Maintaining an upward trajectory is good for our economy, good for business and good for the people of the Cayman Islands.

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (28 July, 2017) Just 2 months after achieving the
highest visitor arrivals for any April on record, the Cayman Islands tourism sector
continues to outperform expectations.

Air arrivals for June were up 12.84% over the corresponding period in 2016,
equating to 38,729 visitors, or an increase of 4,407 passengers.

Visitation from the USA once again topped the charts, up 18.85% over June 2016
and accounting for 82% of total stayover arrivals year to date. The Latin America
region, which includes Brazil and Argentina was also up 45.22% over June 2016,
while Canada and Europe were down 8 and 24 percent respectively.

Referencing the double digit increase, Minister for Tourism, Hon. Moses
Kirkconnell stated that the sector’s strong performance is being driven by a range
of factors all working together for maximum impact.

By way of example, he noted that the new route between Grand Cayman and Fort
Lauderdale launched on June 4th has increased airline capacity, enabling the
Southeast region of the USA to be serviced more effectively.

“On the promotional front, the Department of Tourism has worked very hard to
ensure promotions such as “Summer: Only in Cayman” were early to market and
available to tour operators and trade partners well ahead of the official start of
Summer season on June 1st. This led to strong growth across the US in general
and double digit increases from gateways such as Dallas and Houston in the
Southwest, confirming that this approach effectively stimulated the market and
placed the Cayman Islands top-of-mind with consumers,” he said.

Commenting on the dip in European and Canadian arrivals, Minister Kirkconnell
went on to explain that the downturn was primarily due to seasonality as well as
economic factors such as fluctuations in currency.

“Travellers originating from the UK or Canada often stay home in Summer,
preferring to visit warmer climates later in the year when their temperature
drops. Additionally, those who would have travelled are finding their buying
power is reduced and long haul vacations are being postponed in favour of
staycations or less expensive destinations closer to home. To help turn this
around, the DoT is engaging with travel partners for value-added offers and they
will also be working with BA Holidays in preparation for the Fall. Meanwhile,
closer working relations with the Canadian travel trade and media are being
pursued as well as tactical campaigns with Air Canada and West Jet,” he said.
With stayover arrivals holding their own, renewed emphasis is also being placed
on increasing the Cayman Islands presence in Latin America. Mrs. Rosa Harris,

Director of Tourism confirmed that expansion into Brazil and Argentina has been
part of the Department of Tourism’s longer term strategic goals for some time
and they are satisfied with the headway being made.

“Travellers from Brazil and Argentina rely heavily on travel agencies and tour
operators, and the Department is working with a local agency to help drive
demand through these channels,” said Mrs. Harris.

“Cities such as Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires have a high proportion of travellers
who align with our desired demographic and are keen to visit our shores.”

“Having successfully raised brand awareness of the Cayman Islands as a vacation
destination, our focus is shifting towards accelerating growth in high value
visitors from these regions, she continued. “Capturing even a small percentage of
the market would be very lucrative for our economy, since the travellers tend to
gravitate towards the higher end of our tourism product and particularly enjoy
diving, shopping and fine dining.”

Given that tourism is not an exact science with specific formulas guaranteeing particular outcomes, Minister Kirkconnell said he is pleased with where stayover
arrivals currently stand and he remains optimistic that the 400,000 target will be achieved in 2017.

“Maintaining an upward trajectory is good for our economy, good for business and good for the people of the Cayman Islands. I would like to extend my thanks to all of our tourism industry partners that consistently work alongside the Ministry and Department of Tourism help to achieve these impressive results.”
ENDS

IMAGE: Stingray City FILE