Updated

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.