Tourism
Airlift predicted to increase for 2022 high season
(CNS): The Cayman Islands is expected to see a 1% increase in its airlift capacity during the last quarter of this year when compared to the last quarter of 2019, which was the last high season period before the COVID pandemic decimated the tourism sector. Officials at the Department of Tourism said in a press […]
Tourism minister revives floating cruise pier idea
(CNS): Following a recent visit to Jamaica, Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan wants to look at the viability of a “floating dock” in the George Town Harbour, reviving an idea that was raised and rejected as an alternative to the previous administration’s controversial proposal for cruise berthing facilities. While the PACT Government has made a commitment […]
CDC ditches COVID rules for all cruise ships
(CNS): The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lifted its COVID-19 voluntary restriction programme for cruise ships, ending all official controls in relation to the virus. The CDC will continue to publish guidance to help ships provide a safe and healthy environment for passengers and crew, but requirements for masks, testing and vaccinations have […]
Revamped Pirates Festival stretched to three months
(CNS): The annual Pirates Festival is undergoing another change and instead of a condensed version as was the case in 2021, the plan this year is to bring back the Heritage Days where each district hosts its own event at two-week intervals, beginning in September. The new three-month festival starts on 3 September with a […]
Hotels and CITA chipping in to promote LA flight
(CNS): The Cayman Island Tourism Association has said that its members are “thrilled by the Cayman Airways announcement of their new LAX direct flight and eager to support the success of this new route”. CITA also said it would be chipping in to help promote the route and pick up the tab for familiarisation trips.
CAL to begin direct flights to LA in November
(CNS): The much anticipated direct route to Los Angeles by Cayman Airways will start on 5 November as the airline has received approval from the US authorities to operate the service, Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan announced Thursday. It will take less than six hours to travel between Grand Cayman and LAX, cutting the current travel […]
Mottley could headline CTO meeting in Cayman
(CNS): The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) will be holding its first major in-person conference since the COVID-19 pandemic in the Cayman Islands from 12-15 September and it is hoped that the widely popular and influential Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley will be a guest speaker.
Opposition questions choice of tourism promos
(CNS): Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart (GTE) questioned government last week about two odd choices the Department of Tourism had made to promote the Cayman Islands: a deal with Portsmouth Football Club in the UK and another deal with a designer handbag company in the US. Since Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan was away at an overseas […]
Tourism lobby urges gov’t to drop COVID-restrictions
(CNS): Now that the United States has lifted its COVID-19 test requirement for air passengers, the local tourism lobby is urging the Cayman Islands Government to ease all of the restrictions on visitors here as well. The Cayman Islands Tourism Association said that if things like mandatory masks and testing are dropped, the sector will […]
Visitors returning but challenges still ahead
(CNS): The Cayman Islands’ tourism sector is beginning to recover in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with stay-over visitor arrivals in April reaching over 25,000, which is around 55% of 2019 numbers. But the signs of recovery are still beset with challenges, from airlift to the cost of living, according to both industry and […]
Boat operators get break on WIZ fees for 2022
(CNS): The government is giving watersports operators a break on expired Wildlife Interaction Zone (WIZ) permit fees this year for all those who apply to renew their licence before 31 July 2022. The aim is to support the economic recovery of operators impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and around 270 boats will be given the […]
