Tag: cruise tourism
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, […]
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 […]
Mac claims cruise vote will be on Election Day
(CNS) According to McKeeva Bush MP (WBW), the government may move the proposed referendum asking the public if they want cruise berthing facilities in the Cayman Islands to the day of the 2025 General Election, expected to take place in April, rather than holding a separate vote later this year. Posting in a social media […]
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 […]
A ‘reberth’ of the cruise debate
Michelle Clark writes: It seems that the debate regarding cruise piers has opened once again. This is an emotive issue; there are many varied and nuanced sides to this, and I hope that any referendum question, and inevitably campaigning, addresses this. As a founding member of the Cruise Port Referendum movement, my intention was only […]
Bryan calls for cruise port vote at next elections
(CNS): Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan has said he would like to see a referendum on the idea of developing cruise port piers at the same time as people go to the polls for the general election in 2025 “to settle the question” once and for all. During his contribution to the budget debate on Monday, […]
PPM calls for cruise policy as numbers fall
(CNS): Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart (GTE) and his PPM colleague, Joey Hew (GTN), the deputy leader, took aim at the PACT Government this week for its failure to develop a cruise policy in the face of falling passenger numbers. Hew said that if Cayman is going to move out of the cruise business, it needs […]
Tour operators could get cash to create ‘unique’ trips
(CNS): Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan is hoping his Cabinet colleagues will support his ministry’s aim to put up to $3 million in the next budget to create a fund for generating new tours and attractions for cruise passengers. Bryan said the policy goal of ‘quality over quantity’ for the sector means Cayman must offer new, […]
PPM continues to push for cruise dock in port plans
(CNS): The opposition is again calling for a cruise berthing facility in George Town, despite the lack of public support for such a project and pushback against the idea when the PPM was in office. A grassroots campaign secured enough voters’ signatures in 2019 to trigger a people-initiated referendum, making it clear the public wanted […]
‘Quality over quantity’ cruise plan back on agenda
(CNS): After walking back the ‘quality over quantity’ idea recently and focusing on increasing the cruise visitor headcount, Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan has revealed plans that he said demonstrate that the government is still working towards that goal as part of its “reimagined cruise strategy”.
