Tourism
Stay-over visitors increase but still short of 2019 highs
(CNS): At the end of May this year, the Cayman Islands had welcomed 209,135 stay-over visitors, which is around 90% of the headcount during the same period in 2019, the last year before the global tourist market was struck by the global COVID pandemic. Officials from the Department of Tourism said that there has been […]
Where are our priorities?
MDR writes: The decision by the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism to award a US$12.3 million contract to an overseas company to create a global brand to market the Cayman Islands as a luxury destination has raised significant concerns. This move comes at a time when the cost of living in the Cayman Islands is […]
PPM hits out at minister’s failure to reboot tourism plan
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Ministry of Tourism is waiting until the end of next year to launch a new tourism plan after the current document expires in 2023, according to Chief Officer Stran Bodden. However, the opposition has criticised this decision. In a statement, PPM Leader Roy McTaggart urged Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan to “do […]
DoT defends $12.3M PR and ad agency deals
(CNS): The Department of Tourism has defended the decision to sign contracts, collectively worth $12.3 million, with a public relations firm and an advertising agency, a move that led to considerable public comment. The two deals cover a five-year period and will promote the destination in North America and around the world. The DoT noted […]
DoT footing bill for influencer’s pre-wedding parties
(CNS): The Department of Tourism has declined to answer questions from Cayman News Service about how much it is spending on footing the bill for a TikTok influencer’s bachelorette party as well as the bachelor party for her husband-to-be in the Cayman Islands. Responding to questions from CNS about the decision to give the free […]
DoT cuts deals worth $12.3M with US agencies
(CNS): Following a competitive, multi-month procurement process, the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (DoT) has cut deals with two agencies based in the United States to take on promotional work and the creation of campaigns for the next five years. The two contracts are worth over CI$12.3 million to showcase this destination and attract more […]
Bryan attends another regional tourism conference
(CNS): Tourism minister, Kenneth Bryan is on the road again this time in Jamaica at the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) Marketplace in Montego Bay. A delegation of tourism officials and private sector partners has gone to the event where intra-Caribbean travel and air connection will be on the agenda just as Cayman Airways […]
PPM accuses gov’t of ‘abandoning’ cruise tourism ship
(CNS): Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart has accused the government of a “catastrophic failure” in managing the cruise tourism sector. He said the UPM had adopted an “abandon ships” strategy, doing nothing as bigger cruise ships now plying the Caribbean are diverted to other ports. The PPM leader did not say whether or not his party […]
New hotel brings room stock up to record high
(CNS): With the completion of the Dart Group’s latest resort, the Cayman Islands now has a record number of rooms available for visitors in hotels, condos, apartments and Airbnb-type units. Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman is expected to welcome its first guests in the coming weeks, bringing the room stock across all three islands to 8,022, […]
2024 stay-over visitors still below 2019 record numbers
(CNS): Over 137,000 stay-over visitors arrived in the Cayman Islands between January and March of this year, which is the second-highest figure for the first quarter of any year since records began and a 13.4% increase over the 2023 figure. The numbers were boosted because Easter was in March this year, leading to a standout […]
CIG has cruise pier plans for Cayman Brac, says Bryan
(CNS): Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan has told a tourism journalist that the Cayman Island Government is planning to build a cruise ship pier on Cayman Brac. In an interview Bryan gave to the Caribbean Journal during the Seatrade Cruise Global conference in Miami Beach last week, he said, “We’re planning to either build it ourselves […]
