The Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman won The Leading Suite award at this year’s World Travel Awards for the Caribbean. The Wall Street Journal called the event the Oscars of the travel industry.

Jamaica dominated the awards and it surely must be a wake up call when the Cayman Islands was not even nominated in the category for Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Destination. Jamaica came top ahead of Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago. We did not feature in the Caribbean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination.

When one takes into consideration that this means we do not even feature in the Grand Final of World Travel Awards 2011, it is devastating. We can thank the Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman for our only win and perhaps our Tourist Board can seek some advice from them.

We can’t just put all the blame on the Government. The Cayman Islands Tourism Association is hopefully taking notice and coming up with some riveting ideas.

Of course, the World Travel Awards is open to ‘who shouts the loudest.’ On their own website they actually state: “Inevitably, once the nomination process is published – as is normal practice in any competition – nominated companies may and frequently do lobby for votes from their top clients and travel agents. As the World Travel Awards became increasingly known and respected, it was inevitable that some of those nominated would expand their profile among agents in order to help their cause. This process helps the organisations not only to ensure a good result, but also to promote their brand within the industry to increase sales and bottom line.”

Did Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman have the loudest shout? I thought our premier who is also our Tourism Minister, had a very loud voice, too.