Tourism ‘ideas’ grants given out to 14 applicants
(CNS): A scheme to hand out as much as $50,000 to people who came up with new innovative tourism attractions or businesses has seen 14 of the more than 100 applicants receive a government grant to turn their ideas into a reality. The tourism ministry issued an invitation to the public last September, and a release said that the successful applicants submitted a variety of business concepts in areas such as app development, culinary arts, watersports, art and crafts and traditional music and entertainment.
On the campaign trail, several candidates have made suggestions about giving grants to people with new business ideas to promote Cayman’s untapped entrepreneurial spirit. However, the government already gives out various grants for small businesses. The release said the grant for tourism ideas will be continuing, and a new application cycle is expected to be opened shortly.
The Visitor Experience Development Grant Programme (VEDGP) was launched by the Ministry of Tourism to diversify the range of tourism experiences available to cruise and stayover visitors in the Cayman Islands. It provides grants of up to $50,000 for small and micro-tourism business development, supporting entrepreneurs with money and access to training and market research data from the Department of Tourism, the release said.
A total of 110 applications were received over the six-week submission period, which was followed by a structured, formal evaluation process of each of the applications. A financial and technical assessment was then completed by the Cayman Islands Centre for Business Development (CICBD), and the top applicants proceeded to the final round in which they were scored by a panel from the tourism ministry and the DoT.
The 14 successful applicants each received various amounts of up to $50,000. They are now being monitored and evaluated by the ministry to help them progress their business and attraction ideas.
Cayman continues to struggle with the problem of providing things for cruise passengers to do, as beach facilities and access have dwindled due to the overdevelopment of the coastline, and cruise lines have complained about the lack of attractions.
Find out more about the programme here.
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First immediate tourist change is to take down the portraits of the World’s biggest scroungers from our airport aka The Royal Family. Those two drains on society perished months ago. Let’s not bother with putting a portrait up of Charles aka Sausage Fingers either – 73 years old before he got his first job.
I am guessing there will be no actual response from the entities who caused this all to happen. Why would they respond? We have questions. They don’t have to answer. Ever. Same as it ever was.
When was the VEDGP (terrible acronym, by the way) program submission period announced? Was it only offered to those with existing tourism-related business licences? Why wouldn’t you open it up to the bright and creative minds all around us? Too much work giving away nearly 3/4 of a million dollars?
Were all 110 of the original submissions and all 14 of the winners Caymanian? Why not?
wow
14 x $50,000 = $700,000
Hey, you got that right. Were you educated off the island?
How will the individuals be accountable and what measures are in place in the money is not being used for the proposed purpose. Additionally is their training which is mandatory to assist with business development and management. Will the grant information be shared to let the public know what types of business, how much was granted
Don’t be silly…..
I promise you right now the money is not being used properly. How many possible new tourism ideas could you have on this tiny rock?
The “business owners” will use those funds to pay themselves while they “start the business” which will likely fail at the same time they burn through the cash on their personal lives.
Then the story will be “I tried, I failed…I can keep trying if you give me more money with no strings attached?”
Close the Turtle Abattoir and snorkel lice tours!
The single most effective (and cost-effective) thing the government could do is open up the island to Uber.
It’ll never happen, obviously.
Where is the public registry of what grants were given and who got them, for what ideas? I’d like to know more.
Don’t hold your breath. Transparency is a dirty word for those buying votes.
It will be labelled ‘commercially sensitive’ information
Ideas?!
Zip lines from Mount Trashmore to Camana Bay!
Downhill slaloms on Mount Trashmore!
Roundabout crash derby!
Drag races against the locals on the Esterly Tibbetts and Queen’s Highway!
So many ideas!!!
The drag races are already available. It’s just that most of us are participating involuntarily.
my plan to sell pre-rolled spliffs to cruise shippers didn’t make it.
Just go public beach
Friends and Family plan please
What could possibly go wrong here.
This article should be in the Election Section – the timing is no coincidence.
How to identify supporters of the ‘correct incumbent’
Let’s see the proposals for the $50K each. If we, the public are paying, then we should “see” which projects were approved.
Whay the secret if this for all of us to benefit and bring innovative ideas to Tourism? This is a good imitative.
Please, please tell me that one of the 14 Grants supported Eco-Tourism (like Costa Rica) anything except a PORT-RELATED business!
Aka “help Rosa keep her job”
omg..this needs to be audited asap…
Our only “armslength”auditor has left, so no chance.
I volunteer to do an audit at no cost.
Not all heroes wear capes.