George Town, Cayman Islands (24 October, 2022) A delegation from the Cayman Islands Government and private sector will attend the 63^rd annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) taking place from 26^th – 30^th October, 2022. Teams from the Ministry and Department of Tourism, the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry, and the Cayman Islands Angling Club, will work to diversify our islands’ domestic tourism product by marketing to high net-worth individuals who attend this event.

The Department of Tourism’s exhibition booth which will be a shared space with the CI Angling Club, will take an integrated marketing approach showcasing Cayman’s water sports offerings focusing on sport and recreational fishing. The intention is to expand awareness of what the Cayman Islands has to offer to sport fishing enthusiasts while promoting our islands as a premier sports fishing location and a luxury vacation destination that is just one hour away from the city of Miami. 

“The Fort Lauderdale Boat Show is the largest in-water boat show in the world and is a prime opportunity for luxury yacht and boat manufacturers to display their newest products. Water sports and sport fishing are a vital part of our tourism product, and the Ministry and Department of Tourism is proud to have a presence there,” said Hon. Kenneth Bryan, Minister for Tourism and Transport. 

As a 30 year member of the Angling Club, Parliamentary Secretary Heather Bodden will also be in attendance. “The Cayman Islands is known as an international fishing destination which attracts visitors from all over the USA, Europe and the Caribbean to fish in our waters. It is vital for us to go to Fort Lauderdale at this time to promote Cayman on a whole but to also showcase that we are a world class fishing destination,” she said.

While in Florida, both Ministry officials will meet with key players in the sport fishing world, including executives of the Bonnier Corporation – the largest outdoor publication company in the USA, In The Bite Magazine and marine artist and established influencer in the international sport fishing community, Carey Chen.

“As part of our promotional travel, we wanted to showcase the Cayman Islands to yacht owners and representatives in these marine publications because they are aligned with our target market. Many of these yachts are registered in the Cayman Islands, so there is an existing synergy between this specific demographic and our tourism product. I’m looking forward to meeting and networking more closely with these industry leaders,” said Minister Bryan. 

One of the highlights of this year’s trip is the International Game Fish Association’s (IGFA) banquet which honours recipients of the Tommy Gifford Award. This year’s Caribbean Offshore Pioneer Award will be presented to Caymanian, Captain Atlee Evans.

“Captain Atlee is one of the founding members of the Cayman Islands Angling Club and we are thrilled that he will be honoured, this is another proud moment for our islands,” offered Ms. Bodden.

The Cayman Islands Shipping Registry will also host its own booth showcasing the benefits of vessel registration within the Cayman Islands.