Tourism is one of the key pillars of Cayman’s economy. Alongside the burgeoning financial industry, Cayman’s tourists, and the dollars they spend, create jobs and help drive our economy. The tourism sector helps support many of Cayman’s flourishing industries, from hotels and restaurants to retail and diving. To ensure the tourists keep coming and the dollars keep on being spent, marketing Cayman to the world is key, which is where the Department of Tourism steps in.

According to the DoT, almost 2 million visitors arrived on Cayman’s shores last year, attracted to our crystal clear turquoise waters, stunning sun-kissed beaches, famed scuba diving, high-end restaurants and duty-free shopping. Visitors came primarily from the US and the UK with increasing numbers from Canada, all no doubt looking for some winter sunshine and a break from the daily grind.

Ensuring Cayman has a marketable product is paramount to ensure our Islands stand out in a crowded market place. Fresh and innovative attractions, such as the recently sunk Kittiwake dive site, help create new reasons for visitors to come to our shores, alongside mainstays such as Stingray City, the Cayman Islands Turtle Farm, Seven Mile Beach and the unspoiled picturesque beauty of the Sister Islands.

However, what if the DoT were to stop marketing Cayman? Quite simply the number of tourists would start to decline and Cayman would struggle. Shops would shut, restaurants and beach bars would close, the hotels would lie empty, the tour operators would have little reason to operate, downtown George Town would resemble a ghost town and the stingrays at the sandbar would certainly be left feeling a tad lonely. The upshot is that many expats and Caymanians alike would find themselves jobless. Without question, the tourism sector is a driving force in Cayman.

Thanks to the DoT’s marketing efforts, Cayman’s tourism sector continues to grow as the number of visitors steadily rise year-on-year. Last year, according to Cayman’s Economics and Statistics Office, air arrivals increased by 6 per cent compared to 2009 while cruise ship numbers increased by just over 5 per cent. The total number of visitors for the year 2010 stands at an impressive 1,886,110. Almost 300,000 of these visitors were stayover tourists arriving by air. The vast chunk – more than 1.5 million – arrived by cruise ship, ensuring the tills in the George Town shops continued to ring, the tour operators remained busy and the taxi drivers had a steady stream of paying passengers.

According to the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association, the average cruise ship passenger spend is US$96. Cruise ship visitors for 2010 numbered 1,597,838. Based on this figure, cruise ship passengers therefore contributed more than $153 million to Cayman’s economy. No small figure in anyone’s mind.

While cruise ship tourists are an important element, their average spend while on Island is relatively low. The DoT is therefore keen to expand on the number of stayover visitors. According to ESO, increasing numbers of visitors are arriving from Canada and therefore the DoT’s marketing strategy is aimed at expanding outreach in this market.

Cayman’s tourism sector drives the many industries that are key to Cayman’s ongoing success, which is why it’s so important that the DoT continues to market our Islands and attract as many visitors to our shores as possible.