Why Caymanians don’t seek work in tourism
Anon writes: Expat workers in the tourism industry are mainly here for a good time and not to make a fortune. They’re taking a ‘break’ from their real lives. They’re young and dumb like all young adults. For many it’s the first time they’ve lived away from their parents, just like so many other young adults in so many other countries – this isn’t just a Cayman problem.
The “divemasters” don’t care how much they earn as long as they can go to the bar that sells the cheapest beer, allows them to run a tab until they get paid and get drunk every night, turn up to work the next morning, have a shot from the dive tanks to sober up and take a bunch of old cruise shippers out to snorkel, and do it again tonight.
They’ll work for a pittance, live 10 to a house, turn up on time, aren’t scrolling through social media because they’re having the time of their lives and don’t want to be fired – they know there’s 12 more expats behind them that want that job.
So if you’re foolish enough to think just because the boat looks pretty and the divemasters are expats it’s safe and hunkydorey, think again. Half of them are still so drunk from the night before they can’t function properly never mind perform CPR!
The expats in the restaurants / hotels are split between those working their pants off to send money home, usually back of house, and others, usually front of house, that, like the “divemasters”, are here for a good time. To party, get drunk, do drugs, save enough for a trip home so they can tell everyone at home what a great life they have, post their fabulous life to IG – they’ve never made this much money in the lives!
Yes, they’re being paid a pittance but those 15% automatic gratuities and extra tips more than make up for the paltry hourly wage. They all turn up to work on time for the same reason as the divemasters. Many of them go home to property they’ve bought and paid for whilst living here.
So, when it all blew up in March and many were complaining they didn’t have enough money to pay rent or buy a ticket home isn’t because they didn’t earn enough over the partial high season, or were earning minimum wage, it’s because so many spent it on the good life banking on earning more over the remainder of the high season.
In the main this doesn’t apply to the back of house hospitality workers and domestics who are truly earning minimum wage with a very small cut of the automatic gratuity, who are here because they can make a better living and support their family back home.
Caymanians aren’t going to work these jobs for long, if at all, as they know the money isn’t enough to support a family, earn a living and have a mortgage in Cayman, and there’s no chance of moving up the ladder because there’s nowhere to go – the owners aren’t going anywhere when they’re making so much money off the backs of minimum wage earners that they can replace in a second. And who wants to be a divemaster, server, prep cook, domestic at the age of 40 earning minimum wage?
Expats are so much easier to fire, bully and to threaten with blackballing so they won’t get another job or work permit, and pay minimum wage. Many, many of the employers treating their employees like this are expats, who’ve circumvented the 60/40 stipulation through the loophole of advertising for a Caymanian partner/investor knowing that the average Caymanian doesn’t have that kind of money – it’s not all ‘fronting’.
And why would you work for someone whom you know has nothing but disdain for all things Cayman or Caymanian, makes no effort to integrate and are really only here because life is so much better than “at home”.
So, don’t fool yourself into thinking just because it’s expat, it’s better or safer.
This comment was written in response to Watersports operators should be Caymanian
My tourism job has been advertised 4 times, 3 for permit renewals. Honest adverts (Caymanian owned business), $65k wage, low qualifications and experience required. Not one Caymanian has ever applied.
Now I own a house here, and I’m building a life integrating into the community, with a view to PR.
How is it my fault there are few Caymanians in tourism?
We don’t have an issue with expats, what we have an issue with is the divide between expats and Caymanians – I am a Caymanian (born and raised, not paper) and we feel that expats look down on us, that you don’t want to assimilate into our culture, that you love Cayman but not it’s people (Caymanians). Expats are easier to pay lower wages to and because of that, it has had a snowball effect. It’s not that we don’t want you here, but we need to take care of our own first.
I’m sure you were not part of interview/hiring process so how would you know or not know if discrimination was at play in others (expat or not) not obtaining the position ?
This guy is an idiot. Period.
Think before you write…..
I’m an expat from Canada and I wish I could live in my country!
I have severe raynauds syndrome which means if I live in a climate that goes below zero I could loose my fingers and toes as my case is extremely severe!!!
Therefore I’m blessed to be living here in this tropical gorgeous climate of Grand Cayman!!!
You said Caymanians don’t want our jobs well perfect then as many of us expats are proud and honour the industry we work in!!!!
Anon, I understand your frustration with disrespect, but further disrespect isn’t the route. People from all over the world have different skill sets, education and career paths. It’s human nature to take advantage of opportunities like working in Cayman Islands. Furthermore, it’s not a hospitality problem to live pay check to pay check, that unfortunately, is a human problem; in every profession you will find savers, spenders, and the selfless sending money to their families.
Many expats living here, have lived in many other countries/islands around the world and have decided to settle here for an extended period of time, because it’s a beautiful island with warm and loving people, locals and expats alike.
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.” -Oscar Wilde
People don’t come here to party, they come for the beaches, the diving, the weather, and the Caribbean lifestyle. Inevitably, any area with a large concentration of hospitality workers, will have some sort of a bar scene.
Before Covid, there were many Caymanians working at the same hotel as myself. From management to housekeeping, to bellman there is certainly no lack of hospitality. Always going above and beyond, and making very good money.
Just do what you love, if it means that you have to leave Cayman so be it, make life an adventure, why follow a career path because that’s what you are told to do. You only live once.
Every role has a value, every person has a different goal in life, you can be awesome & top of your game in any career – by embacing diversity of thought, life stage & culture you can grow a nation. By pushing a protectionist agenda you alienate those people & ideas that can best support these amazing islands.
The offensive smallminded psyche embodied by this article is exactly the reason this country will not be able to progress or compete on an international level.
Many of my jobs in tourism have opened many doors to different sectors such as insurance, law, finance. As I was a hard worker with good customer service skills and quick problem solving skills, hotel guests would see that and offer me jobs (in many countries, not just Cayman). I did not come here to party. I came to experience something different. I didn’t make enough to send money home. I shared a house with 4 people. I made lifelong friends both Caymanian and expat. Moving here was the best decision of my life.
Of course there are always people who do not do their job well, don’t care and would rather do some questionable things but along with those people there are hard workers and people who want to make a difference in the job they chose.
Not all divemasters are as stated. Not all waiting staff are as above.
Instead of making ignorant and quite frankly racist comments about workers and staff. Why not focus on the main issues that underline what you say. The system is clearly at fault, firstly pay people an acceptable wage so any job in Cayman is open to all, locals or expats. Less of the blackmailing or reminders that staff can be replaced at the click of fingers. May be if they were treated better they would respect their roles more.
Stop the generalisations. Some expats do come here and integrate to and appreciate the culture and way of life, they are respectful and actually call these islands home.
But as some people above have said, look for solutions. Fix the system. There needs to be a change in minimum wage. Train more locals for the jobs out there.
There doesn’t need a min wage change for servers they can make a sh!tload. Other workers can also make a decent wage if we would just pay them more.
I know many people who pay way more than is required of them. If we all did that… Pipe dreams I know…
What a laughable stereotype this ridiculous ‘viewpoint’ seeks to perpetuate. Maybe the people he describes do exist but it certainly doesn’t describe any of the divemasters i know.
What a disrespectful and despicable article. Shame on the author for spewing that xenophobia
As a young Caymanian who’s currently finishing up a degree in Tourism Management at an accredited University I’d just like to point out that similarly to a doctor/lawyer/accountant not everybody has the skills to work in the Tourism field. It requires a lot of customer service, a friendly attitude and people skills. Not everyone has the ability of portraying such things.
After this pandemic has passed, there will many jobs available in the Tourism and Hospitality industry. It’s the perfect time to get young Caymanians invested and allow them to work their way up to manager roles. Just like any job ladder, you start on the bottom and work your way up. A general manager a Kimpton hotel can earn up to $100,000 a year. (And requires skills in HR, Finance, Marketing and Customer Service.) Yes it may not be as much as Lawyer would earn but it is definitely enough to save up and live a decent life, especially if you have a partner earning similar amounts.
I’m sick and tired of hearing the Tourism Industry be spoken down upon, Instead of putting the Tourism Industry down we should be pushing it up and preparing to fill the roles that have been left empty due to the pandemic. I’ve met many great expats whilst working in the hospitality industry but most of the time, they are doing jobs that Caymanians could easily do if the correct training was provided.
Exactly. For this industry persons need to to extroverted, great customer service skills, having interest to learn about food and beverage on their own, quick on their feet and able to multi task under pressure. If you get this skills you can move up the ladder in the private sector. Even without a degree. A manager work permit is expensive. I am sure business would love build up a Caymanin manager
“Persons need to be extroverted”
Great! I don’t have to feel badly about not being general manager of the Kimpton anymore. I’ll settle for being a lawyer instead.
What I meant was, in private sector you can be a manager even without a degree
I read the first paragraph and skimmed the second. Couldn’t read any of the drivel further than that.
All I can say is, you are so very wrong. There could be a grain of truth about some but to paint them all in this way is so very wrong. And you could be proved wrong except that most would not find it worth posting a comment saying so. (I see a few..)
I recall a very popular Caymanian woman bartender about 30 years ago at the most popular/famous dive on SMB. I remember hearing that she was making over $50K CI back then and retired not long after (90s). I have no idea how long she stayed retired though…hopefully still retired.
I’m sure all you servers and dive masters from back then know exactly who I am talking about!
Most expats come from countries where employment is viewed as long term so they stay on their jobs. They are not job hoppers. They are dedicated workers who go the extra mile. Caymanians view their living arrangements as cramming into a place whilst its communal lifestyle. Family living and sharing expenses without problems. Enriching themselves and buying homes, properties and businesses in their countries.
I have learnt a lot from foreign workers and friends.
it has made me more prosperous in life by learning the other side. Simple things like save your money. Lessen your expenses. Self discipline. Goals. Patience. Most off all I have learnt to be prejudiced in my views.
Based on your comment, I would guess you’re over 50 years old, and most likely closer to 60. “Job hopping” as you call it isn’t just a Cayman thing; it is very common with young people these days in the US, Canada, the UK etc. It’s a generational thing – young people aren’t looking for life-long careers like Baby Boomers used to, which is probably good because technology is continually changing the job landscape with lightning-fast speed.
Showing up to work 99% of the time…… on time…….. is apparently not as easy as it sounds….. or a requirement to acquire and keep a job… any job …. or so I’ve learned since living in cayman
And that is as it should be, because if you look out the nearest window, you will probably see a palm tree. What you will not see is a skyscraper. A slower pace is to be expected, and it was obvious to me that the pace everyone was being forced to do their business at pre-Covid was about the max people are willing to tolerate. If I want to “bust my ass”, I’ll go to an ass-busting city. This ain’t one of them, despite the attempt to make it one, that failed thanks to Covid. Now we can live our lives at the desired pace once again, and even with all the added stress of Covid, you can see the relief on people’s faces. “THANK GOD the rat race is still closed”, all those eyes above masks say when I’m standing outside a supermarket. Think about that.
But aren’t we planning twin 50 floor towers with our lovely friend and the Islands biggest investor?
Pro tip: If you are a Caymanian, don’t aspire to be a hospitality worker unless you plan to open your own business in hospitality or using it as work experience. Being a server should never be relied on as career that sustains a family.
Be a professional, a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher an accountant. Whatever you want to be, try to be the best at it and commit yourself to continuous improvement. There are plenty of highly successful Caymanians. World class success stories are common. Be patient. Forget your past wrong turns at the forks in the road but learn from your failures.
“it’s not how hard you can hit, it’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward” ~Rocky Balboa
Sadly not everyone has the mental capacity for the jobs you suggest. This is not putting Caymanians down. It is the same around the world.
Sometimes it’s ok to aspire to be something other than a ‘professional’. Stop expecting more from some kids than they are capable of. It’s ok to be a doorman/receptionist/pool boy/restaurant server/housekeeper etc etc.
Oh I know and I didn’t mean to imply that the named professions were the only options. That’s why I said “whatever you want to be, be the best” That includes many professions like tradesmen or mechanics or whatever. The point is strive to be the best. On the other hand, some of the brightest young adults in our community sell themselves short because they think small and have been told to think small. And that is a shame…
For Gods’s sake – what fantasy world do you live in? First of all, not everyone has the aptitude/education to be a doctor, lawyer or accountant. Part of what’s wrong with the Cayman workforce is that Caymanians have been pushed into these “noble” professions and told that’s how you get respect around here. And we end up with too many of these people – lawyers and accountants in particular – who hate what they do and aren’t good at it.
That’s not to say there aren’t good Caymanians lawyers and accountants, because there are. But when you get people taking up careers for the wrong reasons – like family/peer pressure/potential earning – you are bound to get some bad results. I know some Caymanians who have excelled in the tourism industry and they love what they do. It’s not servitude like the judgmental Caymanians like to say. Some people like making other people happy and there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, I would argue that’s much more noble than entering a profession just because you can make a lot of money.
That said, working in the hospitality industry takes some sacrifice. Depending on the position, it will likely require working evenings and/or weekends. It can be difficult for family life, but many couples – even those with children – can make it work. It also requires a different kind of social life, which is why hospitality industry folks tend to socialise together. All of this is personal choice though. There is absolutely NO SHAME in working in the tourism industry and having heard the excuses for 30 years, that’s the biggest roadblock: Caymanians are often shamed for working in hospitality.
There is some light at the end of the tunnel. Some young Caymanians are now seeing the opportunity in the tourism industry and enrolling in the UCCI hospitality programme. I’ve met some of these Caymanians and they are bright, young people with smiling faces and warmhearted dispositions. They are EXACTLY who we should want to be interacting tourists who want to experience the Cayman Islands by meeting some Caymanians while they are here.
Caymanians need to let other Caymanians chose their own path and stop shaming them into careers they might hate over one they might love.
Unfortunately Gov after Gov have neglected education so if you can’t read, write and do simple math when you leave you will never be an accountant etc.
Most countries have a good education system Cayman is probably one of the worst I have encountered!
This is a very demeaning comment. This is not a tip, Its an opinion
Managers are needed in the Hospitality industry too, instead of telling Caymanians not not even bother considering employment in the industry encourage them to work their way up to managerial levels in the Hospitality Industry.
or be happy as a server or bartender
Another fool…
Lol this is why we make so much money
Cause no one wants to do it
And they think like this
How much are you making now? Cause this fool over here is receiving his full salary for his non-tourism job.
Comment from a Caymanian mother who’s kid works in hospitality;)
While I actually agree with most of what you said, just be big enough to say the real reason for writing your post or viewpoint or whatever it’s called. I’m not really understanding your whole point, but what I do get from this is simple hate for expats. You are totally right about the drinking and partying, they are unsafe to be operating boats or pretty much anything else. Depending on the nationality everyone knows who comes here for survival and who comes on daddy’s dime. Filipinos and Jamaican for sure, Indians I’m assuming are here to make money for their families. That’s obvious. British, American, Canadian…most of the white people are here to party. That’s the truth don’t care who likes it. It’s the truth. HAVING SAID THAT HOWEVER…Caymanians wouldn’t do these jobs anyway, so what? Somebody has to do it. My only issue with your post is just say you don’t like expats. In general, I wish every single one would leave, take the tourists with them and never come back. Every Single One. Byeeeeee. I wish.
What an absolute clown you are 9:31pm. This place would turn back 70 years. No thanks.
Lol so well said
Can you imagine
Omfg
Nochance!
If we could go back 10 ish years that would be DA BEST!
White people comes here to party? I wish, this is the worst place in the world to party. I’m white and I come here to work in hospitality and have a better life, experience in the Caribbean industry and build my future.
Stop being so racist!!!
You would not move to Cayman to party ha!
Most of these awful white hospitality workers you talk of are here to make a life, yes may be in a hotter country but what is wrong with that?! Stop the racism, prejudice comments and plain ignorance!
That’s some serious xenophobia and racism. The expat community is hard working and LOVES Cayman. As a dive INSTRUCTOR (use the proper term please), I don’t party every night or show up drunk to work. It’s absolutely back breaking labor and I’d like to see you and the writer of this “article” work one day in our shoes. Pack up your racism and go
From a British expat who spent 14 years on island, half in the tourism trade and half in a qualified hands on trade, started at the bottom, came with no expectations and learnt, grafted and grew, had their kids there and never sent a penny home, all I can stay is that is one complete load of bull&£@t!
Did anyone read the comments written in response to “Watersports operators should be Caymanian?” This “viewpoint” was written in response to those “jingoistic” “narrow minded and xenophobic”, insults and generalisations thrown out there so willingly and frequently about Caymanians and Cayman… And the comment “Sometimes as an expat I feel like packing up my bags and leaving. It’s infuriating that expats are always the bad guy to some Caymanians.” imagine that you’re always the “bad guy” because you’re Caymanian and you hear these same bigoted, narrow minded xenophobic insults but you can’t pack your bags and leave, because this is your home. Or how about the poster “very few local servers who are quick, the majority take so long” or “The problem is that most Caymanians aren’t willing to follow up on that second part – the 75k in tips that takes hard work and showing up every time on time and working extra shifts when you can.” or “no one ever advertised the jobs they do as being as remunerative as they in fact are.” or the generalization that Caymanians are “stupid and lazy” Perhaps this “viewpoint” was meant to be held up as a mirror.. do you get it now? It hurts to be on the other side, doesn’t it?
You have to want it…
And when this opens up….
It will be their for all of us!!!
Not one or the other
( foolish talk)
But all of us..
This country will need all of us to stand together,
not divide…
That’s going to be so important.
So important !!!
And I intend to do my bit for this beautiful country I now call home…
Whatever I can to help.
Or whoever I can …..
Yes – the truth hurts doesn’t it?
We do hear it!! That’s why we are pissed!!! Please pack and go then maybe I would be able to get another shift without fighting management to get it because” Sam needs to work night shifts because she talks to her mother in the morning and she is in a different time zone “
Cayman is the only place in the world where it is bad to be proud of your country. In the US you think you could write a comment like that trump would block your ass
You can be proud of your country but do it without being prejudice to others or “anti-expat”.
I am an expat, living here and hoping to make a life here, I am proud to say I am living here and that I hope to raise a family here. But this back and forth of the thought that all expats think the same or all Caymanians have this view is not right and not true.
Caymanians are being socially conditioned to believe that anyone who stands up for their individual rights Are enemies to society/ expats.Cayman must be the only place in the world where if you are proud of your country you are looked down upon. This is why Trump was elected, Brexit happened. Persons are tired of being called racist for loving their countries.
Your hate for Everyone but Caymanians is noted. As is your declaration of war.
This comment is like the opening comment compressed down into two sentences 🤦♂️
Another fool !!!
Well you guys still haven’t provided commentary/explanations for things like brexit, donald trump being elected… Yellow vest movement in paris, the list does go on.
Any person that shows up on time everyday and does not scroll through their social media sounds like a role model employee I’d imagine if their not doing that they would probably be paying attention to their job. Sounds like a responsible adult to me, and responsible adults are allowed to do what they wish in their free time away from work and can live their life how they choose. If you want to control what persons can do in their free time feel free to move to North Korea I’m sure they have a spot for you. Sounds to me like your jealous that your not able to go out and get drunk every night and don’t want to squeeze in an apartment and pay cheaper rent to live in a nice place. Most servers I know live somewhere on the strip where I personally couldn’t dream to live. Sounds like jealousy to me if I ever heard it.
I’m sorry, but there is absolutely no reason for any Caymanian to be out of work unless they choose to be (present situation excluded). There are plenty of jobs available that pay enough to provide you with a roof over your head and food in your belly. If you are struggling to make ends meet it is because YOU have made some bad life choices along the way. I can certainly appreciate that some people have had it rough early in their lives but you can’t let that define who you are or use it as an excuse your whole life.
This hating expats and insulting Caymanians needs to stop. Especially now when we all need each other the most.
Coming from a young Caymanian who worked in tourism for roughly ten years on and off, I neither agree nor disagree with the proposed statement. Nor do I take a stand with the original post that this stems from.
Yes, the pay in tourism is shit. The minimum wage is shit. Working in the sun for hours on end is shit. But if it pays your bills, keeps you fed, and gives you somewhere to rest your head at night, you do it until something better comes along. Caymanians need to stop having this “I’m too good for that” mentality. I will admit, I’ve thought that way too. I would have a lot more money saved and put away had I listened to my dad and gotten a job in the supermarket as a bagger when I was in my teens. But no, I decided I was better than that and I didn’t want to do it.
However, I worked at the Kimpton before/during/after opening for one year on just over minimum wage. I worked 12, 13, 14 hour shifts in high season, and not much less in low season. But it gave me what I needed and I’m thankful. I moved to the Ritz and stayed another year, where they paid me exactly minimum wage, worked even longer shifts, and was still able to provide for myself. In both of those operations, there wasn’t much potential for me to move up the ladder. A position only opened if someone left, and even then I had to wait one year before I would even be considered for that position, by which time it would have already been filled.
Now, I’m not complaining about it, and I’m not knocking the fact that someone else on this thread stated that the potential is there, because I agree that it is. It just depends on the company you’re working for. I’m thankful for those opportunities, even if financially I didn’t achieve anything. That doesn’t matter. They gave me experiences that I couldn’t get anywhere else. Not only that, I met some really cool expats that I wouldn’t have met otherwise.
As Caymanians, especially those who complain about working dog hours for pennies, we need to show the expats that we can do their jobs too, regardless of what it entails. We need to stop acting like we’re “entitled” because we’re really not. The expats who “come here and take jobs from Caymanians” only do so because they know that we don’t want it. We don’t want to work hard for money and later show it off because we’re proud of how hard we worked. We’d rather be lazy and work in a corporate office for $30k a year and then complain that expats are taking all the jobs that Caymanians could do.
Having now left the tourism industry, I miss the hustle and bustle, and interacting with clients. I find myself nodding off my desk sometimes because I’m not used to sitting still. And I’m occasionally so bored in the office because I’ve done what I needed to do and I’m looking for more work. I’d much rather work in tourism than in an office (obviously not at the moment) but for right now I’m working towards building a better life for myself, and sorry to say, but the jobs I used to have can’t do that for me.
Um, any idea who was doing the jobs before the expats flooded in? Or have they always been doing it?
Sounds like you know yourself well. Better get out of that office where all those lazy people work and do some real stuff like hustle and bustle. The tourism expats don’t come here because they know we don’t want the jobs – they come here because they want the jobs, that come with a lifestyle which would earn you a very poor relationship with your parents, and the scorn of your former classmates, very quickly if you took. A job is not the same no matter who does it. Even you yourself admit it couldn’t provide for you and you had to move on. The author’s point was the jobs are designed to appeal to people who will hold them temporarily and put up with the rough patches because of all the free Jaeger their fellow expat buddies pour them at the end of the day. Shots for everyone and we do it again tomorrow. If you somehow spent all this time in the industry and failed to spot that culture and those dynamics, I don’t know what you were doing… all I had to do was have a best friend who worked at Red Sail at the Westin 15 years ago to know how all this works. Anyone who got a decent education with half-decent parents who said ‘Mom, Dad, I want to collect waiver forms for watersports activites’ would live a very sad life here. It’s quite another thing for some expat surfer dude to come along and do his ‘woah awesome, cool thing bro’ *clink beers* thing for a couple years. Quite another.
I’m sure the sentiment you hoped to express was in there somewhere but I had a hard time reading it based on your composition.
Fair enough, I’ll try again:
– tourism jobs are not Caymanian jobs that expats take, but expat jobs period. Sun sand and sea has limited appeal if you grew up with it. Tourism work in Cayman has an allure to expats that it will never have to Caymanians.
– tourism jobs are unstable and the industry is populated (at the lower end) by people you can’t trust, management is exploitative, etc. Expats because they made a huge choice to move countries and resettle are presumed to be too afraid to face or unable to afford the ‘switching cost’ of going back home or moving elsewhere – at least not till they decide they have finally had enough exploitation. Alcohol is how these employees cope until that time comes. It’s a temporary way of life for them, to be pursued while the body can handle it. Why would a Caymanian want to do this to themselves when they can work at a bank with other caymanians who, instead of pouring everybody shots, say a prayer at the start of every meeting. Whatever your politics/religion, it’s the prayer most Caymanians want to hear, not the shots. They want to joke about our politicians and talk about each other’s families etc. It’s entirely natural and normal.
– if you take a tourism job as a Caymanian from a family of any note whatsoever, unless you become fully qualified in the field and enter at a certain minimum level and look like a ‘rising star’, you will be looked down upon. Fact – can’t be argued. The expectation that Caymanians become members of the “traditional professions” is already there. We can’t argue our way out of it. Our society esteems what it esteems. I know several exceptions – and they prove the rule. Why the stigma for serving others? Read on.
– This was a very poor society for the vast majority of its existence. Money is very important to Caymanians and the older generations that raised the current working generations experienced the hardships that no longer exist. They also experienced the classism of Jamaicans (who treated Caymanians poorly) and the racism of the US (immigration officers trying to decide if a Caymanian was white or black etc). They passed on their stories to each other and hardened as a people. Caymanians lived simple, communal, isolated lives until the start of the 19th century. There was no airlift until 1953. When Caymanians did come into contact with the outside world, the disparity in sophistication was obvious and Caymanians were pitied and looked down upon. They may have been a bit dumb books-wise but they knew when someone was talking down to them. This is why I was raised with the phrase from my grandparents that I must be prepared to “talk back” to anyone – to say ‘actually, I am familiar with that point you make’, and be able to engage. It’s not about giving cheek, it’s abour protecting your dignity. So with that history, the emotional labour of smiling to get a bigger tip, or the attention to detail to remember what some tourist’s favourite drink is a year after they last visited, is just not there. Long before we arrived in current times Caymanians got sick of being the subordinates, the followers, etc. in the situation. So yes, we see service as stooping and not as an honourable thing. If you are serving me it is because I am ‘better’ than you – I have the money that pays your wages, you don’t. Well Caymanians don’t want that.
– so where does that leave us regarding Caymanians in tourism? The answer is there are good reasons to do something else, and good reasons NOT to do tourism. So you don’t see many Caymanians interested in it. Those that are have some things in common with each other, most notably that they are suited temperament-wise to the sub-fields they’ve gone into. If they’re leading hands-on experiences they’re extroverted, open-minded, agreeable, and if they’re carefully planning an event for a hotel then they’re conscientious and probably moderately neurotic. (Anyone who recognised the Big Five, shout out to you). It comes down to the same old story: different strokes for different folks, not enough native people to produce enough people who want and can do well all the jobs that exist. In every 10 people maybe you get one good general manager. In every 25 people maybe you get one good lawyer. I’m just throwing numbers out there to illustrate the problem.
I’d add that the “too good for that” mentality is also generational. Caymanian parents don’t tend to want their kids involved in hospitality due to all the stigma and foolishness found in this thread. If expats are defaulted as the face of tourism, it’s an interesting exercise to wonder where CaymanKind really comes from.
Anonymous 07/05/2020 at 7:01 am – CaymanKind is a marketing ploy created by the Dept of Tourism about 20 years ago. It’s a made up slogan used by those very same expats who denigrate Caymanians and when the shoe is on the other foot throw this out as a way to put Caymanians back in their place when they question the status quo.
True. But not many non Caymanians working in DoT…
@ Anonymous 08/05/2020 at 12:39 pm – marketing company hired by the DoT.
You are an admirable person and if I ever have a business I would hire you in a second. Thank you for this post because it is the exact truth that I have come to find on this island. There’s a reason why most people that are working in hospitality are young. Not to mention it isn’t just true for the Cayman Islands it’s also true around the world. In the USA the republicans love the talking point that immigrants are taking their jobs. It’s silly because I’ve never seen a thirtysomething man with a family out in the orange orchard. Unless they own it. In that case they’ve hired undocumented Mexicans to do the hard work. For less than minimum wage.
Work hard play hard, enjoy life, do what you want and stop criticizing others. It’s very sad that this person decided they wanted to paint a broad picture of expats who come here. Yes some decide they’re going to party hard but they’re not bad people and they are not taking jobs from Caymanians. They’re living their life and you should too.
Thank you for being true to yourself. Yes it’s real talk and truth hurts. All the best!
Who ever wrote this is an absolute fool.
As a “paper caymanian” who acquired that through “hospitality” and working my ass off for over ten years sometimes 2 jobs at once.
I never sent a penny home.
I reinvested everything here in cayman
I have a beautiful house here
I have traveled round the world before that.
PARTIED MY ASS OFF.
The whole time doing it there and here and saved a ton of cash doing it
Lol imagine that 😉
I love this country
I love caymanians
I have trained many caymanians in the hospitality sector,
And I honestly thought THOUGHTS like this were dead and gone
Thoughts (people) with ignorant beliefs like this belong in quarantine…
I hope once I’m allowed to go back outside and work again after this,
Thoughts and fools like this are gone with the virus!
Yes, I have seen you shoot a mean game of pool.
Lott’s of time to practice 😉
Once upon a time….
I should know who you’re talking about then but I don’t.
I think your rant is exactly the point the author was trying to make in his or her rant ! If all of what you state is true, then you are the exception. The facts in the article apply to vast number of expatriate workers (maybe not you), many will readily admit to themselves. If it doesn’t apply to you then why through a fit? A little objectivity goes a long way. Think it was Bob marley that said, “the truth maybe an offense, but not a sin”.
One of us threw a fit
The other spoke the truth
🤷♂️
Working 2 jobs for 10 years so you can
take vacations and boast about it, is not the main goal of the average family minded person ,this our home where we raise our children and care for our families and expats like yourself.You are ranting about how much you earn but it seems that may not have the responsibilities that most of us has
If you earn 100k/yr you can take care of your family, the hours will not be ideal, but you can make it work. Just remember it’s HARD WORK!
Anonymous 06/05/2020 at 4:58 pm – thank you for loving Cayman, supporting Caymanians, integrating and assimilating but, unfortunately, you’re the exception that proves the rule. Would that more expats were like you. That is all that we ask. Simple enough really, isn’t it.
Caymanians dont party, drink or do drugs?
No they sell it 🤭
As a Caymanian I do not feel this way about expats, why say such nasty things that arent true? You have people from every country that does the things this person said. Dont make this fool allow yoy to think that all locals think this way! Big up yourself expats, I love you all!
As an expat that has been here for a few years and have chosen to make this my home for my family. Thank You! there is so many nasty comments from both sides all the time I sometimes don’t know if we should stay or go.
Protip for a happier life: Ignore commenters on CNS
Sometimes as an expat I feel like packing up my bags and leaving. It’s infuriating that expats are always the bad guy to some Caymanians. I would gladly hand my job over to a qualified and willing Caymanian. Imagine if one day we (expats) all just left. Then what would happen? The hospitals would have no doctors and nurses, the schools would have no teachers etc etc.
So, thank you for your comment!
@ Anonymous 06/05/2020 at 5:59 pm – “It’s infuriating that Caymanians are always the bad guy to some expats.” Do you get it now?
here we go with the self glorification……. expat entitlement.. We’re all gonna leave…blah blah blah..
Says the unemployed loser
Flights soon resume for you
Wow, what a sad individual. I know plenty of servers who own 1,2 or even 3 properties here. I myself bought and paid for a brand new 3 bedroom house in 12 years with just my wife ( who is also a server) living in it. Also managed this while taking 8 weeks vacation a year, so don’t say there’s no money to be made. Just don’t work for establishments with a high turnover over of staff, probably means it rubbish. Also, I believe I recently read an ad for a restaurant manager job at the Kimpton offering 100,000 p.a.As for all the drinking, I think it’s your own personal drinking that has addled your brain.
hmm, I don’t
Your Anonymous View Point writer, has a very distorted impression of expatriate Dive Masters and restaurant Serving staff. I am in the business and would defend all my staff with my last cent if he could prove these nasty aspersions of them and the hard work they put into living here and enjoying the Islands
So Mr. Cumber where is your commentary and defense when “anonymous” persons write such hurtful/harmful delusional rants about caymanians being lazy and worthless and having contributed nothing to the development of the cayman islands? This website alone has been laced with such opinions throughout the years. Just as your experienced enough to know not all expatriates are described as such in the article, you and your family have been here long enough to know that the anti-caymanian dogma is baseless and nothing more than jealous discrimination among other agendas for said attitude.
So Mr./Mrs. Anonymous, blah, blah, blah, expats bad, blah, blah, caymanians good, blah, blah, blah, expats mean to good caymanians, blah, blah, blah…
What ?
I knew exactly what 6:31pm was saying! LOL and agreed with my upvote
But, Mr Cumber, you’re no longer in the diving business, are you? You folded the business just last week because you said it was untenable.. And did you pay your staff decent wages or the minimum wage? And how many Caymanians did you train and employ?
I now have a skeletal staff of four left and they are all Caymanians,
The piece has a ring of authenticity to it. A stereotype doesn’t have to hit 100% accuracy to ring true. For instance, I’m sure that sometime in the last 40+ years that I’ve had the good fortune to be acquainted with Cayman ways, that I have attended some wedding, funeral, or other island gathering that started at the scheduled time (although I can’t think of any) so the Cayman phrase “soon come” makes perfect sense to me.
No one should take this piece too much to heart. I will say this about expats, however. I don’t think that there is any town of 30,000 population in the USA, Britain, or anywhere else where the jobs requiring unusual talents and abilities are, or could be filled from such a small native born population. This is because for any trait, high cognition, great beauty, great athletic ability, high management skills, and so on, most people are average and below. A very small population can’t supply the number of unusually high end people in medicine, finance, law, and management that a “world class” type place needs to function. Cayman can’t be a center of finance, medicine, law, or high end tourism without expats. Saying this does not denigrate native Caymanians because the same is true of any other place with a 30,000 population.
I went to university overseas and earned a degree in hospitality. When I returned home to Cayman I started at the bottom and worked my ass off. I showed up to work on time every day and only took sick days when I genuinely needed them. Despite my efforts and commitment I saw less qualified expats offered positions of promotion ahead of me. So I went back to school and earned an accounting degree and changed careers.
I am one of many young Caymanians of my generation who this happened to. And in hindsight I thank god none of us work in that industry anymore because we’d all be out of work.
This might be one of the worst articles I have ever read! Bravo for putting out shit! Nicely done. Sounds like you were never invited to the party. And for good reason.
It isn’t an article, more like a letter to editor.
I guess CNS printed this because they presumed most readers would recognise it was written in the ‘tongue-in-cheek’ style. My my, looks like they were wrong with all the tirades on the posts here.
I know many expats and caymanians who made great money in the service industries when working as waiters, bar staff etc etc. Many of whom were able to buy there own home here aswell as ‘backhome’.
But the dive masters….hmmmm……none of them would be able to do that in all honesty. They are one cheap as chips group of bums as I’ve ever met anywhere.
Horseshit. I personally know four “dive bums” who bought homes here. Yes most are here for the lifestyle and this is just one stop on their world travels. Many leave with with money saved that allows them to go to more exotic places where they can only earn enough to survive. Many return to make more money before going to the next place. Are you going to be able support a home with a wife and 4 kids? No. But there is probably no place in the world you would be able to that working as a DM.
I apologize to you and the four “dive bums” who bought homes here. Could you be so nice and clarify whether they earned all the money here, that made them capable of buying a home, or did they maybe bring some funds with them when they arrived to enable them to do so. Unless of course the ‘homes’ you are referring to are boats equipped with an anchor. Thank you in advance.
All four in their 30’s. Have no idea how much money they came here with. Two bought townhomes the other two bought regular houses. Happy?
Make that 5 bums Mugabe. Christ it’s not that hard to save a bit, get a mortgage and buy a house as a dive instructor with a wife who has a office job. At least it wasn’t 15 years ago…..
Big generalization but doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. We must remember that people can’t come here for the “Little Miami” life, if we don’t advertise as that. Second, with all the developments and continuous straying from the “Little island time forgot”, how can you only attack the people responding to those changes? You should also be attacking the people who have and continue to prostitute this country to the highest bidder instead of thinking of a strategic, long-term plan for the island. There are also the people/companies who are deceiving the government by saying their idea will “bring in tourism” in enormous amounts when in reality it’s about cheap labor, poor customer service, outrageous prices, and ‘donated’ land.
The statement “The expats …… are here for a good time. To party, get drunk, do drugs, save enough for a trip home so they can tell everyone at home what a great life they have, post their fabulous life to IG.” is a grave generalization of an entire group of people – people that Cayman also counts on to fuel the economy.
At the end of they day I’m not quite sure what the point of the article was except to bash the expats in tourism or maybe to scare Caymanians away from the industry – either way the article serves no purpose in our current situation.
I’m an expat – and the comments seem spot on to me!
Your article and viewpoint are simply insulting. I am in my 40’s and a teacher.My main reason to be here is to educate Caymanian children in the hope they don’t grow up to being as narrow minded and xenophobic as you. It’s a thankless and almost impossible task because of the lack of support from our extended team within the ministry. The job is also not helped by many, not all. Caymanian parents with the same view you have regarding expats. This means most kids have zero respect for their teachers as there are not too many Caymanian ones. There are not many Caymanian teachers as they more than likely didn’t listen at school. I work over 50 hours a week and was here for the long haul. The lack of respect from parents and leaders of government have me reconsidering this. It all boils down to respect for your fellow human, regardless of where they are from. If everyone shared your sense of entitlement then you may as well say that this island belongs to the British. I thought there might be a bit more harmony considering what is going on in the world right now but I guess some people are always going to be horrible.
Unfortunately, that attitude towards education is worldwide. Wait until you settle into your new post…. And your attitude only solidifies the current mood of the author.
You call the author of this viewpoint out for being “narrow minded and xenophobic”, and claim to do your best to teach your students from becoming that…but then you do EXACTLY the same. As a former teacher at multiple government schools, I have met some of the most wonderful parents that I keep in touch with years later. Of course you will run across parents and students who are not respectful, who are difficult to deal with, etc. but you will find that everywhere else in the world as well.
There are actually lots of Caymanian teachers in the government system. Many that you might identify as Jamaican, Bajan, Guyanese or even British are Caymanian status holders.
Completely and utterly false. As an expat in a field that requires specific education and experience, caymanians don’t come near to being qualified, nor do most have even a shred of customer service capability.
I’ve started a life here and flourished. It’s sad that it takes a global pandemic for my family to make the tough decision to leave.
The generalizations, stigmas and false statements of this article are despicable.
Do not try to generalize a population that this island depends on in order to make a local population feel better or more entitled.
When the government runs this island into the ground because of fear, your entitled local population won’t be able to save you.
Anon 06/05/2020 at 2:44 pm – a bit rich that you’re asking someone not to “generalize” when you are doing exactly that and I quote:
“The generalizations, stigmas and false statements of this article are despicable. Do not try to generalize a population that this island depends on in order to make a local population feel better or more entitled.When the government runs this island into the ground because of fear, your entitled local population won’t be able to save you.”
Are you all getting yet?!
So back to the gov running the island into the ground because of fear. Do you honestly think that was their intention??? Come on now, you think Alden saw this virus as an opportunity to run his country into the ground? Wow! Just Wow! Everyone is doing the best the can in this situation instead of complaining have some gratitude that you’re where you are even if you are without a job at the moment. Please trust me when I say you get back what you put out there. Really. you. do.
Sorry, bur I disagree on some points. There is PLENTY of money to be made in the hospitality industry as a server, bartender, and some back of house positions. There are also opportunities to move up in the hotels. I know this is fact b/c not only was this the case for myself, but for my Caymanian family members, and expat friends alike. There is a stigma that serving or bartending is not a “worthy of my time” job, but it’s really a shame b/c there is tons of easy money to be made! The auto grat turns the minimum wage job to a $20 a hour job, if not more than that, during high season. You really can’t lump everyone into one basket here.
I keep saying that Anon needs help and this article proves it. I have never read more rubbish in my life. Caymanians don’t be fooled by Anon. Is this a desperate attempt to keep Caymanians out of jobs?
Money is definitely good, hours are not, nor is the ability to say no to the partying
$20/hr is NOT alot of money per hour
Huh? Yes it is!!! Tell that to the nannies and house keepers on island!
Sounds like someone is writing from experience.
Not at all, they’re pulling your chain.
That’s a load of generalizations. I know many divemasters as well as bartenders who never took drugs and barely even drink! They just do it for the enjoyment or to earn extra cash while they’re young.
You’re right about the wage, the minimum wage on this island is crap and needs to be changed anyway. So before you keep blaming ex-pats for all of your problems look to your government that you keep electing.
And then those suffering from all this, are the ones in the back. They get nothing worth living off of “back home”, and in the country they’re working, they’re treated like dirt – because the labor is cheap, doesn’t mean they should be overworked right to their bone marrow. That they go back home with no will to do anything, because their old parents and families depend on that one single income, which is already stretched so thin by the time an amount is kept aside to actually live and eat on the Island, and the money is converted back home, taxes deducted, utilised by the family with mouths to feed, more bills and taxes to pay..
Literally nothing is left in hand by the end of the day.
What I hear. DON’T. HAVE. KIDS. and maybe you won’t have to send all your money back and the poverty cycle can stop. Our atleast wait until you can afford them. (Hope that passifies all the breeders out there)
It’s a shame if Caymanians only showed up to work ON TIME.
Understood proper customer service, they could be great servers making 100k/ year if they’re good, in a good spot.
They seem to actually understand what good customer service looks likes as the demand it for themselves so they should be able to figure out how to give it.
Break the stereotype Cayman. With this reset you can do it!
When did you ever see an advert for a server job accurately refer to the potential to earn 100K a year?
I think the beach servers at some of the big hotels were making close to that
Of course they are. The problem is that no one ever advertised the jobs they do as being as remunerative as they in fact are. That factor alone has discouraged locals from investigating the opportunities.
Well they make that money because their food and drink come fast. There are very few local servers who are quick, the majority take so long I could’ve finished 40 drinks in the time it took to bring me one. Guess it saved me money on a tip and a hang over!!!
The point is valid. A job ad should tell you how much you can expect to make, not just what they intend to pay you as a minimum, especially if there is such a huge gap between the two figures. If they advertised what you can really earn, Caymanians would apply. Thus it’s obvious why they don’t advertise what you can make: they low-ball the ad so only expats who know how good the tips are will see through the ad and contact anyway. It’s just one more way to softly discriminate against Caymanians. Lie to them about the money on offer, then tell people Caymanians won’t work for the money, then pay the real money to the expats you hired instead. It puts paid to the whole ‘Caymanians won’t work for the money’ thing again. I never want to hear that argument again after seeing these comments – it’s clear there’s plenty of money and the employers are lying about it.
That’s right it’s a huge expat conspiracy that only expats know how much you can earn as barstaff. Don’t tell anyone!
Maybe do a little research, it’s not hard. Why should everything be put on a pretty platter for you?
BTW, it’s called “WORK” for a reason.
You cannot “expect” or guarantee the tips. Is a gift from customers. Is up to capability and personality of server if guest will tip or not. Some servers will make 4 times what another makes on same section.
Working for tips (in restaurants) is hard work.
If you in a bad mood – stay home. At work you should be talkative (like a shrink and door to door salesman in one person). Learn how to “look” busy when there is nothing to do and move extra fast (cut corners) when it gets busy. This industry is a blend of perfect tranquil show on front of the house / emergency room like circus on the back of the house. How much tips a server will make depends how well he/she can manage this constant performance with a happy face on. Customers are very picky as there are so many bars and restaurants in Cayman. They write reviews on so many platforms. A section is a responsibility of the server.Not the manager, not the owner. It is the servers responsibility to sell, serve correct order on time, check if customers are happy with what they got, make sure customer will leave a positive review….There are people who enjoy the stress (like in a war zone lol!) and don’t want to do anything else but eventually a lot of people will burn out and choose to do something else.
Many people believe serving is “Go to table -take order-place order-have a nice day!”. Not at all. GOOD server in Cayman makes in average 4000CI all year long. But a good server is polished for years.
You can sit at a bar for a couple hours and figure it out pretty quick. 100k is no surprise. If you don’t care enough to find out how much a job pays beyond the advert then I really doubt you care enough to earn it.
Not just beach, decent restaurants too
100k plus a year
If your good
I did it for ten years 😉
25k usd in wages
75k usd in tips
Hmmmm
You have to really work for the latter 😉
That’s always been my strength here
And for that cayman
I thank you
I thank you so so so much
Now get this open!!!
People getting thirsty!!
Yep. The problem is that most Caymanians aren’t willing to follow up on that second part – the 75k in tips that takes hard work and showing up every time on time and working extra shifts when you can.
You’re welcome!
For those that have much been given…
I’m not one of those, but I’ve done OK and happy to reward hardworkers with a 25-35% tip
The US is open
Tips dude… All tips.
Be fast and friendly cause the heavy drinkers tip best
You clearly don’t know many servers or bartenders then. OR they’re lying about how much money they’re making
Love that all you in support of this article are also anonymous. You feel good that you can hide behind a computer and hate on fellow humans. You are the worst kind of scum.
This article is the most hateful thing I’ve read in a long time. Especially during these times. Shame on you.
I would love to sit and chat with you about how false this article is. If you aren’t afraid to face me.
Signed,
A young Caymanian in hospitality with a family, a mortgage and love in my heart.
Come at me.
THANK YOU!
Signed a Not So Young Paper Caymanian here since the 80’s whose entire family has worked in tourism.
PS I’d better talk to my diver master dad who fed a whole family, came home every night, about his apparent drug and alcohol problem.
My GOSH the false generalizations in this article are shocking!!
What about all of the Caymanians CURRENTLY working in the tourism industry?? Bar tenders, servers, dive masters, dive /snorkel operators, fishing tour operators, pilots, flight attendants, airport workers…. this person needs to open their eyes a bit I think.
You mean to say you don’t know people the author describes? The kind who never get haircuts and can be found somewhere between Rackam’s and Calico’s on any given day?
Shut up. We all know people like that from all walks of life.
The futility of telling someone on the internet to shut up is…mind-boggling. I’ll say whatever I like, whoever you are..
Yes we all do both here and abroad but that’s not to say that we’re all like that. This is exactly the same as the ‘lazy Caymanians’ comments in reverse. All xenophobic, all wrong. People stop it please and learn to take each person as you find them. So long as you all continue this most un-christian, selfish and entitled behaviour towards each other, it gains momentum and Cayman descends a slippery slimy path towards hopelessness. Love thy neighbor and if they do something to hurt or offend you and can’t be educated, turn your cheek and gracefully exit. I was brought up to respect all others regardless of who they are, where they come from or wherevery I go. I have no money but my life is rich because of this and I am thankful for what I learned along the way. If covid and the curfews aren’t bad enough to put up with, witnessing all these vitreous exchanges is soul destroying. We are stronger than that people. Let’s reason and work together to get through this. Please look inside yourselves and think hard before fingering those keys to comment.
As soon as I saw “unchristian” I stopped reading.
The hypocrisy is just to much for me.
You make assumptions too quickly my friend. I wrote that and I belong to no religion. I was appealing to the other ‘Christians’ here.
You’re replying to insults and generalisations with insults and generalisations. “Come at me” plus “If you aren’t afraid to face me” is schoolyard posturing that makes your claim to have “love in my heart” sound like a bad joke. Rebut their claims with knowledge and information. Show people how they’re wrong. Don’t descend to their level.
Yep!!!!
It saddens me that they think Caymanians don’t work in the tourism industry. As a Caymanian that has worked 9 years as a dive instructor, all I’ve care about was showing guest /residents the sea life in the cayman islands. Giving knowledge to people that the ocean is an amazing place and it should be protected. I won’t go on because the people that work hard in the tourism industry know that this article is malarkey
then rally your fellow Caymanians and eventually we would edge out the unsafe DM’s, because they are unsafe, its true, that part is very true. I dated one for a year, I’m telling you they are completely reckless and unsafe with their own lives and with others lives.
Dated ONE, lol makes you an expert huh?
I am married to “one if them” and I can say he is not reckless, he loves and cares about his job. He strives to give his customers the best experience he can and only drinks if off work the next day… don’t judge everyone based on some people. Everyone is different and it is not fair for those who care about their chosen career.
Go to bed. You must be drunk
Andrea Watler 06/05/2020 at 1:45 pm – the viewpoint was written to hold up a mirror to those that generalize about Caymanians being lazy, not showing up to work, that Cayman would be nothing without expats blah blah blah after reading the comments to another viewpoint. To show exactly what generalizations are and to get a reaction to those generalizations in order that both sides, Caymanians and expats, stop the generalizations and the bashing of each other.
Do you see what I did?
Now take a read through the comments and tell me it’s not the same on both sides.
The question is now, how do we move past it? Any suggestions? Solutions? Anyone? How do we get Caymanians into the tourism work force? How do we get the adverts to reflect the true earning potential? How do we raise the minimum wage? How do we ensure that Caymanians are being trained into and offered these jobs? Any suggestions? Solutions? Anyone?
The ads cannot guarantee how much tips and grats hospitality worker will make. Ads always have the “plus grats and tips” part. Amount depends on capability. speed of service, ability to up-sell and knowledge of the menu, talkativeness, multi tasking etc.
And 2.45pm …. the way forward is to get these expats out of here – we may need some or can use some but we do not need all these users. And we must make our useless authority understand for once what’s going on – not just in tourism but all over.
And Finance Department for God sake… Jamaicans, Phillepenos etc etc etc, sending out millions and millions of $’s yearly… where do you think that’s coming from? I’ll tell you – not from $6 minimum wage, but prostitution, drugs, theft and on and on, and you guys think you all doing such a great well …. you all are not and definitely “not for us Caymanians”. Shame!
Your opinion is an absolute joke. Without the expats this island would grind to a halt. It’s the financial industry that is propping up the island right now but how much do you think the tourism industry would suffer if everyone had your attitude.
These ‘users’ that you talk about bring far more back into the economy than I bet you do. If you don’t like it then try to find something better. Disrespecting the people who allow you to live the lifestyle that you do is a cheap shot and not the answer
Anon you nailed it right on the head. The truth is the truth.
Facts
Because there isn’t any.