Early tourists to the Caribbean depended on their nationality when deciding which islands they would go to. The English went to their colonies of Nevis, Barbados and Jamaica, the French went to Martinique, and the Dutch went to Curacao. The tourists were wealthy people who had plenty of time to travel, because the cost and length of the sea voyage to get to the destinations meant that only the well-off could travel. Only individuals that had a lot of time to travel would go to the Caribbean since they stayed for substantial periods of time, weeks, or even months. During the 19th century, the tourism season consisted of the winter months.

American tourists at the end of the 19th century traveled mostly to the Bahamas and Cuba, staying close to the Florida coast. Some of the first hotels include: The Bath Hotel in Nevis, that opened in 1778. The Royal Victorian Hotel in the Bahamas that opened in 1861. Crane Beach in Barbados opened in 1887, while in Jamaica, the Titchfield Hotel opened.

After the introduction of the international airplane services, multinational organizations such as hotel chains and tour operators began to show serious interest in the region.

Mass tourism became significant beginning in the 1980