Caymanians are a culturally diverse community with roots in every corner of the globe. The islands have a pleasant tropical climate and a strong international financial services industry.
Website Administrator bringing a solid IT background to this role. Its responsibilities include website maintenance and digital analytics.
Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors worldwide. It directly impacts every country’s economy and is a significant source of revenue for many countries and regions. It involves the movement of persons for leisure or business and can affect the supply of goods, services, facilities, and entertainment. It is a multi-billion industry and is the world’s largest generator of foreign exchange. It is also a significant contributor to employment and exports. In the Cayman Islands, tourism is one of the leading industries. It accounts for over 80% of the nation’s work and is the primary source of foreign income.
The Cayman Islands are a small group of islands in the Caribbean Sea with a pleasant tropical climate and rich natural, cultural, and built heritage. They have a high level of involvement in international trade and an established reputation as a center for offshore banking and financial services. They have a low rate of unemployment and a highly developed economy.
As a result, the Cayman Islands have a much higher percentage of GDP from services than other island territories. They have a high ratio of tourist expenditure to GDP, the highest in the world for SISODs. The tourism sector is also highly competitive and well-organized.
It is a high-income economy with a relatively high standard of living and a large per capita stock of wealth. Compared to other small island economies, the Cayman Islands are not dependent on agriculture or fishing as they have a large and sophisticated service industry. The Cayman Islands are a center for international finance and are renowned as an offshore financial center because of their lack of direct taxes and liberal banking laws. This is a significant source of foreign income for the islands and contributes significantly to GDP.
During the global economic crisis in 2007-2009, there was a decline in tourist arrivals to the Cayman Islands, but this did not translate into a decrease in real GDP. This suggests that the Cayman Islands are less vulnerable to economic, extraneous disasters than other SISODs and may be considered a haven from financial stress.
The primary source market for the Cayman Islands is North America, and 85% of all visitors arrive by cruise ship. This has a positive impact on the overall destination performance as well as the sustainability of the Cayman Islands tourism industry.
Whether arriving by air or sea, tourists to the Cayman Islands will experience some of the best diving the world offers, exquisite restaurants and cuisine, unique local traditions and heritage, and stunning historic sites. Tourism is a massive economic driver for the Cayman Islands and its people. Still, it also brings environmental, cultural, and financial concerns that must be taken seriously. Various measures have been implemented in the Cayman Islands to address these issues and prevent them from worsening.
National Promotions & Events
The National Promotions and Events team focuses on promoting the Cayman Islands as a premier warm-weather destination worldwide. The group develops and delivers programs to support the overall mission of the Tourism Industry, which is “To develop and optimize tourism sustainably for the benefit of Caymanians, residents, and visitors.”
The team also works closely with local business leaders and the media to promote the Cayman Islands as an ideal location to host business events and conferences. A strong emphasis is placed on leveraging social media platforms and digital marketing campaigns to enhance the reach of the Cayman Islands’ message.
The Cayman Islands Tourism Industry, represented by entities like the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (CIDOT), is pivotal in promoting and sustaining the region’s allure for global travelers.
In addition to developing B2B opportunities, the team attends many consumer shows with a purpose-built exhibition stand. The exhibition booth is continually being re-imagined to showcase the Cayman Islands’ luxury offering better and features a new design, updated images, and built-in fans.
The team’s involvement in the bi-annual Hotelympia is vital in showcasing the Cayman Islands to an audience of hospitality and travel professionals. Hotelympia is the world’s leading hotel and tourism event that brings together key decision-makers from across the industry. The team recently returned from the show with several positive leads developed during face-to-face meetings.
London Office
The Tourism Industry London office is responsible for promoting the Cayman Islands to the UK, Continental Europe, and Asia in various ways. The team is made up of specialists in partner and digital marketing.
The Cayman Islands is a global financial center with a reputation for the quality and security of its banks and businesses. Hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals are registered here, attracted by the absence of direct taxes and liberal banking laws. International finance contributes significantly to the economy and is a significant source of revenue for the Cayman Islands.
In recent years, tourism has been recognized as a critical driver of the country’s economic progress and is among the top five industries in export revenues. The sector supports about 7,000 jobs, providing residents opportunities to improve their living standards and generating significant socio-economic gains.
Last month, some Tourism Industry partnered with Cayman Airways to “fly” into Grapevine Mills Mall in Grapevine, Texas, for a fun consumer pop-up event promoting the airline’s new direct summer flights from Dallas, USA. The team also participated in several B2C shows, where they showcased a newly re-designed exhibition stand that further demonstrates the Cayman Islands as an unrivaled luxury Caribbean destination. The frame features custom Cayman football jerseys and an immersive digital experience that reflects the Islands’ warmth, sophistication, and uniqueness.
US Office
With two major airports on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, as well as a private airstrip on Little Cayman, the islands are easily accessible. Over one million cruise ship passengers visit annually on day trips, and about a million people arrive on air or sea as stayover tourists (those who spend one or more nights). The Island’s natural beauty and world-renowned diving have established a solid reputation for tourism.
A global office programming provides vibrant Cayman Islands experiences in destination marketing and on-island events to support the growth of the islands as a tourism destination. In addition to assisting with global event planning, experts are responsible for maintaining and developing tourism’s digital platforms, bringing a wealth of IT experience to this critical role.
Some companies recently held the first destination training webinar hosted on Facebook Live for travel agents. This was a great success and is a critical component of our ongoing efforts to educate the travel trade on selling the Cayman Islands as a premium vacation destination. CIDOT UK also recently attended Routes Europe in Bilbao, Spain, as part of our strategy to increase European airlift to the Cayman Islands.
