Tourism
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 […]
Hew: Referendum on cruise won’t settle the issue
(CNS): The new opposition leader, Joey Hew, has said that the proposed government referendum on whether or not Cayman should build cruise berthing facilities will not really settle the issue. Hew said the proposed vote was a smokescreen to deflect from the current government’s failure to take any action to support Cayman’s tourism industry and […]
Bryan uses fear of job losses to promote cruise piers
(CNS): Addressing parliament on Monday, Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan left MPs and the people of Cayman in no doubt that the Cayman Islands Government will be using all of its power and influence to persuade the electorate to vote in favour of developing cruise berthing facilities. Although there is no specific project, Bryan is equating […]
Small crowd urges government to build piers
(CNS): A small number of drivers and retail workers took part in a demonstration outside the House of Parliament in George Town on Monday, ahead of the Cayman Islands Government’s debate on a motion that will set the ball rolling for a question in next year’s referendum asking the people if Cayman should build cruise […]
First CIG report released on state of cruise tourism
(CNS): The Economics and Statistics Office has released a report on the impact of cruise tourism on Cayman’s economy, based on data from the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association, the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands and the Department of Tourism. The document looks at government revenue from cruise tourism, how much passengers spend while ashore, […]
