Bevan Springer

It gave me a sample of what sometimes afflicts tourists on their travels. Tired and weary, I was in for some more weariness when my flight left late from Newark, because of a tire problem, forcing me to miss my connection to Grand Cayman at Atlanta.

The customer service representative told me that the only option was to overnight and take the next flight the following day which would make me exceptionally late for the conference. Determined, I put my ancient but trusted Blackberry device, without the bells and whistles of today's modern versions, to work. I called a  reliable friend in New Jersey to do an internet search, a reliable travel agent in DC, and another reliable public relations professional who works for the Cayman Department of Tourism's PR agency in New York, not to mention calling the airline myself to explore a more practical option.

It's not quite the Bill of Rights – but thank God for "Rule 240", an airline rule which obligates US airlines to "come correct" as we say in the Caribbean, and ensure that passenger rights are protected in the event that the delay is the airline’s, and not due to weather, for example.

I wouldn't resign myself to the overnight option given by the Delta representative, and when one of my trusty researchers found that Cayman Airways had new availability on its Miami flight, my resolve to get there stiffened. The airline representative then made professional and efficient arrangements to get me from Atlanta to Miami to make my connection to Grand Cayman that night.

Not only did they get me to Cayman, but they fed me and provided access to their lounge while delayed in Atlanta so I could get some important work completed before my onward journey to Miami, and they even issued a travel voucher for the inconvenience. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was to see my checked bag, once destined to Cayman on Delta Air Lines, actually arrive on the island on national flag carrier Cayman Airways.

It was actually re-routed from the original Newark flight to Cayman (at Atlanta), to another Delta flight to Miami and then onto Cayman Airways without my re-handling it since it was first checked that morning. So, I was able to brush my teeth and sleep peacefully and comfortably at the charming Sunshine Suites and Resort, a pleasant and under-rated property located a stone's throw away from Cayman's noted Seven Mile Beach.

Then it was onto the business of the conference where Charles Clifford, Minister of Tourism of the Cayman Islands, called on Caribbean governments to chart a clear strategy post US mid-term elections to address the new US passport regulations in the new year that call for US citizens traveling by air to and from the Caribbean and other regions to have a passport by January 8, 2007.

During an interview with the Amsterdam News, the Minister said while the Caribbean has had some lobbying success in the past, the Caribbean islands and the US have not had the opportunity to do the level of public relations that they had hoped to do. "As an example, the US had planned to start their public relations campaign in relation to this in April this year and it still hasn't started," lamented Minister Clifford who wants more time to prepare.

While Minister Clifford wants Caribbean Ministers of Tourism to band together for 11th hour lobbying, part and parcel of the emergency plan is partnering with the cruise industry and harnessing its strong lobbying power in Washington, which has already secured an exemption. "They (the cruise lines) have truly been our partners ... it's an excellent opportunity for us to partner with them on this specific issue and to get some further success," said an optimistic Clifford, who also is buoyed by belated support from US air carriers on this issue. A victory in Washington may augur well for improved industry relations across all sectors.