Tourists arrive in the Cayman Islands for many reasons, but chief among them is the quiet, relaxing beach atmosphere.
This, allied to a quality infrastructure and Cayman’s high standard of fitness experts, spas and workout facilities, could reap rewards in the area of wellness tourism.
The concept was discussed at the Cayman Islands Tourism Association’s Marketing Meeting, in which members talked about concepts and ideas to enhance what the islands could offer.
“The concept totally makes sense,” said Trina Christian, CITA executive director. “We don’t have the hustle and bustle of other destinations; the relatively secluded beaches are often a dream come true for visitors. They have a perfect scenario for rest and relaxation, family time and to create memories.
“We have diversity of organic groceries, lots of fitness including top end yoga classes, Pilates, juice bars and we know that clients often visit Cayman specifically to visit personal trainers,” she said.
Higher standard product
The islands would not have to be a cheap option or compete with highly-discounted locations such as Mexico or Atlantis in Nassau, she said.
“Yes, the prices here are higher, but the product is of a higher standard. You can be at the hotel 10 minutes from the airport and clients want to experience this high quality of infrastructure. We need to know our competitive set, but we do not need to be like them.”
Because the idea had been discussed at a meeting in October, the opportunity was there to introduce a possible spring 2012 promotion. At the meeting, the month of May was mooted as a possible month for a wellness tourism push, which could be targeted at ‘empty nesters’.
“At that time there are fewer kids on island because the school holidays have not started yet,” Ms. Christian said. “But there are still often reduced rates, the weather is great and a spring promotion could give people an additional reason to visit the Cayman Islands.”
Targeting the visitor
She said on a relative level, advertising budgets were small for a destination like Cayman and therefore it was important to follow the interests of the target visitor demographic.
“We know who we are as a brand and it is important to identify where to get the message out through multiple channels,” she said. “If our visitors are reading scuba, culinary or Forbes magazine then we need to be there. We need to communicate who we are and serve this to people where they are. We have to be smart and pick and choose where to drive demand and awareness at a time when people are likely to make destination decisions. This includes trade shows, publications and Internet spend.”
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