Topic: tourism
New sanitation guidelines for tourism industry published
New sanitation guidelines have been issued for businesses within the tourism industry to ensure the safety of visitors to local shores and guard against the spread of COVID-19.
Tourism Recovery: Caribbean islands begin to welcome back visitors
Around the region, many countries are still facing COVID-19 challenges, including the damage to the economies of the impacted islands. This week, Antigua and Barbuda reopened its borders to international travel, the first in a string of Caribbean countries looking to restart the region’s most significant industry.
More than 1,000 jobless tourism workers register with government
More than 1,000 Caymanian tourism workers have applied to the government for assistance after losing their jobs in the industry, Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said in a statement Wednesday.
Editorial: Rebuilding our tourism industry
The new realities around travel call for a general shift away from pure volume-based mass tourism, which in Cayman is synonymous with cruise ships, to quality-oriented, high-end tourism.
Cabinet confirms borders closed until at least September
Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell confirmed Thursday that Cayman’s borders will remain officially closed until 1 Sept. as he disclosed that cruise ships will not be allowed to call on local ports until the seaport is reopened.
Ask the Experts – Reopening the economy
Around 6,000 workers are expected to return to work in one capacity or another as the first phase of reopening Cayman's economy begins. Retailers,...
Call for fellow tourists to help Grand Cayman
To the tourists who regularly visit Grand Cayman on vacation:
As the pandemic continues to spread, how about those of us who frequent this beautiful...
Businesses face grim reality of life without tourists
Business and tourism leaders are preparing for the possibility that Cayman could be closed to visitors until next year.
Ritz-Carlton braces for possibility of lengthy shutdown
Leaders of Cayman’s biggest resort are preparing for the possibility that the island could be closed to tourists for several months.
Message to Cayman during coronavirus
To all the good people of Cayman,
Tourism may be in free fall for now. Have faith, you will get through this.
As soon as this...
Tourism minister: Lives come first
Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said the closure of Cayman’s borders to tourists was a difficult but necessary decision to keep the country safe.
Businesses announce temporary closures
Multiple businesses closed or scaled back operations as the news began to break Monday that the Cayman Islands was closing its borders.
Tourism industry in free fall as virus paralyses travel
The Cayman Islands’ tourism industry is facing a virtual shutdown as global travel grinds to a halt amid concerns over the spread of the coronavirus.
Virus fears starting to impact tourism
Several Cayman Islands hotels are seeing cancellations amid fears that anxiety over the coronavirus is having a chilling effect on global travel.
Kirkconnell continues campaign for port project
Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell continues campaign for the cruise berthing and cargo project as he outlined the new Cayman Islands National Tourism Plan 2019-2023 on Friday.
Delta adds New York-Cayman route
Delta Air Lines is adding a seasonal non-stop flight between New York and Grand Cayman, starting 13 June.
Cayman Brac seeing more cruise ships
Luxury cruise ship the Seabourn Sojourn called into Cayman Brac on New Year’s Day, bringing an influx of passengers to celebrate the holiday.
BA adds extra London-Cayman flights
British Airways is set to increase its Grand Cayman-to-London flights, starting in April.
Mexican Caribbean entangled in seaweed invasion
It’s a hot summer day in Tulum, Mexico. The sun shines down on the white powder sand and tourists fill beach chairs along the...
IN FOCUS: 2019 Cayman Stingray Tourism Awards
The 2019 Cayman Stingray Tourism awards took place Tuesday evening at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, hosted by the Cayman Islands Tourism Association.
Jessop: Tourism industries must deliver greater benefits to all
Tourism now dominates most Caribbean economies, drawing huge numbers of visitors and wealth into the region. Despite this, many of those who work in or with the sector have yet to benefit fully from its success.
EDITORIAL – Another win for sports tourism
Cayman’s repeated successes in sports tourism makes ‘winners’ of us all, opening up new revenue opportunities for the sector, diversifying entertainment options for our residents and reinforcing the importance of healthy, active lifestyles among our youth.
EDITORIAL – In search of sargassum solutions
Cayman cannot control the ocean currents that occasionally steer sargassum in our direction, but working together, we can be prepared with a quick, efficient and effective response when it does.
Jessop: Developing the skills that tourism requires
In almost every country in the Caribbean, tourism has been transformative.
Letter: Visitor is grateful for help
I learned so much about your island and its people during our time together. I will never forget your kindness.
EDITORIAL – Cayman homeowners smiling ‘ear to ear’ over ‘peer-to-peer’ rentals
Peer-to-peer housing rentals are an efficient way for our islands comfortably to accommodate increasing numbers of overnight visitors. In the short term, it’s certainly simpler and faster than building or expanding a traditional hotel – and involves significantly less in the way of capital investment.
EDITORIAL – Morritt’s Tortuga: Here’s to the next 30 years
It is wonderful to know that even as he sets his sights on Canada, Mr. Morritt will continue deepening his investment in Cayman.
Letter – Port proposal puts cart before the horse
George Town will not be revitalized by cruise ship passengers; it would be revitalized by people living in George Town who want to be within walking distance of the offices in which they work.
Cruise controversy and airport progress as tourism arrivals surge
Amid another record-breaking year for tourism in the Cayman Islands, one controversial development was never far from the headlines.
EDITORIAL – Put us down for ‘being bullish’ on the Brac
The government is exploring the potential of constructing a cruise dock on Cayman Brac to boost tourism and, by extension, the economy on that island. It might very well be a port we could support.
EDITORIAL – Pirates Week: Yo ho ho. Ready set go …
Ahoy readers! Steel yourselves for fireworks, food, music and – yar – an invasion of buccaneers and scurvy scallywags from near and abroad. Pirates Week, the national festival of the Cayman Islands, is upon us.
Letter: Managing downtown traffic flows
In principle, I do not oppose the building of the new cruise terminal, but having worked in George Town for nearly 40 years, I can say that the influx of a large number more cruise passengers to George Town would make the problem of getting to and leaving from work there a complete nightmare.
Hew: Liability insurance has never been required for business license
Liability insurance has never been a requirement to obtain a licence under the Trade and Business Licensing Law.
Cousteau: Open letter opposing cruise berthing facility
I hope the decision makers will see that the value of keeping what draws tourists to their island, the ocean and its reefs, is far more valuable in the long run than more cruise ships and a congested George Town.
EDITORIAL – Cruise pier: To be or not to be?
As readers can see for themselves, the “pro” and “con” sides differ on many aspects of the port proposal, but what everyone should agree on is that the cruise dock would constitute the single largest and most influential public works project in the history of Cayman, the impact of which will reverberate through the tourism sector and wider economy, far exceeding the capital cost of the project, whether that turns out to be $150 million, $200 million or more.
EDITORIAL – Now let us praise our scuba Hall of Fame inductees
As the birthplace of recreational scuba diving, and home to many of the world’s most outstanding dive sites, it is appropriate that our islands recognize and honor excellence and advances in the sport.
Beach patrol
Today's editorial cartoon.
EDITORIAL – Beach patrols respond to crime wave
Underneath their smiles, we expect our police to be tough – and to enforce the law.
Denver connection
Today's editorial cartoon.
EDITORIAL – Welcome to Denver: Cayman Airways’ gateway to the West
As Cayman is now the only Caribbean island with a direct route to Denver, we expect maiden flights to be booked next March with Mile High City families eager to experience life at (and below) sea level.
Vacation
Today's editorial cartoon.
EDITORIAL – Water hazards: The perils of reckless ‘jet ski’ operators
Like their notorious counterparts on two wheels, antisocial operators of personal watercraft are turning Cayman’s coastlines into speedways, threatening lives and interfering with others on (and under) the water.
EDITORIAL – More input sought on tourism plan: Here’s ours
Let us dare state what the report did not address (other than acknowledging its existence): This country has yet to resolve whether its future lies in being a high-end stay-over jurisdiction or a mass-market cruise ship destination.
5-year plan aims to manage tourism growth
Tourism chiefs have released a five-year plan for the industry aimed at maximizing the benefits and managing the problems associated with increased arrivals.
EDITORIAL – Cayman’s aspiring chefs meet the culinary challenge
Congratulations to Cayman’s Youth Culinary teams, who represented our country admirably with their “Page One” performance at the Caribbean Junior Duelling Challenge in Barbados last weekend.
EDITORIAL – A NiCE idea to keep Cayman beautiful all year
Although the putting of extra money in Caymanians’ pockets tends to get top billing in government materials, the NiCE program has at least two other objectives that are even more important to the individuals and the island
Letter: Seven Mile Beach restaurants will be missed
There needs to be more than a place to throw down a beach towel.
MAIL CALL: Sustainable growth in tourism
About 1.3 million tourists arrived in Cayman during the first six months of this year. That’s a 20 percent increase over this time last year. Stayover visits are up 16 percent so far this year.
EDITORIAL – Ensuring sustainable growth in Cayman’s tourism sector
The next stage of our development must be a renewed focus on infrastructure and service that is more than adequate to meet the demand and expectations of our first-class visitors.
Beach valuables
Today's editorial cartoon
Another month, another record as tourism growth continues
More than 1.3 million tourists arrived in the Cayman Islands by air and sea in the first six months of 2018, blitzing previous records.The total represents a 20-percent increase on the same period last year.
Travel guide
Today's editorial cartoon
Letter: Prioritize safety
Safety and security of visitors while in the Cayman Islands is paramount and key to the desirability of “Caymans” as a world tourist destination.
EDITORIAL – Getting government out of the ‘bedroom business’
If this government is, as it claims to be, “of and for the people,” it needs to re-examine what its regulatory policies are doing to the very people it purports to represent.
EDITORIAL – Mandarin Oriental: Don’t stop the economic carnival
The Beach Bay project adds to a growing list of expansions and new developments springing up in every district.
Mail Call: Sargassum summer
Sargassum. It is quickly becoming a dirty word here in the Caribbean, as massive floating mats of the stuff inundate our shores.
EDITORIAL – Sargassum summer: Cayman’s loyal but unpopular guest
Sargassum is more than a nuisance; the flotillas of flora pose a real threat to our tourism economy.
EDITORIAL – Welcoming the world to Cayman
Cayman did not simply break our previous record for airplane arrivals in the first quarter of this year – it shattered them, putting us on pace for a fifth-straight record-breaking year.
Taxi ride
Today's editorial cartoon
EDITORIAL – Transportation Board: The bus stops here – or it needs to
While the state of Cayman’s bus and taxi service is not as visible as long lines at the airport, or the towering landfill, its dysfunction should be regarded with equal seriousness.
EDITORIAL – Congratulations to Batabano: The beat goes on!
At age 35 (Who’s counting? We are!), Batabano seems to have a magical or mystical quality not just to stay young but to keep young all Cayman Islanders who participate with abandon in the much-anticipated annual event.
Letter: Cruise berthing facility will have negative impact
With traffic in George Town already at a standstill, and tourist attractions such as Stingray City becoming dangerously overcrowded, accommodating these additional 800,000 cruise passengers on an annual basis could have an extensive negative impact on the island.
Letter: Eager for Cayman Airways’ westward flights
We hope your considerations are quickly confirmed as we look forward to booking our two to three flights next year on Cayman Airways from Denver.
Weekend Mail Call: Snorkel safety
Snorkelers can greatly reduce their chances of encountering difficulty by taking some common-sense precautions.
EDITORIAL – Expected forecast: ‘Blue skies’ ahead for national airline
The best scenario would be one in which Cayman Airways continues to identify new, profitable routes, enticing commercial carriers to add Cayman to their flight plans.
EDITORIAL: Cleaning up our act – on roadways, beaches and lots
The Cayman Islands are already known as one of the most beautiful, most stable and safest destinations in the Caribbean. Wouldn’t it be equally desirable to be thought of as one of the cleanest as well?
Weekend Mail Call: Flex
Here's what readers said about Flex - a new rideshare app that will allow riders to hail a taxi, track its arrival and pay the fare by mobile phone.
Beach patrol
Today's editorial cartoon
Flex – government’s lift
Today's editorial cartoon
EDITORIAL – Eliminating the Saturday gridlock at Owen Roberts
Rather than the easy-breezy “rest of the week,” it is the conditions within those three hours of congestion that form the standard by which the performance of our public officials, and the still-under-renovation airport, will be judged.
EDITORIAL – Government hits the brakes on Uber-like service
But thanks to government’s apparently insatiable need to interfere with private enterprise, the Flex app falls far short of offering “Uber in Cayman.”
The Cruise
Today's editorial cartoon
