother, allowing travelers to spend less time in line and more time experiencing the culture, cuisine and natural beauty of the destination.

On March 8th, we commemorated International Women’s Day, but our mission to empower the architects of our national brand continues every day. We salute these innovators whose leadership ensures Trinidad and Tobago remains a globally respected destination. #BeyondIWD2026 #GiveToGain #IWD2026 #tourismtrinidad

Tourism is more than just arrivals and departures. It is the heartbeat of our national identity, a rhythm sustained by the passion, resilience, and vision of our women. This International Women’s Day, Tourism Trinidad Limited (TTL) is proud to present “Give to Gain,” a special commemorative series that listens to the heartbeat of our industry through the stories of the women who define it.

Over four days, we journey through the many layers of Trinidad & Tobago’s tourism landscape, guided by the voices of four remarkable women each day. They are the innovators, the guardians, the storytellers, and the diplomats who give so much of themselves to enrich the experience of every visitor and, in turn, gain a deeper purpose for themselves and their communities.

Day 1: The Trailblazers

Our journey begins with those who are forging new paths and reshaping the boundaries of our industry. Ariene Ng Fong invites us to look to the sea, proving that innovation and technical brilliance are the new currents of our blue economy. As Co-Lead of Play Hooky 868, she embodies the spirit that the sea knows no gender. Alongside her, (Iya) Akilah Jaramogi stands as the guardian of our green future. Through her work as Executive Director of the FACRP, she reminds us that giving back to the earth is our greatest investment, nurturing the spiritual heart of our hillsides.

We then turn to those who have spent decades mastering the art of welcome. Gunda Busch–Harewood, Founder of Island Experiences, has spent 30 years bridging worlds, refining the authentic encounter into a craft. Her life’s work is a testament to the power of genuine connection. And in the kitchen, Chef Brigette Joseph treats every plate as a diplomat. A true architect of culinary diplomacy, she ensures our cuisine cements Trinidad’s place as the gastronomy capital of the Caribbean.

Day 2: The Keepers of Heritage

On the second day, we meet the women who ensure our stories are never lost and our traditions continue to thrive. Cheri-Ann Pascall is more than a guide; with 25 years of heart-led hospitality, she is a living archive, translating the soul of our nation for the world. Further inland, in the historic Lopinot Valley, The Guerrero Sisters of Café Mariposa are cultivating a legacy. They honor their family’s deep cocoa-growing roots, creating a sustainable model of agri-tourism that nourishes both the land and the community.

Their neighbor, Donna Mora, is the driving force behind that very community. As CEO of the Lopinot Tourism Association, she champions grassroots strength, ensuring that the benefits of heritage tourism flow directly to the residents who are its heart. And capturing it all is Franka Philip, a journalist who understands that a destination’s true flavor is found in its stories. Through her work in tourism media, she shares the soul of our hospitality, highlighting our unique festivals and flavors with dignity and depth.

Be on the lookout for days 3 and 4 of this series.

Follow the series live on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD — Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival 2026 has delivered a significant boost to the country’s tourism sector, with strong international visitor arrivals and hotel performance underscoring the festival’s continued global appeal.

Preliminary data from the Immigration Division and the Central Statistical Office (CSO) indicate that 54,441 visitors arrived in Trinidad and Tobago between January 1 and February 14, 2026, a clear indication of sustained international interest in the destination’s premier cultural showcase. This represents a 13% increase over the 48,197 arrivals recorded during the same period in 2025.

Of this total:

• January arrivals: 28,920
• February 1–14: 25,521

These figures highlight buoyant international demand for Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival and the positive impact of ongoing destination marketing and expanded airlift.

As the festival approached its peak weekend, hotel performance strengthened considerably. Data from CoStar revealed that:

• Average occupancy in January stood at 46%, with
• Average Daily Rates (ADR) of US$172

By the Carnival peak weekend (February 13–14):

• Occupancy surged to 83.2%, while
• ADR climbed to US$501.86

Hotel revenue for February 1–15 reached US$10.7 million, already surpassing January’s total of US$7 million. This demonstrates Carnival’s ability to generate premium‑driven economic activity within a short period.

Cruise Sector Adds to the Economic Boost

The cruise sector also contributed to the country’s tourism performance, with 8,865 cruise passengers visiting between January 1 and February 15, 2026. The main source of visitors was from the following regions:

• United States: 66%
• Canada: 17%
• United Kingdom: 6%

With an average spend of approximately US$135 per visitor, cruise passengers generated an estimated US$1.19 million in direct economic impact.

Organised tours remained popular, with the following leading the way:

• City and Maracas Tour: 39%
• Caroni Bird Sanctuary: 13%
• Maracas Beach Tour: 12%

Senator the Honourable Satyakama Maharaj, Minister of Trade, Investment and Tourism, stated:

“Carnival 2026 continues to demonstrate the strength of Trinidad and Tobago’s tourism product. Impressive arrivals and record hotel rates reflect growing global demand for our cultural experiences and reinforce tourism’s contribution to economic diversification and foreign exchange generation.”

The Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism and Tourism Trinidad Limited will continue to review and publish finalised arrival and performance data as the post‑Carnival period concludes.

END

Tourism Trinidad is exploring strategic partnerships with United Airlines to implement a more robust approach to destination marketing in our respective source markets. This approach intends to aggressively and systematically leverage the relationships and resources of both United Airlines and Tourism Trinidad, to better position our destination along flight routes to potential visitors. Establishing the means for enacting this partnership became possible after fruitful discussions were held at a courtesy call that was paid to key officials of Tourism Trinidad on Thursday 24th October 2024 by the United Airlines team.  

In attendance were Mr. Cliff Hamilton, Chairman of Tourism Trinidad, Mrs. Shaneil Sutherland, Manager of Destination Development, Mr. Carlton V. De Four, Tourism Development Officer, along with representatives from United Airlines which included Mr. Edwin Herrera, Regional Director and Ms. Margarita Robles, Account Manager for Sales. The courtesy call provided an excellent platform for both organizations to share data, ideas and to explore potential strategies aimed at improving visitor arrivals and delivering mutually beneficial outcomes. We are excited to continue working with United Airlines as a valued stakeholder in showcasing Trinidad as a top travel destination. 

In the North American region, United Airlines currently provides flights to Trinidad through the Houston and New Jersey hubs, with the latter being utilized during the peak times for the Christmas and Carnival seasons.