Editorial for 11 November: Always be kind to everyone

 The Department of Tourism has rolled out an elaborate
training and education programme – ‘Caymankind’ – which will be pushed to local
residents over the next several months.

At its core, the marketing strategy is simple: Be nice to
tourists and help them out wherever you can.

That’s a great idea. We agree with Premier McKeeva Bush that
it should be the responsibility of everyone who lives here – whether they are
foreign or native born – to assist wherever they can with the tourism and
hospitality product. You don’t have to be a concierge at a hotel to give
someone directions to the Turtle Farm or Seven Mile Beach. You don’t need to
have lived here for 40 years to know interesting local places to recommend to
visitors.

We also agree with Acting Director of Tourism Shomari Scott
that foreign workers who come to Cayman should take the time to learn something
about the Islands in which they are going to live. This would clearly help the
tourism effort. We’re not sure that a test needs to be administered as a
condition of getting a work permit, but in general, Mr. Scott has the right
idea. However, the whole concept of Caymankind could find itself troubled if
people of different nationalities can’t find a way to get along.

One positive side effect of a programme like Caymankind
could be that it gets people to stop the feuding among different social groups;
born-Caymanians vs. paper-Caymanians; permanent residents-holders against Caymanians;
work permit holders against everyone else, etc. etc. etc.

It would follow then, that to be kind to our visitors, some
effort should be given at being kind to one another.

We applaud the Department of Tourism for introducing a
proposal that may have inadvertently given us a partial solution to the social
problems currently facing the country.

Really, what is so wrong with being nice to each other and
helping each other out where we can?