There is enough of a tourist market share for all Caribbean nations to thrive, Cayman’s tourism minister Kenneth Bryan told a regional press conference this week.
Speaking in his capacity as chair of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, he said of neighbouring islands: “We don’t compete against each other, we work together.”
Three members of the organisation, including Bryan, gathered at the government’s communication offices on Thursday, 7 Sept., to issue a live broadcast regional update.
During the presentation, Bryan described the Caribbean as the “most attractive tourism region within the world”, with a huge market, but said there is still room for growth.
“Whenever one member grows, all of us grow together,” he said, adding that, through the CTO, all member nations benefit from shared knowledge, best practices and practical assistance.
The minister told viewers that Cayman, specifically, has the advantage of accessing members of the organisation’s collective package of marketing.
“Even though I think that we’re doing quite well at the top end – being ahead of the game – due to the many experiences and talent that we have here in the Cayman Islands,” he said.
Bryan said his role as chair of the organisation has allowed him to show Cayman as a leader in the region in matters such as recovery assistance and financial services.
“During COVID-19, we gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars of vaccines to other Caribbean islands,” he said.
“That leadership is something we’re known for. We embrace it, because Cayman is all about ‘Caymankind’, and showing that we are ready to be there for our brothers and sisters.”
‘We share one Caribbean Sea’
Cayman’s tourism director Rosa Harris, who holds the role of chair of the board of directors at the CTO, said the organisation is all about sharing information.
It consistently gives Cayman access to knowledge and wisdom from other Caribbean nations to allow it to progress, while Cayman does the same in return.
“We have seen great benefit over the years for access to information and introduction to others to make our business better for the Cayman Islands,” she said.
Dona Regis-Prosper, newly appointed secretary general and chief executive officer of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, agreed with the sentiments of the other speakers.
“We share one Caribbean Sea, and because of that factor, there’s so much that unites us, when you compare it to what’s divides us,” she said.
“I think on that basis, we could achieve so much when we work together and collaborate together, and this press conference here is the start of great things to come.”
A reimagining
Also, during the briefing, Bryan spoke of progress he has made since becoming chair in 2022, such as filling the role of secretary general and heading a CTO “reimagining exercise”.
He said this will revitalise the organisation and allow it to be more agile and more responsive to the challenges and the opportunities that it faces.
“One thing that we have to remember is that…we face a growing competition from many other global regions and jurisdictions,” he said.
“We’re competing for business against competitors that have more funding than we do, more resources than we do, more landscape and more airline connectivity than we do.”
He said the CTO is working hard to use the collective strengths of its 25 members to advocate on their behalf, particularly internationally, to improve the region’s tourism.
Also during the meeting, Harris listed projects the organisation is working on, and press asked questions on topics such as post-COVID-19 recovery, Airbnb and regional airlift.
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Might I remind the Minister that during Covid we also received hundreds of thousands of dollars of vaccines free from the British taxpayer.