Cayman on cover of major travel magazine

The bright yellow umbrellas of the Palm Heights hotel on Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach feature on the eye-catching cover of the latest issue of Travel + Leisure magazine, which is read by millions.

Director of Tourism Rosa Harris opened her presentation on recent tourism statistics and campaigns at the Cayman Islands Tourism Association’s annual general meeting on Thursday, 20 Oct., with a photograph of the magazine’s front cover on a giant display screen.

She said the last time Cayman appeared on the cover of the popular publication – which, according to its media kit has print readership of 5.9 million – was when the Kimpton Seafire opened in 2016.

The cover is a lead-in to an article, titled ‘Treasure Island’ penned in January this year, a few weeks after Cayman began its phased reopening of the borders, when visitors still had to do COVID tests during their trips, before the cruise ships returned, and when tourists were still a fairly rare sight on the beach.

During her visit here, writer Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon explored, and extolled, Cayman’s art scene; ate truffle-scented grilled cheese sandwiches at the Brasserie; had lunch at Ms Piper’s at the Hampton by Hilton hotel; took sunset strolls along the beach; and spent time at The Ritz-Carlton and Palm Heights.

At the latter hotel, the former Beach Suites, the sunshine yellow seaside umbrellas “sprouting from the sand like giant buttercups” made a distinct impression and “felt like home”, she wrote.

She concluded her article by saying, “On my last evening, I walked along a quiet stretch of Seven Mile Beach as the sunlight faded. Now that we have put the worst of the pandemic behind us, I thought, visitors will soon be making a beeline for the very spot I had all to myself. But aside from those tropical pleasures that we all dream about during the frigid winter months, there is so much more to explore.

“The island’s artistic and creative scene might not be well known to the world. It’s a hidden treasure that offered me an entirely new way to see a place I thought I knew well. Yes, the beaches are worth the trip. But so, too, is the thrill of discovery.”

The magazine article also features several photos, shot by New York photographer Alpha Smoot, from around Cayman – at the National Gallery, the fish market in George Town, Seven Mile Beach, and local hotels and restaurants.

Harris said coverage like this is invaluable for Cayman’s tourism product, adding that the Department of Tourism’s public relations team is “dedicated to highlighting and showcasing” Cayman as a coveted destination to international media.