Global Partners Come Together to Review 2014 Successes and Look Ahead for 2015

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, 5 March 2015 – Representatives from the Cayman Islands Ministry and Department of Tourism met with global partners in New York City to develop an integrated marketing strategy crafted to continue the positive trajectory of tourism to the Cayman Islands through the duration of 2015, 2016 and beyond. Deputy Premier and Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Moses Kirkconnell and Director of Tourism, Mrs. Rosa Harris, facilitated the agenda which provided opportunities for the team to create, discuss, and strategize the methodologies that will continue to move the business forward.

Also in attendance for the strategic meetings were Councillor for Tourism, Joseph Hew; Chief Officer for Tourism Stran Bodden; Cayman Islands Aviation Authority, Chief Executive Officer, Albert Anderson; Cayman Airways, Executive Vice president and Chief Financial Officer, Paul Tibbetts; Marketing and Promotions of District Administration Manager Chevala Burke; Cayman Islands Tourism Association, Executive Director, Tiffany Ebanks; Department of Tourism team, and the international marketing agencies of record in advertising, public relations, media buying and digital services.

Discussions focused on strategies to forward the department’s business objectives of visitation, examine the attributes that differentiate the Cayman Islands’ from the competitive set, with the ultimate goal of maintaining the momentum that the local tourism industry has experienced. Emerging markets such as Latin America, Germany, China as well as the USA relaxation on visitation to Cuba and its impact on the Caribbean marketplace were top areas of focus in these meetings. The teams considered various ways to leverage these new destinations as a benefit to the future growth of the Cayman Islands.

The Minister and Chief Officer provided updates to the global team on the strategic plans for redevelopment of the Owen Roberts International Airport and cruise berthing projects, noting the milestones achieved thus far in key infrastructure projects and sharing details on the progress of each. Other areas covered by the ministry included information on the anticipated growth of the hotel sector which is scheduled to welcome several new properties within the coming years, the revitalization of George Town, and the opening of the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport in Cayman Brac.

“The commitment of the many individuals who are part of the DOT global team is paramount to our success and I am very excited to see the outcomes of these meetings demonstrate our commitment to tourism. It was truly a reaffirming time for me to be surrounded by the people who are in the field every day to ensure that the Cayman Islands are at the forefront of the minds for potential visitors and investors. The time together to discuss and plan was invaluable and the ideas borne of these meetings will be the business tactics that take the destination forward in the years to come,” shared Minister Kirkconnell. “The people of the Cayman Islands should continue to be proud of the tourism successes achieved and be assured that the Ministry and Department of Tourism will not rest on these accomplishments; instead our team will sharpen our focus and continue to develop sound strategies, develop new and existing partnerships, and work together to ensure we maintain that positive pattern of progress in the tourism marketplace.”

While in New York, the Minister, accompanied by Councillor Hew, met with influential journalists from Departures, The Wall Street Journal, Manhattan Magazine, The Knot and a new global digital content outlet called The Globalist. Conversations with the writers positioned the Cayman Islands as the premiere destination for exceptional interactions with local residents, and focused on the breadth of opportunities on-island, spanning accessibility from the U.S., new hotels, exceptional food, the Botanic Park, Stingray City, Rum Point, and more.

Deputy Premier Kirkconnell, accompanied by the Director Harris , and Councillor Hew; Chief Officer Bodden and members of the Department of Tourism Senior Management team also attended the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) annual gala to accept three awards for excellence in marketing. The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism was recognized with a top-honour Platinum Award and a Gold Award in Public Relations for print feature stories in National Geographic Traveler and US Airways Magazine, respectively, as well as a Bronze Award in Digital Marketing for a social media campaign surrounding a consumer activation in NYC that took place in July 2014.

Throughout the week, the Minister and Director lauded the organisation’s passion for the Cayman Islands and its exceptional array of partners. They underscored the importance of working in harmony with partners to ensure equal representation for all in the tourism industry.

“The path to success for any tourism organization is directly linked with the dedication of an excellent team, the support of government, and the vision to think strategically for the future. It was definitely a proud moment to note that the Department of Tourism has all of these elements as well as the support of the country and our key partners, which when combined have led to the successes of the organization and our country as a tourism destination. We will continue to build positive relationships with all sectors of the Cayman community as we know together we can achieve our goals,” emphasized the Director. “As an organisation we are extremely proud to share the vision of tourism’s uture with our partners and acknowledge that our collaborative efforts will lead us to even greater wins in the future for our beautiful destination.”