Tourism
Visitor numbers in 2024 edged closer to 2019 record
(CNS): Almost 438,000 people visited the Cayman Islands in 2024 as overnight guests, even though the airport was closed on several occasions because of bad weather and storm warnings. While this fell short of 2019’s record-breaking number of stayover tourists, the figure was the third-highest since records began and 2% more than in 2023.
Absence of data undermines proposal for cruise vote
(CNS): All relevant information and data on the plans, location, costs and environmental impacts relating to any proposed cruise berthing facility should be released to the public before the country is asked to vote on such a project, according to local activist group Cruise Port Referendum (CPR) Cayman, which disputes the need for such facilities. […]
Mac begs opposition to support the UPM’s bills
(CNS): McKeeva Bush MP has made an unabashed appeal to PPM Leader Joey Hew and other opposition members to attend the parliamentary Business Committee meetings ahead of the scheduled session this month and help get the referendum bill and changes to the conservation law on the order paper for debate.
Referendum bill to come to parliament in New Year
(CNS): Deputy Premier Kenneth Bryan, who is spearheading the government’s planned referendum next year, has said the legislation has been drafted, and a bill paving the way for the national poll on General Election Day will go before parliament when it meets on 31 January. At a public meeting on Monday organised by the Association […]
ACT presses for referendum without consultation on bill
(CNS): The Association for Cruise Tourism (ACT) is calling for the government to bring the referendum bill on the question of cruise berthing to parliament next month without any public consultation. The lobby group that represents a small number of merchants who rely on cruise passengers to sell their wares want the national vote to […]
Sun chair rental business pops up on Boggy Sand Beach
(CNS): Rows of sun loungers and beach umbrellas for visitors to rent reappeared on Boggy Sand Beach this week. The spot located on Mary Mollie Hydes Road, behind the West Bay Four Winds gas station, is private land and was the site of a controversial pop-up beach rental business in the past. When chairs appeared […]
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 […]
Inflation fuels increased cruise spending since 2018
(CNS): A new survey sponsored by the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association claims that passenger spending in 2023-2024 across 33 Caribbean and Latin American ports of call has reached record levels. The cruise industry association said 33.3 million passengers and crew spent a total of US$4.27 billion this last year, an increase of 27% compared to 2018, […]
Bryan to meet with cruise bosses as port calls fall
(CNS): Tourism and Ports Minister Kenneth Bryan and senior officials from his ministry are attending the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Conference and Tradeshow in St Maarten this week. The visit comes against the backdrop of decreasing cruise ship calls and a proposed referendum next year asking Cayman Islands voters if they want cruise berthing facilities, […]
Culture minister gets $574K of ‘treasure’ for Pirates Week
(CNS): Culture Minister Dwayne Seymour has secured well over half a million dollars to spend on this year’s Pirates Week Festival, breathing new life into what had become a lacklustre event in recent years. A lack of government funding and a lack of interest in supporting it from local sponsors had taken a toll on […]
DoT promotes Minnesota flight with sun-snow trip swap
(CNS): Two families of up to four people each will have the opportunity to win a seasonal trip swap this winter to mark the increase in flights between the Cayman Islands and Minneapolis. The Department of Tourism has launched a competition open to Minnesotans dreaming of a trip to a warm, tropical paradise, while residents […]
