GREAT BAY--New sales data from travel insurance marketplace Squaremouth shows Caribbean travel during the 2026 hurricane season running 21 percent ahead of the same period last year, while St. Maarten has been highlighted as one of the destinations continuing to attract travelers throughout the fall and as an important gateway to neighboring Anguilla and St. Barth.
The figures point to increased interest in Caribbean vacations during a period traditionally associated with softer tourism demand and the risk of Atlantic storms. The upward trend is expected to continue through the fall as travelers take advantage of lower airfares and resort rates during September, October and November.
The data was highlighted this week by Caribbean Journal, which examined the growing interest in fall Caribbean travel and identified St. Maarten among the destinations maintaining visitor activity during the hurricane-season months.
Caribbean Journal listed St. Maarten alongside Aruba, Curaçao, Barbados, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, The Bahamas and the Cayman Islands as destinations continuing to receive travelers throughout the fall.
The publication gave St. Maarten particular mention for its position as a regional travel hub, noting that the island serves as a gateway for vacations that can also include nearby Anguilla and St. Barth.
That regional connectivity adds another dimension to St. Maarten’s tourism product. Visitors arriving through Princess Juliana International Airport can spend their vacation on St. Maarten while also accessing neighboring islands, making the destination a practical starting point for multi-island Caribbean travel.
The 21 percent year-over-year increase is based on travel activity reflected in insurance sales through Squaremouth’s marketplace. The figure therefore represents travel among customers purchasing coverage through the company and should not be interpreted as an official measure of total Caribbean visitor arrivals.
Nevertheless, the data provides an indication of changing travel behavior during the region’s traditionally slower months, with more travelers appearing willing to consider Caribbean vacations outside of the traditional winter high season.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. Historically, the period between the end of the summer vacation season and the start of the busy winter tourism season has brought some of the lowest hotel rates of the year in parts of the Caribbean. Airlines can also offer lower fares as demand eases following the summer travel peak.
The increase in hurricane-season travel is occurring alongside a quieter 2026 Atlantic forecast. Colorado State University’s latest outlook, as cited by Caribbean Journal, calls for nine named storms, four hurricanes and one major hurricane. The historical Atlantic average is approximately 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
The lower overall forecast does not eliminate the possibility of an individual storm affecting any Caribbean destination, particularly with September historically representing the peak period for Atlantic hurricane activity.
Across the region, destinations are attracting fall travelers for different reasons. Aruba and Curaçao benefit from their southern Caribbean locations, while Jamaica and the Dominican Republic offer extensive resort inventories that can result in competitive fall pricing. Puerto Rico benefits from significant nonstop air access from the United States, while The Bahamas remains readily accessible from Florida and several East Coast markets.
For St. Maarten, the regional trend comes with the added advantage of its connectivity and its ability to function both as a destination in its own right and as a gateway to surrounding islands.
The 21 percent increase suggests that more travelers are considering Caribbean vacations throughout the year, comparing hotel prices, airfares, flight schedules and weather conditions rather than limiting travel primarily to the December-to-April high season.
