The tourism landscape in the French West Indies at the end of 2025
As 2025 draws to a close, air traffic in the French West Indies shows contrasting trends. While Guadeloupe and Martinique recorded an overall increase in passenger numbers over the year, this upturn was accompanied by a slowdown in connections with mainland France and a notable rise in traffic from the Caribbean and North America. These developments are reshaping the tourism landscape on these popular islands, with a more diversified clientele and greater sensitivity to ticket prices.
Guadeloupe: A booming regional hub
In Guadeloupe, Pointe-à-Pitre (Maryse Condé) airport welcomed almost 2 million passengers over the first eleven months of 2025, marking an increase of 2.7% on the previous year. This growth, already seen in the first half of the year with an increase of 3.8%, testifies to a solid recovery in the Guadeloupe market. However, November saw a slight decline of 2.3% in traffic, particularly on routes to France.
Impact of the slowdown with metropolitan France
Flights to mainland France were down by around 6% in November, despite a stable seat offer. This trend is explained by heightened sensitivity to airfares and the impact of airport tax increases, which are beginning to weigh on the cost of certain flights, particularly as the winter season approaches.
Caribbean links take off
Conversely, connections with the other Caribbean islands enjoyed spectacular growth, with passenger numbers up by more than 50% in November. Airlines such as SkyHigh and Caribbean Airlines made a major contribution to this dynamism, confirming Guadeloupe's growing role as a regional hub. This movement is part of a broader trend towards greater intra-Caribbean connectivity throughout 2025.
Martinique: Diversification and adaptation to costs
For its part, Fort-de-France's Aimé Césaire airport recorded a cumulative increase in passenger traffic of 2.93% between January and November 2025, welcoming more than 1.7 million passengers. This increase continues the positive trend of 2024, when the island had already attracted almost 1.9 million passengers.
Rising prices weigh on the metropolitan segment
In November 2025, traffic with mainland France fell by almost 7%, or nearly 6,000 fewer passengers. This contraction is directly linked to a significant increase in air ticket prices, estimated at over 12% over one year. As a result, Martinique is one of the destinations most affected by soaring fares, which has an impact on demand, particularly during the holiday season.
Regional and North American growth drivers
Fortunately, this slowdown was largely offset by the strength of flows outside mainland France. Connections with the Caribbean jumped by almost 25%, while those with North America grew by over 10%. This network diversificationincluding Caribbean, North American and inter-DOM destinations, has enabled us to maintain a high load factor in the high season, despite the slowdown in the mainland segment.
Strengthening links with North America
The North America region represents a major growth vector for both islands. In Martinique, this segment grew by 14.5% over the first eleven months of 2025, stimulated by Canada and the resumption of flights to the United States. Airlines such as Air Canada and Air Transat have increased their frequencies, as has American Airlines, which has deployed larger-capacity aircraft on its flights to Miami.
In Guadeloupe, the winter season also sees an increase in capacity on routes to North America, notably with the new Toronto-Pointe-à-Pitre route operated by Air Canada. These developments broaden the pool of North American customers interested in the French West Indies.
Outlook for tourism professionals
For the tourism industry, the year 2025 will be characterized by a complex equation: sustained demand, rising but more segmented overall traffic, and operating costs that are making certain routes more expensive. Attractiveness strategies are now focusing more on the Caribbean and North American markets, as well as on long-stay and family customers. The aim is to smooth visitor numbers throughout the year and reduce dependence on the peak holiday season. The resilience and adaptability of professionals will be key to navigating this rapidly changing tourism landscape.
English 
French