Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com
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.
Previous Page Print This Page.
Copyright© 2007 Caribbean Net News at www.caribbeannetnews.com All Rights Reserved
License is granted for free print and distribution.
