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COMMENTARY
Cayman Islands: A nation worth exploring
by Bevan Springer
Amsterdam News
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands: Within 24 hours
of landing for my first visit to Grand Cayman in the Western Caribbean, the
island nation’s young director of tourism asked me what I thought of the
Cayman Islands.
What could I say after just a few hours of
sight-seeing and attending the morning session of the annual tourism
conference? I couldn’t and pleaded for an additional 24 hours which would take
me to departure time during a whirlwind two-day visit to the British
dependency that Hurricane Ivan ravaged last year.
Apart from scenes of leafless vegetation in several locations on the island,
there was little to show that this small island state had witnessed such a
catastrophic natural disaster, testimony no doubt to the pooling of public and
private sector resources and national resolve, helped by the fact that
Caymanians enjoy one of the highest outputs per capita, and one of the highest
standards of living in the world. The
paradise that constitutes the Cayman Islands remains, and weeks prior to the
start of the bumper winter season, the destination is certainly ready for
business.
“In December 2005, we are projecting that
95% of hotel rooms; 65% of condominiums/apartments and 76% of guest houses
will be ready for business. The combined total is 80% … and by March 2006 the
combined total is projected to be 93%. This is an incredible number and is
testament to the determination, the resolve to rebuild and the confidence in
the future … and it most certainly means that we are back in business,” said
Minister of Tourism, Charles Clifford. The
end result is that the Cayman Islands has strong reasons to be encouraged, and
with Spirit Airlines announcing new service there, the low cost airfares will
help balance elevated onshore costs due in part to the strength of the
Caymanian dollar which yields a higher value than the US greenback.
But, with no apologies, Cayman prides itself
on being an upscale, quality destination attracting key vacationers with a
combined household income of US$75,000 in the 25 to 54 age demographic.
Another plus for the small island
“developed” state, which boasts close to zero unemployment, is that its hotel
stock is brand spanking new.
“In many instances, our hotels not only
refurbished, they took the opportunity to stay closed longer and completely
redeveloped. So they have accelerated plans that they may have had for two or
three years out,” said tourism director, Pilar Bush.
The Grand Cayman Marriott recently injected
millions of dollars in renovations and additions, and the new Ritz Carlton,
Grand Cayman is scheduled to open in December.
Your humble correspondent was impressed also with the transparent and frank
dialogue on the importance of preserving the environment for future
generations and managing the huge numbers of cruise passengers that descend
upon the small city of George Town. A
critical factor in the nation’s rebound is the British crown colony’s decision
to give Pilar Bush, a native Caymanian, the responsibility this past year of
managing the island’s tourism affairs. In her
early 30s, Pilar Bush was appointed director of tourism in January 2005. She
joined the Department of Tourism in February 2001, and has held the positions
of deputy director, US director of marketing and sales and acting director.
She brings with her nearly a decade of extensive experience in strategic
planning across several sectors, including the airline industry where she once
held the position of vice president – marketing, sales and corporate planning
of Cayman Airways.
The Caribbean could learn a lot from the
Cayman Islands, and the confidence the island has placed in young, bright
Caribbean leadership who can deftly navigate complex island issues, and show
how to deliver a bigger bang for the bucks our Caribbean nations are spending
on their bread and butter industry.
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