Business View Caribbean - Sept. / Oct. 2014

22 %XVLQHVV 9LHZ ‡ &DULEEHDQ ² 6HSWHPEHU ‡ 2FWREHU &D\PDQ ,VODQGV BUSINESS VIEW: Can you speak to the significance of tourism to the entire economy, the jobs it creates, the businesses it supports and its prominence as a primary driver of the economy? MOSES KIRKCONNELL: At a macro level, tourism is one of the largest and fastest-growing industries in the global economy and has significant environmental, cultural, social and economic effects. In the Cayman Islands, tourism is the second-largest contributor to our economy. On an annual basis, we welcome approximately 300,000 stay-over visitors – who contribute nearly $300 million or 77 percent of our islands’ total annual tourism revenue – and 1.5 million cruise passengers to our shores. The tourism industry also stimulates the economy throughancillary service industries, such as construction, hotel and restaurant operations, retail trades, scuba diving and boat rentals. Tourism is therefore a vital part of the Cayman economy and this industry, along with the financial services sector, are commonly referred to as the two pillars of our economy. BV: Can you share insight as to the important role of your office in supporting/advocating/overseeing the integrity and quality of Cayman’s tourism product ? KIRKCONNELL: As a vital pillar to the economy, tourism is viewed as a leading growth sector and directly impacts national development objectives. These include job creation, SME business development, inward investment and the development of human capital to support the industry. As minister of tourism, one of my primary roles is to oversee the development and implementation of policies, regulations and services. These are largely designed to facilitate the sustainability, growth and economic viability of the tourism industry for the prosperity and well-being of Caymanians and residents. The Ministry of Tourism also provides strategic guidance to the Department of Tourism, which is mainly responsible for the development and execution of a wide range of marketing plans and promotional activities for the destination. BV: Can you share insight on particular milestones which have contributed to Cayman’s vitality as a tourism destination, in the distant or recent past? KIRKCONNELL: The fact that our Islands are conveniently located just 480 miles south of Miami is fortuitous, as it makes us highly accessible and desirable to travelers originating from Florida and its environs. But our reliance on tourism also means that we need to have convenient airlift options from many other key gateways, in order to facilitate and maintain a high level of visitation to our islands. Having our own national airline – Cayman Airways – provides a tremendous boost to our tourism sector as it enables us, when required, to strategically introduce new routes from U.S. gateways, to support inbound travel. For example, Cayman Airways has resumed service to Chicago’s O’Hare airport and began offering direct flights to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Talking Business: Moses Kirkconnell 30 minutes with the deputy premier and minister of tourism for the Cayman Islands &D\PDQ ,VODQGV 6HSWHPEHU ‡ 2FWREHU ² &DULEEHDQ ‡ %XVLQHVV 9LHZ mid-2012. These new services are paying dividends for the destination as they are proven, key gateways which provide a convenient option for travelers visiting business or leisure purposes, and help us to boost incremental tourism from Texas and the Midwest United States. In addition to the Cayman Airways routes, which now provide service to and from five U.S. gateways and four countries outside of the U.S., Westjet launched a new direct service from Toronto, which has significantly grown stay-over arrivals from this region. Delta Airlines also introduced a weekly non-stop service from New York’s JFK Airport, which is timed to allow for European connections. This additional airlift has tremendously increased our seat capacity and is regarded in industry circles as being a vote of confidence in the Cayman Islands by some of the world‘s leading airlines. In terms of brand differentiation, the Cayman Islands distinguishes itself from other warm-weather destinations in the Caribbean region and beyond through the provision of exceptional service and the delivery of more value for money to travelers. Caymanians have a reputation for being exceptionally warm and friendly, which adds to our vitality and appeal because our Islands are considered as a leading destination for discerning travelers, honeymooners, couples and families. Additionally, as well as being world renowned for our idyllic beaches and diving spots, and internationally recognized as a sophisticated and diverse financial center, our trio of islands all offer full connectivity, enabling visitors to seamlessly connect to telephone and Internet services on arrival. Although often taken for granted, these are the kinds of creature comforts that visitors want and expect from a home away from home and the fact that the Cayman Islands delivers, enhances our appeal. BV: Can you speak to any recent initiatives or present strategies essential to bolstering tourism? KIRKCONNELL: The Cayman Islands tourism industry has undoubtedly been under pressure as a result of the global recession, but having adopted a collaborative and results-driven approach to address the challenges, our stay-over arrivals have continued to trend positively. For example, the Department of Tourism is working closely with organizations such as Cayman Airways, the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, the Sister Islands Tourism Association and other private sector stakeholders to develop and implement programs designed to stimulate the market, and reinforce the Cayman Islands brand and value propositions. Recognizing the importance of keeping the Cayman Islands top of mind with prospective travelers, we actively market ourselves to key market sectors in the U.S., U.K. and Canada. The fundamental objective is to strike the right balance between price and value, and to powerfully communicate our brand in a way that motivates consumers to choose the Cayman Islands when deciding where to travel. Given that businesses and individuals are researching more, spending smarter and demanding more value for money, we are doing everything possible to develop better relationships with consumers, and highlight the experiential aspects of our destination. Another area we have focused on to bolster incremental arrivals is sport tourism. Sports tourism is one of the fastest growing and most lucrative sectors in the global travel industry, and one that is estimated to be worth several billion dollars annually. Here in the Cayman Islands we have been actively developing this sector with the aim of establishing our destination as a preferred sports tourism location, which in turn is designed to deliver long-term, sustainable benefits to the Cayman Islands economy. Encouraging sports tourism became even more important as we grappled against the effects of the recession, and several new tournaments and events were introduced to the Cayman Islands annual sporting calendar. These ranged from football, swimming, tennis, squash, biking, fishing, volleyball and more. Having successfully hosted those events, our Islands effectively demonstrated that we are an ideal destination for a myriad of sporting activities. Sports tourism vacations have the benefit of bringing large groups of people together and have a direct and sizeable effect on our economy. The average