May’s annual Cayman Islands Tourism Exchange once again brought together leading Cayman travel sector suppliers and key buyers on Grand Cayman for three informative and productive days. The Cayman Islands—made up of Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac—offer a multitude of choices for every type of traveler, from high luxury and fine dining to fabulous diving to miles of sandy beaches. The conference highlighted new product and opportunities as well as 2010’s positive tourism sector results and what’s to come for the Cayman Islands in the future. And the future is looking great—early 2011 figures already show an increase in visitors by both air and cruise ships over last year.

Introductory remarks at the opening ceremony were made by the Hon. Cline A. Glidden, Jr.. He emphasized that Cayman Islands tourism has held its own during the economic downturn and is seeing very encouraging growth. In 2010 cruise ship visitors increased by 5.1% and the Cayman Islands had the highest air arrivals since 2000.

Diversification is key to the future and options include redevelopment of existing air routes, cruise ship berth building and expansion into medical and sports tourism. His encouraging words were echoed by Trina Savage-Christian, Executive Director of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA) and Henry Lalli, president of CITA, and they reiterated the need for long-term and sustainable growth. Hotel stock is plentiful with over 4,700 available rooms on the three islands and another 625 scheduled to be completed within the next two years. One suggestion for more growth is the strategic selling of units in the condo/villa sector which could increase rental room stock without the time and financial investments required for new construction.

While much of the Caribbean depends heavily on cruise ship passenger arrivals, the Caymans are looking at strong air arrivals as a key way of growing tourism on the islands. This is due in part to fewer cruise stops than other Caribbean destinations (stops are only available on Grand Cayman and disembarkation is currently only via tender) but also because visitors to the Cayman Islands are more likely to come to the Caymans as their final destination and for a longer stay rather than as just a stop over. Air arrivals are one of the highest in the region and are up 6% over last year at this time and in 2011 flights will be increasing to 105 per week. Route competition has also stimulated travel to the Caymans. Thanks to a new link-up with Virgin Air in late 2010, Cayman Airways has created three new routes to the UK and an additional 4,500 inbound seats per week, adding to its existing connections with British Airways. Canadian arrivals also saw an increase to their highest levels ever thanks to West Jet direct routes from Toronto. Cayman Airways has direct flights between Grand Cayman and New York, Chicago, Tampa, and Miami year round, as well as other US cities including Washington D.C. during peak winter months.

After years of negotiating and planning and with the help and dedication of both private and public agencies, January 2011 saw the sinking of the USS Kittiwake , a decommissioned US naval vessel, creating a stunning new dive site off the coast of Grand Cayman. Nancy Easterbrook (owner and founder of DiveTech as well as co-developer of Grand Cayman’s first green certified apartment complex, Lighthouse Point) who spearheaded the project, gave highlights of their efforts and outlined the benefits for the island. The dive at Kittiwake is a great add-on for packages: the dive site is shallow and suitable for any level of diver; there are numerous holes allowing for great light penetration; and there is already abundant marine life within the ship. (For non-divers, the site can also be viewed by snorkeling.) There are now 362 dive sites in the Caymans and the goal is “Dive 365.”

The keynote speech was delivered by Shomari Scott, Acting Director of Tourism for the Cayman Islands (CIDOT). He began with the breaking news that Trip Advisor’s Travelers’ Choice Award for Best Caribbean Destination had just been awarded to Grand Cayman, and Rum Point was voted the #3 beach in the Caribbean.

Mr. Scott went on to outline the new creative campaign launching in the US: Caymankind (caymankind.com). It highlights the brand values that distinguish the Cayman Islands from other countries in the Caribbean: Cayman as a people, a place, an approach to life. Travelers to the Cayman Islands are generally affluent, educated sun and sand seekers and the campaign promotes the idea that you can have a great time on your vacation while still being a responsible world citizen. The focus is on the personal touch but with the greater good in mind. Environmental sustainability and respect for the land, the sea and the culture are emphasized. He expressed hopes that this new branding would create a more distinct and memorable brand identity for the Caymans and elevate the brand while still making it feel more accessible. The tagline for the Caymankind campaign emphasizes the Caymans’ proximity to the U.S.: “A world away. Just one hour from Miami.”

January’s second annual Taste of Cayman Food & Wine Festival (like Kittiwake, a joint project between CIDOT and CITA) was wildly successful and in 2012 the event will expand to Cayman Culinary Month, running from January 12th through February 14th. Events will kick off once again with the Cayman Cookout, hosted to great acclaim this year by world-renowned chef, Eric Ripert, whose celebrated restaurant Blue is located in the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman.

The CITE conference was held in and around Cayman’s flagship planned mixed-use community, Camana Bay (www.camanabay.com), convenient to Seven Mile Beach and home to numerous restaurants, shops and Grand Cayman’s first and only movie theater.

The outlook for the travel and tourism markets in the Cayman Islands is extremely positive. Diving, spas, cuisine, sand, sea, and sun are all reasons to come to the Cayman Islands but the new Caymankind marketing campaign will help better define and position the Caymans within the greater Caribbean landscape.

Summer Special: Running through September 30th, Cayman Summer Splash is a great way for the whole family to discover the Cayman Islands. Numerous offers including restaurant and accommodation discounts and “kids stay, play and eat for free” are available. The Cayman Sea School (June 3—September 2nd, 2011) is open and kids can learn all about the Caymans’ unique marine environment and its inhabitants. For details on these and other Cayman Summer Splash offers, please see their website: caymansummersplash.com

Where to stay: Grand Cayman has a stunning selection of hotel stock to choose from, whether clients are planning a lavish destination wedding or a simple romantic getaway for two. The Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort is centrally located directly on beautiful Seven Mile Beach with comfortable rooms and a casual elegance. Rates are available from $190-$386 USD through November 30, 2011, and may include breakfast and a free night. (www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ gcmgc-grand-cayman-marriott-beach-resort)

Further south along Seven Mile Beach is the mecca for dive enthusiasts, Sunset House (www.sunsethouse.com), which was just rated one of the world’s Best Dive Operations by Scuba Diving readers in their 2011 Top 100 Awards. Other great options include The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman (www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/GrandCayman/Default), The Caribbean Club (www.caribclub.com), and The Westin Casuarina Resort and Spa (www.westincasuarina.com). Packages and special offers are available from their websites.

Fine dining: Camana Bay offers world-class dining, including Michael Schwartz’s Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink (www.michaelsgenuine.com/grand-cayman) and award-winning celebrity Chef Cindy Hutson’s Ortanique (www.cindyhutsoncuisine.com). Seven Mile Beach options include Agua Restaurant & Lounge (www.agua.ky) and Luca (www.luca.ky). Within Georgetown, The Lobster Pot (www.lobsterpot.ky) is Cayman’s oldest standing restaurant and a great choice for lunch or dinner.

Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, www.caymanislands.ky; CITE, Cayman Islands Tourism Exchange, www.cite.ky