Topic: tourism
Weekend Mail Call: Airport delays
Here's what readers had to say about continued challenges for Cayman’s air travelers.
Letter: A marvelous start to an unforgettable day
Imagine meeting St. Fabian and the devil in one very full, unforgettable day!
MAIL CALL: ‘Dancing’ policeman
Readers loved our story about Officer Fabian O’Connor’s crowd-wowing traffic directing in downtown George Town this past week.
EDITORIAL – Dancing in the street: A ‘tip of the hat’ to Officer O’Connor
With his crisp white gloves and good-natured disposition, Officer O’Connor is upbeat and unflappable (a survival quality for someone standing in the middle of George Town intersections). May we be the first to nominate him as a worthy ambassador of these islands?
Too cold
Today's editorial cartoon
EDITORIAL – Another visit to the airport (and to our keyboard)
In publishing, as in travel, it sometimes makes sense to book a round trip. Last weekend’s smooth arrivals process at Owen Roberts International Airport calls for a “return trip” editorial on the issue of airport delays.
Airport Repair
Today's editorial cartoon.
EDITORIAL – Major (but not terminal) problems arise at new airport
In the instance of Saturday’s breakdown of systems at the new arrivals hall, there was no “single point of failure.” Indeed the ostensible problem — long lines of unhappy tourists — was, in fact, simply a manifestation of a multitude of operational mishaps — many of them emanating from bad (or nonexistent) planning, others simply from bad luck.
EDITORIAL – Caroline Wozniacki: Grand Cayman’s Grand Slammer
Welcome – and congratulations – to Residences at Seafire brand ambassador Caroline Wozniacki, the Danish tennis player who delighted the world with her Australian Open win last weekend.
Financial services industry: Cayman’s ‘invisible’ giant
In 1960, the Cayman Islands could not have been further removed from its status today as a small but prominent global financial center. At the time, the Cayman economy still largely relied on seamen’s remittances, fishing, agriculture, shipbuilding and hand crafts. Airline services were limited and the tourism sector in its infancy.
EDITORIAL – Blue skies ahead: Record arrivals fill local coffers
The cruise industry, along with stayover travel, are the two legs upon which Cayman’s hospitality sector stands.
Taxi concerns persist amid record year for tourism
Tourism businesses remain concerned about inconsistent pricing and lack of a reliable nighttime service from taxis.
Letter: Eat more lionfish
Let’s all do our part to help the sea we all love.
Letter: Protect Cayman’s waters
This past visit, it was really apparent to me something needs to be done with respect to protecting the waters, the creatures and the reefs from too many tourists that have no clue or respect.
Letter: Carnival music kept visitors awake
If you are to do that again, loud music should stop at 10 p.m.
Tourist admits theft at beach resort
Thefts in tourist areas hurt Cayman’s tourism industry, Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn said on Thursday, and it does not matter if the thief is a resident or a visitor.
Record-breaking season for Cayman’s hotels
Grand Cayman’s major hotels celebrated a record-breaking festive season with rooms booked up throughout the holidays, and restaurants cashing in on a bumper December for tourism.
EDITORIAL – Owen Roberts remodel: Giving a new ‘wing’ to Cayman air travel
Cayman’s air travelers have received an early Christmas present with the opening of Owen Roberts International Airport’s new check-in area.
5,700 passenger mega-ship will tender in Cayman
MSC Cruises has announced it will bring its new 5,714 passenger mega-ship – the fourth-largest cruise ship in the world – to the Cayman Islands from 2019.
How government plans to spend $1.5 billion
More than 80 percent of the Cayman Islands government’s core budget will be spent in five general areas over the next two years, according to a breakdown of planned public sector spending in 2018 and 2019.
Extra police officers on waterfront amid influx of cruise visitors
Additional police officers have been seconded to the George Town waterfront amid an influx of cruise ship visitors.
New visitors
Today's editorial cartoon
EDITORIAL – Company’s coming: ‘Dressing up’ Cayman for unexpected guests
Quick, Cayman: Lay out the good napkins and set extra places at the table. Unexpected guests are coming – 250,000 of them.
Amid hurricane devastation, tourists divert to Cayman
In normal circumstances, an influx of 250,000 additional tourists would be cause for celebration. But Grand Cayman’s windfall comes at a cost to its Caribbean neighbors.
Audit: Tourism department used unsigned contracts
Delays in contract negotiation led to a situation during the government’s 2015/16 budget year where some Department of Tourism contracts were not signed until months after they took effect, according to an internal audit.
Tourism chiefs hope love will lure visitors
Latching onto a real-life Hollywood romance, the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism plans to use love to lure visitors to the territory.
Record summer as tourism figures soar
Air arrival figures continued to soar in July and August, with tourism officials predicting the Cayman Islands could see year-end visitor numbers in excess of 400,000 for the first time in 2017.
50 years ago: MLAs discuss tourism
In the Sept. 27, 1967 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, the following report appeared:
Visitor is concerned by growth
I hope you get a handle on things. It’s just like driving around in the U.S.: stressful.
Letter – A lovely vacation on the Brac
It is low key, not commercial, and just a lovely place to spend a lovely vacation, with delightful people interested in leaving a good impression of their island.
Byrne: Community policing will reduce tourism crime
An expanded neighborhood police force should help resolve many of the crime problems Cayman faces in its prime tourist areas and at tourism-related businesses, Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said this week.
Target a broader tourism market
Yes, stay-over numbers may stay steady or increase for a while, but eventually, when the only product available is high-end, will that volume of tourists continue to arrive?
Pageant Beach developer unveils plans for US$285 million 5-star hotel
The Howard Hospitality Group has submitted plans for its third major Cayman Islands project – a US$285 million five-star hotel and condo development on the southern tip of Seven Mile Beach. Michael Wilkings, CEO of the group, said the development on the old Pageant Beach site would include around 250 hotel rooms.
George Town market vendors receive PRIDE certificates
Vendors at the Cayman Craft market can now show off their knowledge of things Caymanian after receiving their PRIDE training certificates. The training was part of a “number of changes being implemented by the Tourism Attraction Board to ensure the preservation and promotion of local arts and traditions.
Tourist boom
Today's editorial cartoon
EDITORIAL-Make the beds, company’s coming
Tourism officials are predicting another record-breaking year for stay-over visitors in the Cayman Islands. That is something to applaud, even if you do not happen to lead sightseeing tours, let out rooms or serve up gourmet fare.
Cayman on target for 400,000 air arrivals
Tourist air arrivals are continuing to increase, with the Cayman Islands on course to attract a record number of more than 400,000 visitors this year.
Bad weather blamed for lower cruise figures
While Cayman’s cruise ship tourism continues to grow, passenger arrivals for 2017 are expected to fall below the 2016 total, in part due to bad weather during the first quarter of the year.
Old Hyatt going down in flames
Firefighters battled for more than an hour Tuesday evening to extinguish a blaze on the upper floor of the derelict Hyatt hotel. Thick black smoke could be seen pouring from the roof of the building and across the skyline.
EDITORIAL: Airport screening: It may be time to try ‘smarter’
In the early days of air travel, passengers would wear their finest clothes.
Today, just to clear airport security, they must practically undress.
We line up...
EDITORIAL – Cuban tourism’s biggest threat: Big government
Cuba’s ponderous government bureaucracy bears the lion’s share of blame for the lack of resources and substandard infrastructure that has dulled American travelers’ interest – offering a cautionary tale that the Cayman Islands should heed.
Cuba Southwest Airlines
Today's political cartoon
Construction company sues for $640,000 over work on Margaritaville resort
A local construction company has filed a lawsuit against a company connected to Seven Mile Beach’s latest resort addition, claiming $640,000 in unpaid invoices dating back to February.
Visitor arrivals to Cayman continue upward trend
Stay-over visitor figures continue to soar after a record-breaking April for Cayman tourism. Just under 40,000 visitors touched down in the Cayman Islands last month, more than 4,000 more than in the same period last year. The numbers for the first four months of the year represent 1.92 percent growth on last year, which was also a record year.
Cayman’s tourism product highlighted in IRR report
For this month’s update, I thought it would be useful to concentrate on analyzing some of the findings from the IRR Viewpoint Caribbean Market Update Year End 2016 Report, produced by James V. Andrews from Integra Realty Resources – Caribbean.
Tourism holds steady in 2016
Stay-over tourism arrivals hit record levels again in 2016, eclipsing the previous year’s total by just 73 visitors. Arrivals have been on an upward trajectory for several years and despite the slender margin of growth, tourism officials said they are happy with the performance.
EDITORIAL – On the horizon: Happy landings to Southwest Airlines
It may be the most famous cocktail napkin in aviation history. In 1967, two men met at a bar and restaurant in San Antonio, Texas. Over drinks, one of them took out a pen, and on the aforementioned napkin, drew a triangle. He labeled the three points: “Dallas. Houston. San Antonio.”
Bush: Setting the record straight on South America
In the Jan. 4 issue of the Compass, the minister of tourism published plans to get a consultant for the South American tourism market. In that article, the PPM minister tries to make it look like proper work was not done before on the matter of promoting the country in that region. Not so!
UPDATED: Southwest launches daily Fort Lauderdale-Grand Cayman route June 4
Southwest Airlines will open up a new route between Fort Lauderdale and Grand Cayman this summer. The airline announced plans this week to add the island to its growing route schedule. Subject to regulatory approval the flight will be a daily service.
Cayman Islands stars in Robb Report ‘Travel Issue’
The Cayman Islands is featured in the first edition of the 2017 Robb Report, considered by many as the quintessential guide to the best of luxury living. The magazine often features the latest in fine automobiles, cutting-edge home technology products, and five-star vacations.
Cayman falls behind regional tourism trends
The top 16 tourist destinations in the Caribbean increased on average about 2.5 percent so far this year, down from more than 6 percent for each of the past two years.
EDITORIAL – A banner year for tourism in Cayman
The Cayman Islands are shining like a newly polished ornament. Holiday lights are shimmering, our white beach sand glitters in the sunshine like freshly fallen snow (almost), and everywhere, it seems, is decked out in the trappings of the season.
Tourism figures: Record year possible despite slight dip
Stay-over tourism arrivals for 2016 are tracking slightly below last year, though a busy December could still mean a record year for the industry.
Sir Turtle joins food drive
Tourism officials and the Cayman Islands’ tourism mascot Sir Turtle have joined forces to launch a Christmas food drive, inviting civil servants to donate non-perishable food items at the Government Administration Building.
Tourism sector fears expat pension exodus
Cayman Islands tourism sector managers fear “skyrocketing turnover” within the next year, following government’s decision to set a cutoff date for when workers can receive cash refunds from their retirement accounts.
EDITORIAL – The unequal distribution of Cayman’s tourists
We (obviously) haven’t read the new five-year tourism plan being developed by Cayman Islands government consultants, but, as we reported in Monday’s newspaper, part of the report will examine ways to lure tourists away from the country’s three most popular attractions – Seven Mile Beach, Stingray City and the Cayman Turtle Centre – each of which draws more than 1 million visitors annually, and spread them out to other venues, such as Hell, Pedro St. James and the Queen Elizabeth II Royal Botanic Park, each of which attracts some 20,000 visitors per year.
Crowding a key concern in tourism plan
A new five-year tourism plan will look at ways to spread visitors beyond three main attractions which risk being swamped with visitors as the industry grows. Stingray City, the Cayman Turtle Centre and Seven Mile Beach each attract more than a million visitors a year.
Props for Crystal Caves attraction
From way across the Caribbean, an enthusiastic “big up” to developer Christian Sorensen and Cayman’s National Trust for putting in 20 devoted years to generating the Crystal Caves attraction in North Side now drawing acclaim as a new tourist attraction.
‘Leave firearms behind’ judge tells tourist; orders her to pay court cost
A tourist with a bullet in her bag stayed in Cayman three days and three nights longer than she had planned after being stopped at the airport. Ultimately, the magistrate explained that if a visitor is a responsible, productive individual with no previous convictions, then the court can decide not to record a conviction and can discharge them absolutely.
Crystal Caves wins Governor’s Conservation Award
North Side’s Crystal Caves attraction is the winner of one of this year’s Governor’s Conservation Awards. The Governor’s Conservation Awards, developed by the National Trust for the Cayman Islands aim to recognize outstanding achievement in the field of historic preservation and environmental conservation.
EDITORIAL – What’s on deck for Cayman’s tourism sector
Prepare to weigh anchor, Cayman: We are about to embark upon another banner season for our tourism industry.
Government hires consultants for five-year tourism plan
The Cayman Islands government has hired Washington, D.C.-based company Solimar to draw up a five-year “National Tourism Plan” for the islands. The company was chosen in a competitive tender process which began in April, the Department of Tourism announced in a press releas
Post: Profits for the Castro regime
If you think the president’s policy will “empower” the fledgling Cuban private sector, as opposed to the overbearing state, think again.
Cayman, Honduras leaders talk flights, food
The importation of food, direct flights and a partnership for an undersea telecommunications cable were on the agenda in bilateral talks between the leaders of Cayman and Honduras Friday.
EDITORIAL – On Cayman Airways: ‘Is this seat free?’
Cayman Airways has become an expensive proposition. The airline receives government subsidies of $20 million to $25 million per year.
Officials: Cayman Airways provides value for money
Cayman Airways will continue to need significant funding from government as long as it is required to serve unprofitable but strategically valuable routes like New York and Dallas, the airline’s CEO Fabian Whorms said last week.
Nominations open for Heroes Day
Nominations are now open for the 2017 National Heroes Day Awards. The awards will pay tribute to pioneers in tourism, honoring those who have made significant contributions to the past and ongoing development in the field in the Cayman Islands.
Cayman’s economy grew 2.4% in Q1
Led by construction, real estate and financial services, Cayman’s economy grew in the first quarter of this year, according to a report released recently by the government Economics and Statistics Office.
Entrepreneurs reopening Pirates Caves
After being closed for 1.5 years, the Bodden Town Pirates Caves has opened its snack shop as preparations are made to reopen the caves to curious visitors.
Zika shows little impact on tourism
Zika-related travel warnings for tourists, like the one issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, show little impact on tourism, based on available data for other Caribbean Islands.
Heroes Day to honor tourism sector
Next year’s National Heroes Day will recognize the pioneers of Cayman’s tourism industry, the organizing committee announced Thursday.
Illegal vendors remain on beachfront
Tuesday’s scene on Public Beach at Seven Mile Beach this week was a familiar one, with unlicensed vendors setting up at the waterfront, beach chairs stacked up dozens high and Waverunners and banana boats gliding past swimmers in shallow waters next to shore.
