THE VALLEY, Anguilla, July 26 ——–Staffers in the Department of Statistics are reporting improved visitor arrivals for March 2010 compared to the same period in 2009.

The total for the month was 13,152 visitors, up 17.9 percent from the same period in 2009.

Stay-over visitors when compared to March 2009 were up 22.0 percent and day-trippers 13.7 percent. This was the fourth consecutive month experiencing year-on-year increase in visitor arrivals.

Most source markets experienced increases in the volume of visitors to Anguilla except for visitors from the Dutch West Indies and the Caribbean.

Vacation was the main reason of travel for 97.6 percent of visitors and 2.4 percent indicated their purpose of visit as business.

The annual Moonsplash Music Festival, hosted by Anguilla’s international reggae star Bankie Banx from March 25 to 28, would have attracted visitors.

Passenger arrivals – both residents and visitors to Anguilla picked up at the three official ports this March, up 5.6 percent to 21,115 arrivals.

The most traffic – 88 percent was at the seaports with the Blowing Point seaport being the number one port with 15,532 passengers coming to the shores. Sandy Ground port recorded 3,045 passengers.

Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (formerly Wallblake Airport) recorded 2,538 landed passengers.

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