Loss-making Turtle Centre seeks to increase appeal
(CNS): As the Cayman Turtle Centre in West Bay continues to lose millions of dollars every year, the beleaguered tourist attraction is looking for marketing experts to elevate its appeal, revamp the entire product, overhaul the website and help it make money, including encouraging donations. According to documents on the procurement website, the CTC is looking to develop new products and improve its existing ones to increase visitor satisfaction.
According to its 2021 annual report, the CTC, previously known as the Turtle Farm, continues to sell farmed meat, which makes up half of its revenue. Nevertheless, sales and production are in decline — a possible indication that tastes are evolving. Even though turtle stew is Cayman’s national dish and the farm sells at a loss to encourage those who still eat turtle not to poach or buy poached meat, consumption is declining.
However, the farming of an endangered animal remains controversial, and the CTC avoids the promotion of meat sales, focusing instead on promoting the facility as a tourist attraction. But ever since the redeveloped and enlarged centre opened in 2006, revenue through admissions has fallen far short of operating costs.
In 2021, ticket sales accounted for just 16% of revenue. Food, drink and merchandise make up 26% of the takings, and a very small amount of cash comes from donations for the farm’s release efforts. All of this combined brings in around $1.2 million, which is why it needs a massive cash injection year after year. According to the 2024/2025 budget, the CTC will be running an operating deficit this year of $9.5M and over $10M in 2025.
Against that backdrop, the CTC is looking for experts to redo almost every element of the facility. Officials said they want to completely overhaul the website, focusing on a full redesign to modernise the look, feel and functionality. It will include a payment portal and “a robust donation portal”.
Regardless of the farming of meat at the facility, the CTC has promoted its conservation credentials, having released turtle hatchlings into the sea for decades, which has had a significant impact on the number of turtles now nesting on Grand Cayman’s beaches.
However, there have been concerns in the past about disease, genetic mutations and other health-related problems at the facility, as well as questions about the safety of releasing farmed turtles into the ocean and the negative impact it may have on wild turtles.
Despite the many problems the centre faces, the aim now is to increase revenue. The conservation mission is expected to play a key part in the revamp, which will include new fundraising initiatives, PR opportunities, enhancement of the CTC’s retail products, and new experiences or programmes.
“The Cayman Turtle Conservation and Education Centre aims to increase revenue, improve visitor experience and strengthen the Centre’s brand presence,” officials said in the bid documents.
“The primary goal of the branding strategy is to position CTCEC as a premier destination that attracts stayover visitors, fosters enduring relationships with local patrons, and raises awareness of their conservation efforts. By achieving these objectives, CTCEC aims to enhance their reputation, drive visitor engagement, and support their mission of conservation and sustainability.”
The bid is open until 15 November.
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Category: Business, Marine Environment, Science & Nature, Tourism
Turn it into a state of the art water park. Or release the turtles and turn it into a shrimp farm. Sell shrimp to the hotel.
Governing is tough, balancing a budget harder still.
Perpetual loss makers need to cut costs, not increase them.
Start with the expense level that allows for break-even at current revenues, then work out how best to get there.
Well, when you close on public holidays, one of the times you can make money from residents, what do you expect? It is also a great event venue. Why is CIG not making money from that? So many other things they could if real effort was put in.
Please just spend the money on people not turtles. The NAU is chronically underfunded. How much good could you do with $10m?
you understand that we have enough money for both right? Cayman is wealthy enough to literally throw money at problems until they go away, NAU isn’t underfunded because the budget is tight, its underfunded because its a system that’s designed to fail.
For one thing. the high ups are paid too big salaries. why pay some one/ones big, big money to lose money ,
Many Caymanians still fail to understand just how little genuine conservation has been achieved in modern times, and how monumentally uncool that place is from almost every angle….still serving turtle burgers. Shut it down, or turn it into a genuine conservation facility that could pass international NGO grant and/or sponsorship tests.
The place is okay to visit with my family. The kids like the slide and to see the animals but that doesn’t last long. There is a huge amount of space to create something more enticing to us all. Start with a much better playground. There is only a tiny place for small kids.
Let’s be honest though, the place is too big and offers very little. Nice gift shop though.
Improve the experience at reception. Last time it looked and felt exactly like customs
Legalize the boom draw within the CTC precinct. Grow some high quality weed at the farm and employ locals to show the tourist how to rolls spliffs and they could be on their way to profit in no time.
In no time at all the other MPs will be demanding to have designated smoke-free areas, as in no fear of being arrested, in their own districts. All of the weed-heads will be happily employed, crime will drop drastically, and there will be no need to build a new prison.
That whole area by the failed car museum, turtle farm and the dolphin captivity place looks like a derelict shambles. Hard to see where the money went.
It’s groundhog day again