Folks in the Eastern Districts of Grand Cayman have one last chance to tell Government what they think about the Tourism Ministry’s Go East project.
The National Tourism Management Policy will be discussed from 9am until 11am Saturday at the Bodden Town Primary School for residents in Bodden Town, East End and North Side.
It is unfortunate that the meeting is being held on the same day that the Bodden Town Action Committee is planning the Bodden Town Treasure Hunt, which will run from 7am until 11am.
The hunt is an effort to help rebuild Bodden Town, which still shows the signs of the ravaging it took during Hurricane Ivan three years ago.
We’re sure that many of the people organising and participating in the treasure hunt would want to offer their input on the tourism management policy, and specifically on the Go East initiative.
The impetus behind the Go East initiative can be boiled down to two main concepts: sustainable tourism and distribution of the economic benefits of tourism across the entire country.
But not everyone has bought into the project.
Residents in East End have voiced concerns about the impact a proposed extra 250-plus tourist beds via two new five-star hotels will have on the tranquil district.
Most people in the Eastern Districts aren’t against development and growth, but they don’t want the eastern side of the island to be turned into something like the commercialised area that is Seven Mile Beach.
People who live in the Eastern Districts do so for a reason – it’s tranquil, safe and represents a part of what the Cayman Islands used to be.
Yes, the Go East initiative can mean good things to the Eastern Districts and the people who live there with increased tourism opportunities for our visitors, which in turn could mean more money in the pockets of residents there.
But it is the wishes of those residents that must be taken into account when developing the tourism management policy, especially in regards to the Go East project.
That is why it is so essential that Eastern District residents attend this final meeting to tell tourism officials just how they would like to see Go East work.
If you don’t voice your opinion, then you will have no right to complain if Government implements something you don’t agree with.
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