The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism visits New York for business meetings and showcase the destination amongst top-tier journalists

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, October 31, 2014 – This week, representatives from the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism visited New York City to promote Cayman Cookout, the highly anticipated culinary festival hosted by Chef Eric Ripert from January 15-18; leverage news of tourism updates; and generate media attention for the destination.

The week filled with media appointments began with a private lunch held at Chef Eric Ripert’s famed New York City restaurant, Le Bernardin, to give journalists a taste of the 2015 Cayman Cookout. The Cayman Islands’ Director of Tourism, Rosa Harris, was joined by The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman’s General Manager, Marc Langevin, in welcoming a group of the city’s leading travel, culinary and lifestyle editors to a Cayman-inspired three-course tasting menu designed specially by Chef Ripert. Guests learned about the line up of internationally-renowned chefs who will participate in the festival, as well as event highlights that will make the 2015 Cookout different from years prior.

“We loved this opportunity to bring a taste of the incredible Cayman Cookout experience to some of New York’s finest media,” said Director of Tourism, Rosa Harris. “The lunch was a perfect example of the level at which we celebrate the culinary scene in the Cayman Islands. We are very appreciative of Chef Eric Ripert and the generosity and time he contributed to this event.”

Later in the week, Deputy Premier and Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Moses Kirkconnell, met with influential media to discuss visitor arrivals, new hotel developments slated for Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, and updates to Owen Roberts Airport as well as airlift for the upcoming winter season. He met with journalists from Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Promenade and Greenwich Magazine, and participated in a live broadcast interview with Clear Channel radio.

In addition, the Minister made remarks for the audience at Edible Manhattan’s Edible Escape event on new updates in the Cayman Islands. He expanded on the notable culinary scene and highlighted the destination’s increase in visitation numbers, debuting impressive statistics for the month ending September 2014. The arrival data shows consistent uptick in year-to-date air arrivals visitation growth of 12 percent. The strength of this performance is a direct result of collaborations and partnerships. Please find a link to the Minister’s video remarks here: September 2014 Tourism Arrival Statistics

“The Cayman Islands thrives as a top Caribbean destination because of our diverse culture that is always offering something new to visitors,” said the Hon. Moses Kirkconnell. “We are proud and excited to share news about the exceptional travel experiences to be had on our islands with the global community, and we hope that all who are interested can come experience it for themselves.”