The July figures for tourist arrivals to the Cayman Islands do not make good reading.

Although air arrivals are up by almost 4% from 32,581 in 2012 to 33,880 in 2013 it is the cruise ship arrivals that make dreadful viewing. Down by a 27.4%! 25,191 fewer visitors.

It is not surprising the George Town stores are closing.

George Town should incorporate a Ghost Train ride through its streets and if the trend continues there won’t be enough tourists to fill the seats in that.

George Town is a Ghost Town at night and with few tourists filling its streets during the day our capital will have few shops. Even businesses are moving out.

This is the fifth consecutive month in which figures have declined. They are now at a  ten year low.

However, the Port Authority are claiming things will improve after October as there will be more cruise ships arriving here over the next two years because they are moving their ships from Europe to the Caribbean.

That may well be on figures but cruise ships are having difficulty in filling their ships and are heavily discounting the fares. The spending power of the persons on these ships are quite likely not going to be the same as they once were.

If one can believe the visitor exit surveys tourists arriving by air spend an average of $194 a day whilst cruise ship visitors spend only $67 a day.

Perhaps we should build a bigger airport then and forget the cruise ship terminal.

See attachment for the tourism arrival figures.

See related story:

Statistics Fair to Highlight Connectivity

Nine governmental agencies are teaming with the Economics and Statistics Office (ESO) to showcase the impact of statistics on daily life in the Cayman Islands. .

A month from now the country’s first statistics fair will take place at the University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) auditorium on Thursday, 24 October 2013, from 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.

The interactive exhibition will be the highlight of the Cayman Islands’ celebration of the International Year of Statistics 2013. Organisers have planned activities that will focus on the theme “KY Stats 4 Everyday Life: Let us Educate and Appreciate”.

ESO Director Maria Zingapan explains that the year was declared by the United Nations to promote the power and impact of statistics on everyday life and to introduce young people to careers in statistical science. “We aim to get our local students thinking about statistics, not just as a subject they study but how comprehensively statistics impact all of us in our daily lives,” Ms Zingapan continues.

Other participating departments include: Children and Family Services, Education, Environment, Environmental Health, Immigration, Lands and Survey as well as Planning, the Health Services Authority and the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. Most of these departments are members of the recently-established National Statistical Coordination Committee.

Fair coordinator Shanna Saunders-Best notes that there will be interactive exercises that will aim to help school children learn in a fun way how statistics work, and through which they can earn special prizes and offerings. There will also be an award for the school with the most representatives.

While the emphasis will be on students, the day-long fair will offer interesting exhibits and meaningful insights for adults as well, she comments.