March 2017 | Business View Caribbean

26 27 Resort and Spa, which is rapidly earning regional and international accolades.We are also anticipating the grand opening of the new Margaritaville Beach Resort this year, which will offer a fun-themed resort experience for its guests, and are looking forward to the ground breaking for The Four Seasons hotel. Food, arts and culture are growing trends in our islands. Our visitors are looking for more new unique experiences; it is not just about escapism and the sand, sea, and sun appeal of a tropical island. As the culinary capital of the Caribbean, we offer more than our beautiful beaches and warm hospitality. The culinary industry is exponentially expanding, and food-related events are building in popularity across the islands and throughout the year.We have our annual Taste of Cayman Food and Drink Festival, CITA’s biggest fundraiser, which follows the internationally coveted Cayman Cook- out. New on the scene for just two years is The Jamaica Observer The Cayman Islands TourismAssociation & Best Dressed Chicken Table Talk Food Awards.When it comes to the arts, the Cayman Islands Film Festival should not be overlooked. Medical tourism is a growing sector in our islands. Health City Cayman Islands, as per their original plans and busi- ness model, foresee their Accommodations coming on stream in the near future to fa- cilitate more overseas patients from the region and North America. BVC: What are some challenges the local tourism industry faces? TDE: In any industry, there will always be new challenges that will require innovative solutions in order to continue positive ad- vancements. For the Cayman Is- lands, our thriving Tourism Indus- try presents its own unique sets of challenges from year to year. Issues such as sustainable devel- opment, and constantly increas- ing visitation, present positive challenges that have pushed the islands forward with the planning and devel- opment of appropriate infrastructure upgrades as well as implementation of important gov- ernment policies that will best serve locals and visitors.