Bryan challenges report on low value of Cayman tourism
(CNS): Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan has criticised a report by regional economist Marla Dukharan on the Cayman Islands’ economic fortunes in which she found that the tourism sector contributes a relatively small amount to the economy. Challenging the narrative that tourism is a twin pillar alongside financial services, Dukharan said that Cayman is almost entirely reliant on the finance sector while tourism and the associated construction industry contribute very little and may even be undermining the wider economy.
However, Bryan has questioned whether the report was commissioned by someone here with an ulterior motive and disputed its findings. He said that Dukharan hadn’t factored in some important elements in her assessment of the local economy and the weaknesses of tourism, such as work permit revenue for the Cayman Islands Government or the fact that many of the small businesses that depend on visitors are owned by locals.
Bryan also challenged the political observations made by Dukharan, who is urging voters to understand how the economy works here and why it could be at risk before they go to the polls next year.
Dukharan, a well known and respected regional economist with a particular interest in the Cayman Islands, published the report, Unleashing Cayman’s Potential: A Journey Towards Prosperity, on her website. She said she had spent the last year closely studying the structure and potential of Cayman’s economy.
She told CNS that she compiled the report out of her own academic interest in this jurisdiction. It was not commissioned by the CIG, and she received no money for it.
While she has repeatedly stated in recent years that the Cayman Islands has the best-run economy in the region, in her latest work she warned that there are still weaknesses that need to be addressed. She pointed out that Cayman’s economic success is not felt equally, and the government is not measuring or addressing the growing inequality gap.
In this report, she took a broad look at how the economy works, the failure of governments to spread wealth and opportunity evenly, the poor results of education for the money spent on it, and the challenges Cayman has growing its GDP when such a huge part of all local spending is on imported goods — a problem not just for the tourism sector but also for the financial services industry.
Import dependency is one of the reasons why Dukharan questioned the sustainability of tourism and the long-term support that financial services will provide. She suggested that Cayman needs to change its economic model and explained why the economy is not based on two solid pillars.
Tourism is heavily import-dependent, not just because of the goods needed to feed, water, and pamper visitors but also because of the significant percentage of foreign workers that keep the sector going. This means that any growth in tourism “just grows the countries where the imported ‘ingredients’ of these exports are from”.
Dukharan challenged the fundamental principles that successive governments have been peddling for years, namely that Cayman needs tourism and construction to build accommodation and second homes for visitors to fuel the economy.
“But has anyone ever looked at the data to analyze whether there is any truth to these widely held beliefs that tourism and financial services are the twin pillars driving the Cayman economy and that construction is needed to create growth? And if not, why not?” she asked.
Dukharan added that these widely-held narratives shape policymaking, government spending priorities and, ultimately, shape the way the country is governed — who the people of Cayman elect and why.
“It is especially important in the year ahead of an election to make sure Caymanians understand how
the economy works and what actually are the problems you need to resolve, so you can make the best decisions possible when you head to the polls,” she said in the report.
The economist explained that, unlike the rest of the region, which relies heavily on tourism to create jobs, around 75% of those employed in Cayman’s tourism sector are now on work permits. It’s the only country in the Caribbean that consistently shows a net outflow of remittances, as foreign workers send part of their pay home.
All of the goods needed to sustain Cayman’s tourism are imported, while the only things that are not — the culture and the environment — are under threat. Dukharan sets out in academic and economic terms the arguments that people here have been making for several years when they question who Cayman is developing for.
For some time, local people have been pointing to the vicious circle created by importing foreign workers to build hotels and then importing more to provide the services for guests, and highlighting how Cayman’s natural resources and infrastructure are being strained to breaking point while no longer benefiting the wider community.
“[A]ll the hotel construction material is imported, almost all the food is imported, all the furnishings
and linens, almost all the electricity and most of the labour, etc is imported for tourism to function,” she wrote in the report. “What isn’t imported for Cayman’s tourism sector? Cayman’s culture and natural
environment! But if Cayman continues growing the tourism sector, which requires more and more physical space, more hotels, bringing in more and more people, and generating more and more waste and pollution, we risk jeopardizing the very culture and natural environment which are the only major domestic input into the tourism sector.”
The natural environment is a big part of the quality of life here, but successive governments have done a poor job of preserving our natural resources. Everything, from ancient dry forests containing endemic and critically endangered species to life-saving mangroves, has been sacrificed for concrete buildings and roads.
Dukharan estimated that tourism only generates around 3% of government revenue from accommodation and passenger tax, not including work permits for its workers. She said that she could not find data showing how much of the annual work permit revenue comes from the tourism sector.
The government publishes work-permit revenue collectively in its quarterly financial reports. According to the latest figures supplied by the finance ministry, the CIG collected $94.4 million (around 9% of its earnings in the whole of 2023) from work permits. While tourism is heavily dependent on permit workers, unlike the financial services sector, where fees tend to be extremely high, the permits are generally at the lowest end of the fee scale.
Therefore, although the CIG financial reports do not break down work permit revenue by sector, it’s unlikely that fees generated by tourism work permits account for much of CIG revenue, and without the fees from the financial services sector, the government would have a fiscal deficit every year.
“I believe that the financial services sector also subsidizes the tourism and other import-dependent sectors from a foreign exchange standpoint,” Dukharan stated. “Because the tourism sector imports everything including labour and generates a net outflow of remittances, and the level of leakage is so high, it is safe to assume that the amount of foreign currency earnings remaining in Cayman from the tourism sector is very likely to be a fraction of tourism’s overall earnings, while the reverse is true for financial services.”
She added that tourism isn’t the goose laying the golden egg. “[W]hile financial services is producing a bounty of golden eggs, these are really the only solid eggs in Cayman’s basket. This makes Cayman fiscally and economically vulnerable,” she warned.
Dukharan advises Cayman to turn its attention to building a knowledge-based economy, which has lower physical and ecological footprints and higher wages than tourism. But the key to such an economy is education.
“Cayman already has the fundamentals and foundation for a thriving Intellectual Property and knowledge-based ecosystem. Cayman already has a world-class legislative framework and judicial system. Cayman already has technologically advanced sectors and knowledge-based industries that Cayman Enterprise City, for example, has been able to attract. What Cayman needs now is to deliberately accelerate the shift towards more highly educated and, therefore, more highly paid Caymanians,” she added.
Appearing on Radio Cayman earlier this month, Minister Bryan challenged Dukharan’s findings and said she had “drawn some unfair conclusions”. He said he planned to respond fully to the report and the economist’s conclusions when parliament next meets but maintained that she hadn’t considered the visitor spending and the additional duty the government collects on the goods imported for the tourists.
He said he considered Dukharan’s comments to be an unfounded attack on a very important industry that still provides the easiest route for local people to become entrepreneurs and where generational Caymanians still own the businesses that support the sector.
Given the respect the Dukharan commands around the region, Bryan raised his concerns that she had drawn damning conclusions without having access to all of the information or data relating to the industry to support them.
He also noted the interaction between financial services and tourism and how the infrastructure that has grown up around tourism has made the Cayman Islands more attractive to people working in financial services, which he said was something that Dukharan had not taken into account.
Dukharan is due to appear on TalkToday, Radio Cayman’s lunchtime call-in show with Sterling Dwayne Ebanks, on Friday.
See the full report in the CNS Library.
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So..
Marla is a regionally renowned and respected economist with 3 degrees, BSc, Msc, MPhil from UWI.
Young Kenneth is a convicted drug dealer.
I know who I believe.
I was with you until you said..UWI..
Pity, that weakens the value of the word “renowned” and all the degrees .
But still I agree her word is better than any of Kenny’s.
What exactly is wrong with UWI though…? It’s the premier Caribbean higher education university….
I guess Marla could engage in a battle of wits with Kenny, but I am sure she would not wish to attack the completely defenceless.
“maintained that she hadn’t considered the visitor spending and the additional duty the government collects on the goods imported for the tourists.”
My prediction on reading this claim is that I would find this information in the report.
Lo and behold. Page 6. Bad showing from Minister of Tourism KB, since it seems he didn’t even reach the page topped with the title Tourism. The fact that most goods for Tourists are imported (including a lot of the labour used to serve them) is kind of the point, and, without coming off as Mercantilist, not necessarily a positive feature of the sector.
You didn’t seriously expect him to get as far as page 6 did you? I’d be amazed if he read any of it at all.
This raises an obvious and awkward question – can the boy Kenny actually read?
If you live in his part of town please get registered to vote so we can unseat him next election.
Sadly he’s going nowhere. Safest seat on island. The next Mckeever.
I find it interestng that Chris Saunders was convinced to withdraw his Consumer Protection Bill (for further consultaiton) and we have not heard a peep about it since then.
Meanwhile the “jewelery store owners” with political connections are scamming tourists with knockoff and substandard jewelery that many tourists discover is such bad quality it is worthless when they get home and have it appraised .
What does this say about the Cayman Islands as a tourist destination when we licence these pirates to ruin our reputation and let them operate without accountability?
In addition to this Economic study we need a state of corruption report so we can see exactly how corrupt this place has become under the PACT and UPM administrations.
Some examples:
Paving of private roads.
Board members ordering that constituents be hired by various Government owend companies on behalf of the Ministers responsible.
Deliberate resistance to modernising legislation to stop corrupt acts, and to provide more protections from criminal activities.
Politicians using personal wealth to buy votes eg.. check out the parks in Newlands all beign outfitted with new playground equipment and now basketball courts.
Politicians handing out cash every friday afternoon so that constituents can go to the liquor store and stock up for the weekend. These same politicians proudly proclaim that they do not drink!
Two ongoing criminal investigations are now ongoing involving current ministers.
Kenneths sponsorship of a UK football team from his spouses home town.
Kenneths pushing for the Barbados route with no business case shared witht he public. Why was this so urgent and necessary?
I could go on…
Add the ridiculous private jet terminal they want to build to your list. These politicians have lost their marbles and they get voted in every election. Makes no sense!
Well said 9.10… and please do add to the list not forgetting current board appointments of UDP parasites enjoying quadrupled stipends.
“Football team from his spouses home town”…?
Is that a fact.? If so what an outrageous waste of public funds to feed his ego in wifey’s home town.
Wasn’t one of the Tourism reps in London fired for a similar incident.? But he wasn’t Caymanian so it was ok to fire him.
Kenny Beach, can’t forget Kenny Beach.
And Scranton World
Maria Dukharan makes many good points about the mechanics underlying the tourist sector however she underestimates the threats to the financial sector, especially related to the integration of Artificial Intelligence and large language models into the legal, accounting and finance sectors. I would argue that within a decade this industry, the key pillar of the Cayman economy, will be decimated and if the function continues in Cayman it will employ very few people. The question is what then and more precisely what can be done between now and 2035 to create an alternative pillar or strengthen the ones that already exist.
Anon, “decimated”??? Yes, significantly changed with many lower end jobs in these areas wiped out but “decimated” is a bit of a stretch. Educated people in accounting, legal and the finance world will still be employed.
Higher education is the key with a heavier emphasis on computer science needed in our school system. Artificial Intelligence does not run on it’s own.
Decimate means to kill one in ten. Hardly far fetched, but still unlikely IMO.
You understand that decimated literally means a reduction of one in ten? 10%.
And actually, ai does run on its own.
Kenneth’s spewing of words is not a challenge but merely an ignorant emotional reaction.
The sad reality is that the electorate in these islands will continue to elect uneducated and/or greedy characters who have no desire, or ability, to truly do what is right.
I have noticed another wannabe politician, with a similar personality to Kenny, using a roving Mike to interview street people. The resemblance in style and presentation is uncanny. I sincerely pray that people of substance and intellect will come forward next election and win. We do not need more of the likes of Kenny.
What a way to tear down a young Caymanian that wants more for his people. You won’t even give young Mr. Walton a chance before maligning him with the likes of KB?
For the record, Walton has more backbone than most in Cayman. He protested during lockdown for us Caymanians to be able to fish and provide for ourselves. He is an entrepreneur that I have used personally for his cleaning and removal aervices, and he did a fantastic job. Yes, he himself came and cleaned out my attic and carried everything to the dump – he didn’t hire a minimum wage immigrant to do it. He sweat up in my attic for hours, and charged a very reasonable rate to do so, with a smile. He is putting in the footwork now to find out what the people of Cayman – *real* Caymanians – see as the problems, so that he can work towards developing solutions. Truthfully the only disagreement I have with him so far is that he apparently wants religion to be more prevalent in schools, which I am vehemently against.
I have no affiliation with him whatsoever; we aren’t friends or family, I’ve only met him once when he did some work for me. Would I definitely vote for him? I don’t know yet, but I would definitely consider him if he were to run in my district. What I do know is that putting him in the same box as KB is ignorant and misinformed at best, and disingenuous and malicious at worst.
Please give our Caymanian “yutes” a chance before you tear them down.
lmao hello lord shillington of shillshire.
don’t worry, we get it, we all have to do things for money
Mr Walton is lacking… Please do not exchange a good MP for him. He needs a few more years preparation before he is allowed into the Parliament. He has fashioned himself after Kenny B and its already embarrasing.
Can you please help us out here by defining “good MP”, and provide current elected examples?
The McMinister is way out of his depth.
Anyone reading these comments need only skip to the last one to cut to the chase. We had a golden opportunity after covid to change our tourism model and get away from low end, low value add, environmentally and socially destructive trashy cruise tourism but of course that didn’t suit the tourism minister or his crew of higglers, taxi and tour scammers and Chinese junk resellers.
Bryan would struggle to challenge someone to a coin toss. Forget a debate on economics.
Welcome to the big leagues juju and kenny. This is just the first salvo to counteract the endless spending by the incumbents leading to the next election.
Kenneth please be advised that a high number of work permits being issued is not “strength” but a huge gaping “weakness”. Balancing the budget should not be built on huge numbers of work permits. Upgrade our schools, and colleges to fully offer “skilled labour degree courses”. Certainly having to depend mostly on imported goods and labour is not a holistic position for any country to be in. Instead of dismissing the report, read it and try to implement some changes. Cayman will benefit if you dare to colour outside of the box.
It’s not the schools that need upgrading. It’s the education system, starting with social promotion and the fact that parents can easily induce political interference. Alden’s expensive monuments to his ego have done nothing to improve education standards.
Oh dear, he is going on Radio Cayman to discuss with Who? Niether one will be able to offer anything constructive. One winging and denying the other muttering and babbling. We are in a hot mess!
We didn’t have tourism for two years after we shut the border. Minimal impact on the economy, if at all. CIG revenues increased over that period too. Doesn’t sound like a “twin pillar” to me.
We didn’t have tourism for two year after the borders shut. That is correct. The impact was not noticed by people who do not work in the tourism business. Boat owners and bus drivers had to borrow hundreds of thousands of Dollars and quite a few small tour operators went out of business. The Cayman Island Government spent close to $40 Million in stipends to tourism employees. The Government allowed people to take large sums of money from their pension to help themselves out. But some people did not notice what kept the people from starving to death. When Tourism opened back up, some tour operators were deeper in debt than they had ever been and their equipment was in poor shape and is still trying to recover. But Tourism is not important, especially to the poorest among us. Go ahead continue to live in Denial. The closure of the borders have set back many Caymanians and it will take them a very long time to recover. They have very little in the pensions and some have lost all they had in their boat and bus businesses.
Nobody is going to weep for business owners mate. Especially when they pay minimum wage and only managed to make money with imported indentured servants to man their business.
Didn’t see any of them petitioning the government for better benefits and wages for their easily replaceable staff?
The merchant class can suck our balls. It’s that simple.
Learn to code, aka, pivot in business and in life.
Don’t bother learning to code as Artificial Intelligence with soon do all of that. Learn data analytics and how to use data in depth.
unfortunately there is no money in tourism
Apples and oranges.
I don’t know how people can give a thumbs down to “The poor got poorer and a lot of everyone else didn’t know the difference.”
And that’s the point. The Govt’s ability to bail out tourism during lockdown was due to revenues from the financial sector. Tourism is a net drain on Cayman and operates primarily to benefit a small cadre of business owners who are effectively making money off of the national treasury and the taxpayer.
Those tour operators you speak of also did a lot better back in the days when they didn’t have to run at the basement prices as dictated by the cruise industry. Which is really where the Cayman tourism model has gone off the rails.
Exactly! The cruise lines use scare tactics to pressure the tourists to only book with them (can’t possibly trust the Cayman tour operators!) and the poor boat operators are lucky to get $15 per head.
Tourism is does far more damage to Cayman than good. Covid was a blessing in showing how people should change to a different sector.
It is insane to petulantly demand the destruction of Cayman for *everyone* merely to satiate the greed of a tiny minority of politicians taking kickbacks from developers (see Wendy’s superb September 2023 editorial: https://caymannewsservice.com/2023/09/donkeys-developers-and-deaf-ears), and a small number of Caymanians working in the sector. Most people in the sector are the ‘imported poverty’ of comments section fame: primarily Jamaicans.
Cruise tourists are pests, who further clog up the island, and make life for residents a nightmare. The industry can’t collapse fast enough.
There’s also no business case for long haul tourist flights from anywhere else to bring in more stay over tourists, because:
1. Those flights will be more expensive than existing warm weather options, so tourists won’t be interested.
2. Cayman is already too expensive for most tourists, in large part because a bloated, incompetent and corrupt CIG and civil service/de facto welfare scheme are funded by 20%/22% import taxes on everything entering.
3. Cayman is now a [far] more expensive version of Miami. If tourists want that, they can go to Miami; if they want undeveloped islands, there are cheaper options. Cayman should forget tourism, and focus on increasing offshore work. The government hasn’t screwed that up yet (but with the increases in fees, beneficial ownership changes, and lack of competitiveness with Dubai, Singapore, etc. it’s on track to do so).
The government also gave out handouts higher than the pension payments. The pandemic also brought about new business opportunities, but the pre-pandemic trend of ripping off tourists has bred the sense of entitlement. Savvy business owners know that you have to prepare for slumps and growth.
I hear ya deh Harper!!
How much does CIG (i) subsidise tourism, CAL, hotel building concessions etc and pay on DOT, overseas tourism representation, overseas sponsorships etc, and (ii) subsidise the financial industry? Thought so. There isn’t even a minister who focuses exclusively on the financial industry, unlike that idiot at Tourism.
If tourism and finance are the two legs of our economy, tourism is the crippled one and finance is the strong one supporting it.
Remind me of Kenneth’s education and qualifications again? Is he in any way, shape or form in a position to critique an economic report?
I graduated with a BA in Business Economics from a top 50 ranked university and ran a research department of a Fortune 500 company for seven years.
If I recall correctly, the construction sector along with the tourism sector has the largest multiplier effect upon job growth.
Construction is considered unsustainable in the long run.
So, I’d say tourism is very important to the Cayman economy as it also brings in capital to the Cayman Islands.
Use your degree to explain how any of the findings in her report are wrong. You said a whole lot of nothing.
Read the report. MD did not dismiss tourism as unimportant.
It’s amazing that you can get internet under your bridge in Svalbard.
Haha Svalbard. Nice one.
Multiplier effect on employment is not quite the same as being a net contributor to the economy though, is it? Especially when the jobs generated are a) mainly low wage and more importantly b) held by expatriates who export significant proportions of their income. Let alone to the point where it can justify the diversion of substantial tax payer funds that could be used in other ways to support the economy or even better not spent to reduce the effective tax rate in businesses to promote their growth.
If I recall correctly, the construction sector along with the tourism sector has the largest multiplier effect upon job growth.
I never attend a top-ranked university, but I don’t think any other country in the world is targeting a multiplier effect on job growth so they can import cheap labour from impoverished countries to fill those jobs.
Being Caymanian has it’s benefits after all. Proves what we have been saying all along! that is a few token Caymanians with good connections in the workplace is good for business.
Modern day universities are driven by politics. No longer are you taught ‘how’ to think, you are taught ‘what’ to think.
tRrump University was it?
Tourism is sustainable. Construction is sustainable. Financial services are mobile and can leave. Condo developments in the hundred of millions bring large capital influxes into the economy. Many tourists also take advantage of financial services so there is synergy.
Your degree puts you in a Hole full of ignorance here. At least half of the population of Cayman Islands will never agree with anything you say.
He said he considered Dukharan’s comments to be “an unfounded attack on a very important industry that still provides the easiest route for local people to become entrepreneurs and where generational Caymanians still own the businesses that support the sector.”
By “easiest route to entrepreneurship” the Minister must mean buy a bus and become a taxi driver because if you take out Cayman Status holders multigenerational Caymanians own very little in the tourism industry. Kirkconnells with Duty Free, Adrian Briggs with Sunset House, a dozen watersports operators and handful of restaurants and bars.
Leave it to us Caymanians to maintain our own demise and shout down anyone who speaks the truth by labelling them as dissidents. If you didn’t read the report, and can’t refute what was said, hush your mouth bobo.
Which “us”, bredrin? Majority of “us” Caymanians know that what this lady says makes perfect sense, and that KB is a mouth-breathing moron.
Oh, sorry, did foreigners elect him?
Ummm, well, actually, …. (It wasn’t Arch’s, Merren’s, Foster’s and Kirkconnell’s).
Yes, actually. (Thanks, McKeeva.)
The guy who wants to renew the port referendum issue disagrees with a report that counters his position. Say it ain’t so.
One of the key components of economics is that it works with the data that is available. Putting ‘a’ number to something, even if only an estimate, is a good start. As the data get better then the estimations get better. It is a poor excuse to say that the estimate is wrong because the data doesn’t exist. If Kenneth Bryan is confident the assessment is wrong, he could prove it by collecting the data!
Thanks to the author for this balanced and well written article, based on the report I had written and the feedback from the Minister of Tourism. Thank you all for your comments and feedback, many of which made me laugh, which I needed!! So, thank you. I especially appreciate constructive criticism on the substance of what I have written – I welcome feedback that shows where I am incorrect in my analysis and conclusions. I do not profess to know everything, so I appreciate knowing where I have gone wrong. Having studied Cayman for over 12 years, and saying repeatedly that it is the best run economy in the Caribbean (because this is what I truly believe), I felt compelled to share my thoughts on how it can be improved, and how we can solve some of the issues we know exist. My hope is that we can ventilate these issues respectfully and constructively, and arrive at solutions which the policymakers will implement, to the benefit of everyone in the Cayman Islands. Thanks again, everyone. Have a lovely Friday and a peaceful weekend ahead. Marla
Dear Marla,
Keep up the good work. That Minister does not have respect for most people. No need to respond to his idiocy. He who know not that he knows not is the best description of that person.
MD is not a voter.
All the imported Jamaican tourism workers are Kenneth, Seymour , Saunders and Mac voters.
Therefore MD is wrong.
Does anyone care what Bryant has to say or even listen to him…
NO.
in Dukharan i trust.
Apart from being massively subsidised by the Government (which has for fifty years fueled its profligacy based on the revenue streams provided by the financial industry), the big problem with the tourism sector is that it operates in reliance on minimum wage imported hostage labour. This has the knock on effect of excluding Caymanians who historically have not wanted to work in job sectors that do not pay a decent wage.
The Cayman Miracle depends on a viable middle class job sector providing a constant supply of professional, administrative and technical jobs. For the last fifty years those jobs have come from the financial industry and, more recently, the government itself.
If CIG is intent on relegating Caymanians to lower income job sectors then it better get some vocational training going and start restricting work permits in those areas.
I dont like your facts! So I will make people use their feelings instead of facing reality!
Story of a things that are preventing their own success.
Ah….Cryin’ Bryan, that intellectual colossus. Doubtful he understood more than a couple of sentences in Ms Dukharan’s report.
Regret to say in the Cayman Islands we elect convicted criminals and many poorly educated people, but not educated economists.
Sad reflection on our society.
Well said Wilt.
And in some cases poorly educated criminals.
I believe that would be in “most” cases.
I’m with your comment except I would add that an elected official doesn’t have to be an economist, or HIGHLY educated from the standpoint of degrees.
What’s most important is that they are INTELLIGENT, not going to be influenced by people that have money to throw at them and lastly, that they have the authority to drive whatever changes need to be addressed.
Being elected shouldn’t be solely a popularity contest.
I completely agree but SOME education isn’t usually a bad thing. I’ll take an intelligent person over an educated idiot every time but if we’re going to pay these people vastly more than almost every other politician on the planet including the British PM, I don’t think it’s too much to ask for both!
You forget that Kenneth beat Marco Archer whom I belive has an Economics degree. This is the reason why our Parliament has become so dumbed down..because we keep electing blockheads and rejecting those with the mental capacity to actually run the country. Rejecting Marco for Kenneth was a huge mistake. Look where it has led us to! A PACT Government that fell apart in two years, two major investigations ongoing involving members of Cabinet, and major instability, not to mention the fact that nothing has been done for the long term propserity and wellbeing of Caymanians…you reap what you plant, and sadly Kenneth has taken root.
This exactly her point Kenny, small businesses and lower fees for permits against financial revenue suggests tourism isn’t the pillar its purported to be.
‘He said that Dukharan hadn’t factored in some important elements in her assessment of the local economy and the weaknesses of tourism, such as work permit revenue for the Cayman Islands Government or the fact that many of the small businesses that depend on visitors are owned by locals.’
do this instead of your usual blundering,
“But has anyone ever looked at the data to analyze whether there is any truth to these widely held beliefs that tourism and financial services are the twin pillars driving the Cayman economy and that construction is needed to create growth? And if not, why not?” she asked.
Of course Bryant and the rest of the elected representatives are going to bash this lady’s report as they only want us to hear what they have to say and accept it as gospel truth. The truth is that all we are doing is keep importing poverty in all these low end workers from the most impoverished places on earth just to line the pockets of the greedy elite. They keep blowing money on school buildings yet all the schools keep turning out young people who can not cope in the real world workplace. Nothing will change because the fat cats get richer and the poor get poorer. Dr Frank McField warned us about this social problem years ago but no one cared and wrote him off as incompetent, just like Bryant is doing to this ladies report. Just wait till they get on the floor of the LA and spout the hate speeches. Can’t wait to hear the pearls of wisdom from Seymour.
Page 3: The wealthy may influence elections and govt policy ….
Remember, Tourism also subsidizes the Taxi cartel, so that explains Kenny’s negativity.
I read the Auditor General’s Report on Cayman Airways. We are spending over $20M a year on CAL.
We NEED to have the inter-island service to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, no question asked.
We NEED the Miami, Tampa, Kingston and La Ceiba.
The rest is a NICE TO HAVE and should have fully pay for themselves.
We definitely do not “NEED” La Ceiba. Or Tampa for that matter (and I am willing to concede that as someone who much prefers Tampa to Miami).
I recently traveled on the New York CAL flight, which was only around 1/3 full. Hardly anyone joined the tourist immigration line, everyone was Caymanian or resident. There was no wifi which is a deal-breaker for business travelers.
Loss-making routes like this one should be stopped or reduced to the bare minimum. It’s lovely to be able to have a direct flight for the weekend but the entire country is subsidising a small number of locals traveling there.
MLA’s “need” La Ceiba and all the others with their second families in Honduras.
you mean their side pieces…
Agreed on La Ceiba. Not sure I agree on the Tampa flight, would be interested to know why you say that as its very popular.
Tampa is much easier to navigate than Miami.
Tourism is important but we are spending too much to get these meager benefits.
It’s one thing to measure how much the Cayman Islands Government gets from tourism, but that is still only half the picture. How much does the Government SPEND to get these tourism results?
Somebody please calculate the total amount spent per annum for the last 10 years on:
CAL Subsidy
CAL Losses (above the annual subsidy)
Turtle Farm Subsidy
Turtle Farm Losses (above the annual subsidy)
Ministry of Tourism
Department of Tourism
Tourism Attractions Board
Hospitality School at UCCI
Would the tourism industry fall on its face if we reduced the Turtle Farm to a research facility? Or, if we turned it over to a competent attractions company to manage it and stopped using it to hire political loyalists?
Keep tourism. Grow stay over tourism. Increase the benefits of tourism but cut out the wasteful spending.
Get rid of the higglers!!
The land is worth a fortune to a hi rise condo developer
They really need to close the turtle farm down. Government can only fund so much!!
Kenneth Bryan’s paranoia and victim mentality shows why he is unfit to be a Minister. The fact that he can’t debate her point by point also shows is ineptitude. He has to save his comments for the House where he can have Parliamentary Privilege.
What does he need Parliamentary Privilege for if not to attack her and attack her work? These egotistical male egos can’t handle the facts and wussah when the facts come from an educated woman.
MP for GT Central maybe… Minister of anything, NO.
Because Minister Kenneth is no match for Marla Vegas says a ventroloquist from across the floor of Parliament,
with a better speech writer and better command of the English language,
will do all the rhetorical defending of ‘my people’ in the tourism industry with sentimental stories and a tear or two to distract us from the FACTS.
Please don’t make this about sexism. It’s not.
It’s about an intelligent woman and a not-so intelligent man having different views and probably agendas.
Tourism guru Bryant and successive governments are being exposed by a real professional that has no horse in the race and can be objective without fear of any reprisals.
The people of the Caymans have been manipulated by successive governments about the vital role of tourism and the development industry for decades. Jim Bodden, Norman Bodden, Truman Bodden, Tom Jefferson, McKeeva Bush, Moses Kirkconnell, Kurt Tibbetts, Joey Hew, Juliana O’Connor, Jay Ebanks and Kenny Bryant have deliberately misled Caymanians while they facilitated the needs of a cabal of financiers and money launderers with questionable plans for these projects that costs the Caymans millions in concessions and rebates annually.
The final kick in the teeth is the minimal post construction employment for locals.
I have live here since 1976 so it is high time that the shell games and misinformation gets exposed by competent economists whose reputation and credibility exceeds all those leaders that personally made millions from the decisions made to support development and tourism down here and ruin paradise.
Down with you 100% DC was once a financial pillar but little or no money remaining here now because our tourist product maybe owned by “Caymanians” but controlled now by parasitic interest now even cruise ships now using destination to give passengers a little time to stretch their legs a bit before getting back on board to spend their mula$$$
Preach ON !!!! All true
Having lived here since 1976 you should know by now that we are not the ‘Caymans’ and the name is Bryan, not Bryant!
Carry on…
This is who we need to come speak here, not ditzy “keynote” speakers on made up issues.
Who’s going to bring her in please!
She spoke at a conference about a year ago and I recall Minister Bryan asking her publicly if she thought his tourism policies were the right approach and she responded that she needed more information in order to answer that question. And eluded to the fact that there is very little information coming from the government. He clearly didn’t like her answer so now he is trying to discredit a very equalities and experienced economist. What a guy!
“Football team from his spouses home town”…?
Is that a fact.? If so what an outrageous waste of public funds to feed his ego in wifey’s home town.
Wasn’t one of the Tourism reps in London fired for a similar incident.? But he wasn’t Caymanian so it was ok to fire him.
Why isn’t the data available?? As with everything else, stats are delayed or just not published for months past reasonable expectations. ESO did not respond to queries either .. SMH
Turtle Farm annual reports not published in years. How much are they losing?
Zero Accountability.
Why are the reports so far behind?
Problem. Intelligence listens to intelligence. Third world listens to third world. They do not mix.
Minister Bryan is not qualified to seriously challenge this economist’s assessment. One she is highly educated and respected in the region for her view points. Mr. Bryan has a checkered past and no real education to speak of.
The is a superb analysis of our situation in the Cayman Islands. I regret to say that Minister Bryan does not have the intellectual capability to appreciate the analysis. All he can do is respond in a knee jerk fashion rather than opening some sort of intelligent discussion about the findings and conclusions.
Unfortunately, he is a product of our failed public education system. 😭
People who know Kenny, know it wasn’t the schools’ fault. Unfortunately, he has good rhetorical style. This let’s him get away with having little real substance or understanding of basic issues. If you really listen to what he says it is Word Salad. I often think that he doesn’t actually know what some of the word he uses really mean. But he has been like this for a very very long time.
Kenneth challenges report … bwah ha ha ha!!!
The only thing Kenny should be challenging are police officers doing their jobs.
FACTS FIRST
Minister Bryan doesn’t like the facts when they don’t suit his spending agenda.
She said is that tourism is not a TWIN pillar of the economy. She said Financial Services makes a BIGGER contribution to Government revenue.
She didn’t say stop tourism. Tourism generates government revenue from accommodations, port and airport passenger taxes and import and work permit fees.
Why are we afraid of the facts?
Kenny I dare you to debate this with Marla publicly, so we can all enjoy your humiliation. It has always been the case (documented historically by our own statistics and public disclosures) that around 60% of Cayman’s revenue comes from financial services. Suck it up buttercup.
Kenny wont like being exposed by an outlander, his Ministry being over prized, understandable I guess. So hear it from a Caymanian Kenby, you’re f****** useless.
After reading the information summarised in the article, I find it hard to see what Kenny is on about.
I eagerly await his response. Perhaps he could crystalise his thoughts onto a billboard?
Please god, no more eyesore billboards! They make us look like a third world country .. and are being put up by our Tourism minister of all people
His best billboard is covered in weed ( not his kind) at the Smatts land on North Church Street. After 30 months nothing has taken place. This is a omplete waste of $6 m of tax payer money. It is made worse by the crude fencing preventing the use of the land by the public. Bryan is a disgrace. Two more brain cells he would be a plant.
She clearly did not take into account the 4 T-shirts and 9 beers that the 14,000 cruise ship passengers who invaded our island purchased today.
Don’t forget the lounge chairs, the umbrella, the jet ski rides and probably some food to go with those 9 beers. Plus, the taxi ride to and from the beach.
Quick somebody find the crayons so that the minister can prepare his counter arguments
It is unthinkable that anyone suggest that the tourism sector is not that important to the economy – why – that might suggest that the tourism minister is not that important or at least not as important as he thinks – simply unthinkable
Should read
Renowned Economist challenges low value of Cayman tourism minister
Surely Ms. Dukharan is much more qualified than Mr. Bryan! Should he insist on disagreeing he should provide his own detailed scientific study.
Not another consultant report that costs millions and just collects dust!
No, no. He should prepare it himself! LOL
Anon @5:51 pm if it’s 1 thing I know is that educated people don’t lie ! the man made his mistake paid his price let it rest, he has the right to have his say he is the tourism minister after all love him or hate him
Biggest embarrassment known to Cayman= Kenneth
Dwayne Seymour, McKeeva Bush and Juliana O’Connor-Connolly take the cake. They are the most ignorant and verbose wind bags that spout mountains of bullshit every time they speak. Kenny Bryan seems like a top prize in comparison to that trio
MacBeater? Donkey Boy? Lady who speaks in tongues?
Don’t forget McKeeva
He is so far out of his depth, he couldn’t reach the bottom of the pool with an extension ladder.
I’m sorry, I really want to agree with you but McKeeva wears that hat.
just face it Kenneth, its facts shouldn’t be hard to deny. Cayman is the only island in the Caribbean where the tourism representees are 90% foreign. Most tourist who come here doesn’t even know what a Caymanian looks like. This is the Cayman way, Caymanians last.
Spendy’s house of cards crashing down
The great ideological divide is between those who believe that theories should be adjusted to reality and those who believe that reality must be adjusted to fit their theories.
This report from a highly respected individual that has no conflicts certainly points out, if nothing else, that the need for a runway extension into our precious North Sound to permit the operation of a couple low cost carriers from Europe is not required. Please give up this ridiculous idea Minister Bryan.
But what about the quarry operators who contribute to certain election campaigns – they have feelings too
This report is offensive on many levels and there is some sort of agenda by the author. She slaps every Caymanian voter in the face, who she sees as being ignorant about how the economy works and this inadequacy should be addressed ahead of next year’s election, presumably by reading her report. By extension, she means that because of this shortcoming the choices made at the polls up to this point are flawed. Numerous others offensive conclusions she draws about Caymanians, its leaders, its business-people, its educational system, its consumption patterns, and the list goes on and on; in her view a society that really doesn’t have a clue about its make-up.
The title of the article “Unleashing Cayman’s Potential: A Journey Towards Prosperity and Unity” suggest a level of contempt by author for the country as whole, which has not nearly reached its potential (suggesting consistent underperformance); and has to date been unprosperous and disunited! The author is clearly very full of herself, website with her name, and the picture of herself at the end of the article confirms my initial thought that she is looking for a job in Cayman, this reminds me of CVs from persons seeking jobs in some industries – typically bars, beauty salons, etc, didn’t realise it was done by economists as well – never seen a photo on an attorney’s or an accountant’s CV. The real giveaway that she is seeking employment is the disclaimer at the end of the article which I have probably breached by reading the article without first contacting her. If she stands by what she wrote and simply believes she has something worthy of saying why can’t person make references to it, etc without first contacting her. Minister Bryan’s reaction is probably the reaction she wanted, attention from someone in high office. My advice to Bryan is leave what she is saying alone, because it is frankly hogwash – of course the Cayman economy is fuelled jointly by financial services and tourism and the two are intertwined, and a natural consequence of that economic growth being construction! To suggest otherwise is foolish.
I also notice that this is the third article she has done on Cayman since 2021, clearly making inroads in Cayman is her focus – CI$. I scrolled back a bit on her website and noticed that in the years leading up to 2018 she wrote alot about Barbados and I believe she was successful in landing employment there but seemingly she has found no favour with the Mia Mottley administration (which was elected in 2018), to work on Mia’s team, and of course she dares not oppose Mia. Well the good news for her is that the marketing job in Cayman is working because she will be on Radio Cayman today, although I don’t believe this is her first time on Cayman’s airwaves.
Mia may be a great orator and globally popular, but the Barbados economy leaves much to be desired.
Its doing a lot better than most in the Caribbean, strongest economy in the Eastern Caribbean. Source: IMF.
6:48, Believe me. This economist is not looking for a job.
Care to actually address the points covered in the report or are your feelings more important?
This is what’s known as ‘ad hominem’ – an attack against a person rather than the argument. It is a fallacy – faulty reasoning.
“By extension, she means that because of this shortcoming the choices made at the polls up to this point are flawed”
Lol – look at the make up of the current leaders of Cayman. The choices that have been made at the polls are clearly very flawed!!
Dont like the message? Shoot the messenger!! LOL
You 6:48am are an idiot.. How much did Kenny pay you to write that foolishness?
Kudos to this revered economist providing an excellent analysis of reality here in the Cayman Islands. It was not an attack, but a scientifically composed report based on facts.
Facts don’t care about feelings.
Who to believe
1. Educated Economist
2. Convicted crack dealer.
Choices, choices.
She is so far above Ken-Ken’s pay grade that he is now in a tailspin. Do us a favour little guy, read her report over every night between now and next campaign season and let us know what changes you will implement based on the knowledge you would have gleaned from the nightly readings! P.S. have the dictionary nearby for clarification. it is so embarrassing that the majority of our elected officials cannot properly read and has basically no understanding of spoken or written word. SAD!