Report: More visitors to Caribbean, and they're spending more money

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Officials say Caribbean tourists are spending more money during their visits to the region, with the jump in expenditures surpassing the rise in arrivals.

Caribbean Tourism Organization chairwoman Beverly Nicholson-Doty says visitors spent more than $28 billion last year, a more than 2 percent increase from 2012.

The region saw only a 1.8 percent increase in arrivals last year, compared to a 5 percent increase in 2012. Overall, more than 25 million people visited the Caribbean in 2013.

Nicholson-Doty says cruises also remained popular, with last year's summer months considered the best ever for the Caribbean.

The CTO issued a statement Tuesday noting that the U.S. remains the Caribbean's core market and that there was a drop in visitors from the United Kingdom and Europe.