Tour operators could get cash to create ‘unique’ trips
(L-R) Wendy McDonald from Royal Caribbean, FCCA President Michele Paige, Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan and Tourism Director Rosa Harris 
Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan 
Director of Tourism Rosa Harris 
FCCA President Michele Paige 
Wendy McDonald, Regional VP, Caribbean Government Relations, Royal Caribbean Group
(CNS): Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan is hoping his Cabinet colleagues will support his ministry’s aim to put up to $3 million in the next budget to create a fund for generating new tours and attractions for cruise passengers. Bryan said the policy goal of ‘quality over quantity’ for the sector means Cayman must offer new, unique, exclusive experiences to get the highest spend from visitors.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday following the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Platinum Associate Membership Advisory Council Summit that took place for the first time in the Cayman Islands this week, Bryan said the ministry was working on the “sustainable growth” of the cruise sector, given the drop in passenger numbers anticipated over the coming years.
Bryan said that as Cayman moved away from a mass tourism model, which was “unsustainable for our natural resources”, the islands needed to “provide new, more exclusive products” and “white glove services” for cruise tourists.
To get better value “and squeeze more out of” the smaller number of visitors, Bryan said operators needed to come up with more creative excursions, and the new funding, which would come from general revenue, would provide local stakeholders with grants to help them create and develop authentic new experiences.
The minister said as much as $50,000 could be available for creative, attainable, new ideas that spread guests around the island. He said the goal was to offer unique, authentic attractions that the cruise lines are asking for, such as more cultural experiences involving Caymanian people or excursions with local culinary themes.
“We are not just going to give money away to anybody who comes up with an idea. There are a number of steps that will need to be taken,” he said, as he explained that there would be rigorous criteria. “It will have to be in niche markets that are not there yet. We are not going to give money to people to add to what we already have.”
However, speaking directly to creative people who may have some new ideas, he urged them to come to the government with those new ideas.
Bryan also spoke about taking passengers to more intimate beach locations away from the “congestion” of Seven Mile Beach. He claimed that this was another important reason to get the East-West Arterial Road extension completed to carry people there more quickly.
The recent moves by the government to acquire an increasing amount of beachfront land, the minister said, could also support this goal of creating places for passengers to relax on the beach and enjoy an authentic experience.
Reflecting on what he said had been a successful week at the conference, where it was clear that there is an appetite for change, Bryan said there is support for a new relationship between tour operators and cruise lines so that the income from visitors is re-balanced. He accepted there was a lot of work to do but said that creating new trips could also help with this unfair split.
Unique trips will be more likely to see the lion’s share of the profit go to the provider because there would be fewer vendors doing the same thing, said FCCA President Michele Paige. “Do something different, more exclusive,” she urged the operators.
Bryan said that local vendors had to stand together to stop undercutting each other because that was how the cruise lines were able to maximise their take. “Our people need to be working closer together to not allow the ‘divide and conquer’.” He added, “The only way that Caymanians are going to get more is if they stay together and don’t agree to the lower prices.”
Bryan said the vendors are complaining about each other, but they should be agreeing not to undercut each other. He said operators need to offer quality excursions where they set the price and stick to it.
The overall good news for vendors and operators is that the cruise lines are still committed to coming to Cayman, even without piers. Paige said that having the summit in the Cayman Islands had reminded the industry “how phenomenal Cayman is” and how popular the destination remains.
Wendy McDonald from Royal Caribbean said that the Cayman Islands remains one of the most popular ports of call and made it clear that, despite the cruise line’s preference for docks, the ships that can tender will not stop coming.
Troy Leacock, the current president of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, attended last week’s conference along with local stakeholders. After the press conference, he told CNS that it was a productive summit. He said that the price split issue is complex, but there was some truth that operators undercut each other, and explained that vendors are constantly under pressure from the cruise lines to cut margins.
Leacock said the key now is creating a new business model between vendors and cruise lines that can accommodate these more “exclusive intimate experiences”, which are already available, but the vendors could find it hard to do business with the cruise lines because they carry lower numbers.
“A commission-based approach or a promotional model where we can offer these more unique experiences directly to passengers is what they need,” he said. “The current model is all about mass tourism. We need a business model now that doesn’t clash with the idea of providing intimate guest experiences.”
Leacock said what is required is beginning to take shape, and now it was time to make it happen.
See the full press conference on CIGTV below:
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
KB is doing something for Caymanians. That’s more than half of the past 8 governments combined can say. Most of yall crying about cruise ships should bugger off are the same ones trampling all over Caymanian rights.
Woke as hell but even more unfair and racist with your employment practices.
ESG champions that focus on one aspect of the E and forget the S and G.
The unemployable constituent has entered the chat.
More free money, just come on down! We have an amazingly rich government!
This man can chat some shit you see.
Head right up a$$
“The overall good news for vendors and operators is that the cruise lines are still committed to coming to Cayman, even without piers.” Imagine that Sir Alden!
At its very fundamental level the absurdity of where we’re at is astonishingly appalling. Lets back track, – Govt for years has been warned about building too close to the beach, ignored it, empowered planning and in some cases provided concessions to embrace it. We’ve also had one of the most notorious vulture fund opportunists buy up swathes of beach front property, develop it with Govt’s blessing creating a huge reduction in previously used beach amenities that on a busy cruise day would see thousands of people. Grand Cayman only a few short years ago had one of the worlds most renowned beaches accessed and enjoyed by all and now for the most part ‘poof’ its gone. The icing on the cake is Wayne & Kenny are asking tour operators and anyone else to come up with new diverse tours to accommodate the shortfall because incompetence has been hugely responsible in allowing our most prized natural resource to get all f***** up. I’ll pass on the white gloves and sit this one out.
#defundkenny
How about funding education and public transportation and telling the cruise industry to f’ off.
Your are already over funding public education and public transportation. Cutting off one of the many industries that provide the overfunding will not get you the desired results. Maybe if you can all figure out how to run your education and public transportation system the same way that first world areas of the world do that would get you there. Hint: getting rid of the third world management and replace them with first world experienced management works every time. But then what would you do with all the many now out of work intitled Caymanians and Camaicians that are basically in charge of the great Caymanian welfare system that many of you depend on. It would ultimately fail and then who will the many irresponsible and dysfunctional Caymanians make a living off of? Surely not themselves. That would mean working hard and sacrificing and wondering how they are going to keep up with the high cost of living that expats have to deal with. We see your problem and understand why you will never do anything but complain about it and blame everyone but yourselves. It sucks to be dependent on others.
Our local education system is heavily funded, in fact there is more budget per student in the public schools than in most of the private schools. The problem with the public schools is not teachers, budget, Government or the buildings – it is the mentality of many of the parents whose children go to the public schools! Until there is better parenting technique and some laws that can charge parents for their children’s unruly and bully behavior things will never change. Such as the spineless, undisciplined little wannabe males that have gone so far as to punch a senior educator at a certain government high school!
And take down your ridiculous self serving billboards to improve the scenery dimwit.
Cayman Trench tours in the Atlantis.
Cockfighting and secret strip clubs.
Kenny I like the way you say “squeeze more out of visitors”. Maybe the visitors deserve to get squeezed more just like people are getting squeezed by shortsighted, idiotic politicians like you?
As they say in Cayman, “boy you can hear some $hit” and it’s coming from you. People may say you have lost it but I think you never had it in the first place. Every potential natural attraction both cultural and scenic has been destroyed by self serving, narcissistic politicians like you.
Cayman had a chance 30 years ago to preserve some semblance of identity but greed won over. Now we are just a Caribbean wayward side show. You want originality, I suggest you take that $3M and dig a big hole then jump in it. While your at it invite Jon Jon, Mac, Jay, Ju Ju, Sabrina and Heather in to keep you company. Besides, we need the fill to pave over the Central Mangrove and maybe we just might be able to sell the attraction of “Come help our best and brightest politicians escape the hole”.
Wow I thought govt was buying up these beach front parcels for the residents to enjoy because of the mess the made of SMB public beach. Now he wants to get the cruise ship passengers to use them and quicker so he brings in the EWA excuse. I thought it was to help the people of EE and NS get to work in GT. Wish he would make up his mind.
Just another slush fund, from the man who brought us the Cayman Islands’ inexplicable sponsorship of Portsmouth FC, an English school hockey team and some low-rent leather goods manufacturer.
Until he explains those fiascos, he shouldn’t be entrusted with a red cent more of our money.
Absolutely bizarre that whole episode.
– “card board sliding” down mount trash more
– a tour of all the places MLAs have beaten women
– a guided tour of all the gun and knife crime locations
– a museum with photos cataloging all the locations where drugs wash ashore
– an armed robbery tour
Love these ideas!
I would add fishing for “square tuna”
With one of the fancy handbags to tote it!
Guided tour to where Jon Jon wrapped his car around a lightpost late at night and wasn’t breathalyzed.
How about a Jon Jon tour – the light pole, the hotel parking lot where he assaulted his ex wife’s lover, the location of the infamous trainer gate stretching exercise, the LA where he delivered the Gaypril speech, the press conference room for the “you must be very brave ” speech and the live crying on camera scene.
A full moon donkey rides wearing facemasks.
Forget the tourists, I’d be up for this! I hope there’s a gift shop at the end where I can buy Jon Jon souvenirs and some of his favorite coloring-in books.
-moonlit donkey tours
Your third idea doesn’t work – the cruisers have to be back on the boat by 4 pm – would take too long.
Hear me out. A haunted house in the Glass House!
Add where our esteemed minister used to sell drugs.
Ah man give it a rest. How many decades ago was that? Almost two maybe? People are allowed to change. I hardly think he would have such a happy family life with incredibly polite, intelligent and delightful children – if he were what you’re trying to reduce him to. Clearly comments like this are people dismissing or hating on him as drugs are illegal and a danger to society, so only lowlifes can be involved. That may be so. But meet and hang out with him at his house with his family. He is the opposite of a lowlife.
5:58 am. what about the young people that were ruined by drugs?
Whats happening with our Scranton park? The pond area was dug out a few months ago and is now ugly and dirty. Is Kenny hoping that it will start to stink so that all the residents will then sell their land to his Flowers sponsors? We see you Kenny.
Colossal dimwit.
Failing upward, this one.
A legend in his own mind.
Many delightful ideas here gents!
In this hour upon deep thoughts I find myself stirred that the millions of tourists would appreciate a historial center and museum of Cayman’s history.
As Washington DC has the Lincoln Memorial museum I am behooved to put forward that an Honorable Mack Daddy McKeeva memorial museum should be erected to stimulate the senses of tourists. $5 entrance fee with KFC out back by the souvenir shop.
Indeed I further am behooved to affirm that would surely titillate the senses of tourists from far and wide.
No attractions left, even SMB is gone. The Dump is the only unexplored destination left.
Agree, it might make a perfect spot for a funicular up the side of it. Or a zip line from the top back to the the cruise terminal.
..a zip line … I did choked on my coffee,
🏆what an excellent idea! And it’s not without some “excitement”-the stench, the danger of falling down, the exposure to cancer toxins, decaying animals aroma…
If you add some novelty queuing in traffic, you’ll get the full Grand Cayman experience. What a treat!
Unique trips to the top of The Dump
with finding your own way down
For all the millions in annual spending put on AMEX Latin America credit cards by Cayman Islands households and visitors, one might expect a savvy DOT to be engaging with Platinum/Centurian Card Services to coordinate special Cayman-specific perks: maybe a unique Caribbean-first Centurian Airport Lounge, Security Check Priority Lane (like elsewhere), concert/event pre-sale access (like elsewhere), hotel partner amenities (like elsewhere). Then again, one might also expect these full-time DOT department to call our hosted airlines and correct that this isn’t “the Grand Cayman Islands”, or that paper immigration/customs forms haven’t been necessary for those under family limits in a over year. Cayman needs to get rid of the random Customs interrogator at the exit door. Not a value add.
I am very untrusting of Kenneth Bryan and anything that comes out of his mouth.
Skydiving as the aerial view of the island would be breathtaking
Casino at Kaboo grounds
Apart from that politicians should focus on police and safety as tourists come to Cayman for the peace, tranquility, fine dining and stunning beaches.
You mean jump in The Tardis and go back 30 and try and nullify what’s happened since ? 🥸
exactly
You’re not allowed to say tardis anymore.
“fine dining”
Please tell me you are kidding?
What? You not like drunks dancing on tables beside you while you enjoy a $30 sushi roll and $25 drinks?!
Expensive dining/cold food served by arrogant (I am the best in the world ) restaurant manager.
I’d say to take them to the circus on Fort Street but it’s only open like 10 days a year.
Easier said than done, what with the proprieter of a business blocking it with his F150 daily despite a large sign requiring access at all times for emergency vehicles.
After meeting with the cruise operators they all agreed “what a trip he is”.
Unique trips needed because Dart bought and closed down all of the beach bars.
Why don’t we just ban cruise ships all together and cater to mega yachts?
Now you’re talking!
Why would we give money for excursion ideation? If it’s a good idea, it would by nature be differentiated from other offerings and capture market share.
Wotes from ‘my people’, it’s that simple.
I heard there’s an amazing high-quality bike tour in WB that has a max number of 12 people. Just sayin’…there are probably many tours already here that fit the bill but they just can’t afford the extortionate cruise ship rape rates.
This post sponsored by said high-quality bike tour in West Bay.
Are you F-I k kidding me! If this initiative is to be pursued then it must 100% be paid for by the cruise ships. Cayman – please speak op to make sure this doesn’t happen.
Cruise operators don’t want local folks to profit from tours. That’s what their tours are for. If we want to develop it, we have to do it “in-house” as well as market it to the passengers before they pay for the cruise-sponsored tours (which could be difficult) to get them to participate. Many cruisers pre-book the cruise-line tours and therefore not interested in anything else – “already paid, done and dusted, why would I?”
The 40 years of can kicking dump tour should be a big seller.
Meet the new boss; same as the old boss. PPM advanced the election date so they wouldn’t get slammed by the Cruise Port Referendum….. and, well, so they wouldn’t have to deal with Mr. Bush.
So, here we are, the supposed Climate Change and Sustainability government, which is ever so slowly increasing the cruise ships, and now calling on us to create new experiences for the cruise ship passengers.
CIG makes a lot from the cruise ship headcount. They don’t seem to care that we, the citizens, don’t WANT the cruise ships here, nor the congestion and traffic they cause, nor the pollution they blorp into our waters and shores.
Colour me disappointed, but not surprised.
CIG does not bank any material revenue from cruise headcount. Kenny’s $3mln giveaway is roughly equivalent to the best year’s total annual cruise headcount tax pre-COVID. CIG aren’t back at those numbers yet. Apathetic CI Port haven’t bothered to raise those per passenger fees to match inflation. Additionally, the liners, and FCCA, collectively contribute back zero dollars or in kind infrastructure to the greater Cayman Islands community while pulling in billions a year in route revenue.
Oh gosh BZode, time you joined Wayne and his commitment but not his commitment (because he wants the people to do it) to stem the new VUCA 🤦🏽♀️
What are they talking about? Majority of these cruise visitors so cheap they prefer to walk than catch a bus or taxi, and the Minister talking about providing “white glove services” Its amazing though an attraction such as HELL/ Club Inferno which has been around from the time i can remember turned into such a dump and eye sore! pretty sad to say the least, place had potential
maybe if the taxi for a 500m meter trip want $20 CI…..
#CaymanKind
I call dibs on “Swim With The Hicatee” excursions to Governor Gore Bird Sanctuary.
Don’t forget the ever-popular ‘run for your LIFE!’ along the shores of Boddentown. All contestants must cross the finish line still carrying a six-pack of 345. Fun for the whole family !
The fact is, without Grand Cayman as the mid-way destination of call, western Caribbean itineraries crumble apart. RCL recorded revenue of $8.8bln in 2022, with EBITDA of >$770mln, with Caribbean itineraries supporting portfolio losses elsewhere and our region running at 100% cabin occupancy. CCL and NCL recorded similar abundances of riches. So, what do hosting Caribbean destinations receive back in terms of mandated 3% corporate social responsibility commitments? Zilch. Actually, it’s less than zilch, because those operators already squeezed on loss-leading market share are also bowing and paying Michele Paige of FCCA $50k a year for the honor to be told to put on white gloves and dance a jig. The liners and FCCA aren’t even interested in helping Cayman transition to certification by Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). By hosting more bad faith events for this exploitive rich white lady, Kenny and Rosa are showing that they are in the employ of the opposite team, not for Cayman and Caymanians. We need negotiators that understand the pivotal viability position of Western Caribbean routes with and without Grand Cayman, and deliver a meaningful destination license fee back to the public purse in exchange for this community nuisance…a number in the high 8 figures would seem like a good starting point across all liners, plus a one time catch-up payment in low 9 figures. Pay up, or beat it. Enough of the door mat abuse.
You are right on the money. Limit of 2 ships per day and auction off the slots to the highest bidder.
1 ship per day, dock at Spotts, 0 on holidays and weekends, can only land on shore after 9 am and must be gone by 4 pm.
Well, it really depends on the quality of ship, and catering appetites of that passenger demographic. We should want to license ships carrying the spending Neiman Marcus passengers, not the Walmart herds. The World, Ritz Cruise, Regent Seven Seas, Oceania, Silversea, Crystal, Seabourn, Ponant, Windstar, Sea Dream Yacht Club are carrying the right sort of guests (often more senior in age) that mesh with the high end vibe. Few of these passengers will want to step foot in our filthy buses, taxis, and Stingray tour setups without a toilet seat cover and Purell. The turtle abattoir, dolphin prison, and their tacky gift shops, are completely repelling facilities. We might consider gallery upgrades, with serious on-loan or in-house collections, a performing arts centre with visiting/in-residence international headliners (Cuban connection can be tapped: National Ballet of Cuba, Buena Vista Social Club types), paved sidewalks, ADA wheelchair access, trash collection, street cleaning, parks, clean taxis (maybe a fleet of all-electric London cabs) and upgraded restaurants/plant-based menus (>20% of that demographic and growing). Our unimaginative duty free shopping offerings stagnated in the late 1990s. We can’t match the duty free zones of Bahamas, Monte Carlo, and elsewhere. The onboard ships have bigger malls with better shopping. We don’t necessarily need casinos, but maybe if formal high-end it might lend cachet. There has always been an opportunity for tax free title match boxing purses, poker tournaments, but nowhere suitable to put those…that kind of thing. The Cayman Islands Music Association is a mess. Local artists need an online portal that fully supports their abilities, to their limits, with online gig booking, schedule pushing, and consumer tickets – while also allowing visiting professionals sensible access to support our premium brand. The tourism bucket needs a big rethink by smarter people that unfortunately aren’t being polled, or want/allowed to run for office.
You want the Neiman Marcus passengers upon your shores, but the first place you go when you travel is Walmart. Now, that is funny.
what does EBIDTA mean? feels like there’s a depreciation in there somewhere
Forgot the +.
Cayman needs to take a trip to Bermuda and recreate their Harbour Nights in Cayman. I can’t imagine it would be hard to do. Close off an area (Camana Bay??, George Town?) one night a week and have representatives from LOCAL restaurants, artists, crafts gather to sell their “brand” to locals and tourist. Have LOCAL music talent for entertainment. Have students from different schools involved playing music or whatever. Run the event from 6-10 pm or some hour like that. Advertise these nights so it gets out to tourists that this is a good time and something to do other than go sit at a bar.
Take another trip … to Negril, JA and stroll down 7MB strip (haven’t been since pre-covid), but one could walk from place to place and find LOCAL, LIVE music playing ( like Peppers has) and one could sit off, have dinner or appetizers, relax to the music, have a few drinks, and taxi back. Very enjoyable evening.
And get mugged by a bloke on a Huffy? Hard pass.
What local restaurants? they are all owned by Canadians and Americans mate.
As for the crafts. If you believe some status holding Jamaican selling chinese made “genuinely replica” thatch baskets is local then I don’t know what to tell you.
Aren’t there a few artists in Cayman? Thought some restaurants were still locally owned. Sad if they are not.
Is crime THAT bad that people will get robbed at an event? Hmmm…must be getting bad there
What natural attractions are left for tourists to enjoy now? The government and their cronies keep concreting over them all. This is just yet another scheme for giving out millions of the peoples tax revenues to just a few lucky selected people who know people.
Why is consideration being given to the possibility of increasing the volume of cruise tourism? I don’t believe that the FCCA really has much long term consideration for our little islands.
What happened to the Referendum ? Though I would be enjoying a nice big spliff and enjoying my lottery winnings by now. Was that just a PACT farce to get popular support?
We have to have our cruise pier referendum first.
‘quality over quantity’
Kenny old bean, buddy, kiddo, old, bro, homie, pal, – how about using the same application this idiom implies against the never ending bunkum you effortlessly spout most days.
Yeah kiss the conch booty and get 10 years good luck.
Whatever happened to the new training restaurant opposite Kirks?
🤣🤣. You thought that was a real thing?
😂
Nice billboard though
Which one, there are several promoting various things….
The illegal one
*one(s)
Awww bless you!
Vegetation providing natural screenage for open public bathrooms for the crazies downtown.
Key words:
… local vendors had to stand together to stop undercutting each other because that was how the cruise lines were able to maximise their take. “Our people need to be working closer together to not allow the ‘divide and conquer’.” He added, “The only way that Caymanians are going to get more is if they stay together and don’t agree to the lower prices.”
Bryan said the vendors are complaining about each other, but they should be agreeing not to undercut each other.
He said operators need to offer quality excursions where they set the price and stick to it…
Troy Leacock, the current president of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, attended last week’s conference along with local stakeholders…
He said that the price split issue is complex, but there was some truth that operators undercut each other, and explained that vendors are constantly under pressure from the cruise lines to cut margins.
Leacock said the key now is creating a new business model between vendors and cruise lines that can accommodate these more “exclusive intimate experiences”, which are already available, but the vendors could find it hard to do business with the cruise lines because they carry lower numbers.
“A commission-based approach or a promotional model where we can offer these more unique experiences directly to passengers is what they need,” he said.
Cayman has plenty of unique excursions available for stay over guests and interested residents. The mass cruise ship tourism category that FCCA and DOT kowtows to, really needs to go somewhere else far away, and the sooner that happens the better. We aren’t even talking to the ultra premium liners that know what white glove service actually means. Those liners and passengers make a point of avoiding Cayman due to the infestation of mass cruise tourism. For the rest of us, there’s literally an “Avoid George Town”App in the App Store to spare us the hassle of overlapping our days. If we want cruise passengers, we need to cut FCCA loose and pitch the luxury brand ambassadors directly.
Do tell what the many unique excursions are. The tourists generally think most are mid, especially if they have previously done them.
What Grand needs are casinos and family friendly attractions such as go-kart racing on multi story tracks, ziplining, and a large open to the public waterpark with areas for toddlers and tall slides for everyone else.
One can only do Hell, bus tours, and cocktails so many times before they choose other destinations.
How about tours to visit the thousands of derelict vehicles on the island?
Tours to see cows chained up in dire areas, rubbish overflowing containers and filling roadsides, but mind the crazies downtown and in Bodden Town, take in the aroma of sargassum from East End to South Sound, marvel at the Cayman F1 circuits on our derelict roadways that hold water in rainstorms, and embrace the gridlock we all know and love.
Side excursions to Pop A Top, machete fights in Windsor Park, and mid restaurants and overpriced hotels, all in a luxurious minivan driven by a maniac.
They can throw in the illegal billboard tour same time.
A public, open waterpark is a must. We can’t afford $50 each at the Kimpton.
Its 50 bucks to keep us away.
Shut up and go to the beach.
Beach is gone. So are all the beach bars.
You should build one.
Ziplining over the Dump!!!
Spelunking, in the dump.
This $3mln “Nation Building” giveaway is the latest exhibit on why voters need to amend the Elections Law to ban convicted criminals from office.
Can’t we at least finish (or even start) the beach giveaway project, before starting the next vote buying exercise..?
For context, $3mln is the gross passenger fee head tax for the biggest cruise year ever on record. So we can run the math in our head that our government isn’t really interested in the fee revenue for this toxic industry that degrades quality of life for stay over and residents…then what is it about cruise tourism that they are so interested in?!? Do they even know?
its more about what Kenny can do with $3m than what the $3 million is supposedly for.
All the uniqueness about the Cayman Islands has been used up in exchange for concrete and destruction of the environment.
and that unspoilt island environment was the main tourist attraction until they destroyed it.
Minister Bryant’s obsession with the cruise industry is ridiculous. The sooner these islands move away from any reliance on cruise tourism the better off we will be. We are one financial crisis or pandemic away for the cruise industry to be in the toilet again. Learn from the past to make a better future. Sadly Minister Bryan is not a long term thinker and this will sadly cause unnecessary pain on these islands in the years ahead.
sadly Mr Bryan is not a thinker in general.
Yes he IS a thinker,
he thinks he’s wonderful, educated, smart .
A schemer…that’s a different type of person, where thinking is optional.
Mr Bryan is a dream for the cruise ship industry. Someone lacking intelligence with dubious morals who is likely to not fully understand what he’s signing.
So Kenneth wants to send tourist to the last few remaining private beaches that locals can enjoy without being forced to deal with over. crowding and vendors. This man came from the ghetto and is trying to turn the whole island into a god damn ghetto! Please do not vote this clown back into the Parliament again! He is embarrassing to say the least.
GT voters can remove him right now. Voters can petition to suspend parliament and call elections immediately, but before doing that, should change the elections law to ban criminals from eligibility. They should not be government Cabinet members, or handling money, or directing policy – anywhere. Make flipping burgers great again.
fool…
I second that, he’s fool fool.
“We are not just going to give money away to anybody who comes up with an idea. There are a number of steps that will need to be taken..”
But the operative words are”give money away”.
Can someone please reign this government in. Yet another hair-brained Kenny scheme costing millions of our tax dollars. Remember – it is you, the people, that are paying for this one way or another.
Dont say it. He gonna buy a submarine from ebay?
I regularly fly out to Denver / west coast where weed is legal, and they make literal billions annually in tax revenue.
Legalize recreational sales and miss me about the treaty because if uncle sam can find a way to make certain states have it, we can profit from it too. A friend of mine makes a lot of money from the lucrative black market here, why can’t we put it behind a counter to tax like cigarettes? Create more jobs in local agriculture while taking carbon out of the environment too..
Why the double standard to regulate alcohol and tobacco, but not medically prescribed marijuana? It is about time we moved past the 1923 propaganda pushed by the paper and tobacco industries along with racist politicians who fought again cannabis a century ago.
Except that Colorado doesn’t make billions. The best year on record for CDOR was 2021 with $423mln in tax revenue on retail cannabis sales. That’s still quite a bit, but that’s not billions. With a statewide population of 6 mln, it’s approx 100x ours. Applying those metrics, Cayman weed might bring in just $4.2mln in annual tax revenue (at the equivalent 2.9% rate), along with other new costs and problems. That’s if Cayman can displace the determined underworld dealer and gang network that aren’t (a) willing to surrender market share, (b) peddle in other illicit drugs, and (c) seem protected by the police, judiciary, and politicians. Getting passengers high on shore leave is probably not “the trip” that RCL and Paige have in mind.
Driving High: CDOT’s Meet The Effects Campaign $13,500 fine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5crwD3h7Fgc
Imagine you literally just described a proven way for Cayman to make millions annually, and brushed it aside because “ganja bad, tobacco good”.
So do nothing and allow the dealers to profit massively from their lucrative monopoly.. or regulate to provide a safe avenue and therefore kill the cash cow and incentive to smuggle?
That link there made me laugh. Do remember that a sitting judge in Cayman got in an accident from over the counter sleeping pills and legal wine. Again, your double standards are laughable.
Smugglers smuggle. That continues with cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, guns, ammo, fugitives and posse, even the ganja of provenance unknown, and suddenly they’ll have access to legitimate distribution hubs to launder their entire business line. That’s not worth the maybe $4mln in govt weed tax.
You are out of your mind already. The big issue with the USA legit weed dealers is that they mostly can’t bank their proceeds. Banks refuse to accept deposits from drug sales. So the proceeds are held by the business, but then remain a huge risk from robbery. Increased costs of armed security and Brinks-type transport.
Now put that into the context of a Cayman operation. We are wholly reliant on good relations with USA correspondent banks and the FATF. Any whiff (pun intended) of our banks allowing drug sales deposits, will cause us more grief than it’s worth. And if weed sales are allowed but not banked, then we have business targets holding the cash, attracting even more criminals to our shores.
but if the government grows and sells it (like agriculture department) and then uses the revenue to pay capital expenses then the US and FTAF issue solved as nothing going into banking system if structured correctly right or wrong?
These are the same two jokers who are giving the rich private jet set a massively expensive new terminal building and now money to tour operators. Just love it when they just throw our tax dollars around like confetti! Both Harris and Bryan need to be sacked or just pay for all this out of their own pocket. They make you want to vomit.
12.30pm Please stop blaming Rosa. She’s a Civil Servant who has to support the Minister if she wants to keep her job. i’m sure she’s horrified at some of his schemes just as we are.
So what you are saying is poor Rosa is just riding along, collecting the fat paycheck along with cushy benefits and is responsible for nothing? Give me a break as they treat our money like it is a never ending stream for boondoggle after boondoggle. What about the fancy leather hand bags that only a select group received? Sorry I don’t buy it.
9:16 am thanks for the reminder about the handbags! What happened to that promotion? Can someone advise where/how I can we get a bag?
They are in the Glasshouse basement.
Yes, but mind the dozens of reports paid for and never acted on.
Ask Rosa
25 @ 6:14 pm – The role of senior civil servants vis-a vis politicians is SUPPOSED to be ADVISERS, not SHEEP!!
Guess they never worry about it as the government has a surplus. Well that is not going to last to long they way these people are spending it. What the hell, they can always raise some more fees on us dummy tax payers to fund the lifestyles of the rich and famous.
Man the give away is going big now, lots of votes on the checkout belt!
Wotes buying 2023