By: Gina Matthews

Today the Cayman Islands celebrates Earth Day, together with more than a billion people in over 193 countries.

Now in its 52nd year, we are happy to join in the effort to demonstrate our Islands’ commitment to the preservation of our beautiful planet.

The official theme for Earth Day 2022 is ‘Invest In Our Planet’ and this message aligns with the remit of the Ministry of Tourism & Transport, in working closely with other Ministries, Departments and Organisations, to raise awareness of the importance of a clean, green and healthy environment for all to enjoy.

This year I encourage every person who calls the Cayman Islands home to take positive action, specifically in addressing the problem of littering.

In keeping with the theme of Earth Day, let us invest our time by volunteering to improve our communities through events like the longstanding Chamber of Commerce ‘Earth Day Clean Up’ or the efforts of Plastic Free Cayman who both depend on the support of businesses and private citizens alike.

Caring for the environment is an integral part of the ethos of the Cayman Islands Beautification Task Force which has been re-established by Cabinet to lead an Islandwide cleanliness and accountability campaign. The Task Force is just one aspect of my vision to implement solutions to address the challenge of littering and illegal dumping in our Islands.

As the Minister for Tourism, I am ever mindful that the natural beauty of our Islands plays a major role in attracting tourists to our shores, and we take pride in showcasing our amazing attractions and pristine waters internationally. Keeping our landscape and seascapes free of debris is therefore integral to our status as a world class tourism destination and vital to our visitors’ ability to enjoy our unique plants and wildlife in their natural state.

I therefore encourage each of us to take seriously our responsibility to keep our homes, yards and surrounding communities clean. 

If we all dedicate ourselves to keeping Cayman clean, to taking pride in our beaches, by removing our personal trash when we leave, by not throwing trash out of our cars and onto our roadways, by ensuring our garbage bins are managed properly; we will be helping to protecting the well-being of our families, communities, livelihoods, economy and ultimately our tourism product.

So on this Earth Day let us all commit to making a meaningful investment and work together to keep the Cayman Islands cleaner, greener and even more beautiful.

Watch video message here.