A public city corridor assembly was held to fight “myths and misinformation” over the impacts of cruise tourism within the Cayman Islands.
Organized by stress group Affiliation for Cruise Tourism (ACT), the assembly was a part of a wider public training marketing campaign to clarify the advantages and the impacts of not maintaining with different Caribbean locations.
The Caymans is a young vacation spot that has stalled cruise tourism progress for years and led to a decline in cruise calls. The ACT is made up of tour corporations, restauranteurs, bar homeowners, and transportation suppliers involved over the present cruise port scenario.
Referendum Vote Later this 12 months
There was discuss of growing ship berthing amenities for a few years however have gotten nowhere on account of fears over environmental points related to dredging, and prices. The Cayman Parliament lately agreed to maneuver ahead with a cruise berthing referendum query, which will probably be held this 12 months throughout the common election.
A devoted pier is crucial for the financial system and other people’s livelihoods, ACT says. Ellio Solomon ACT’s govt program supervisor mentioned: ‘It’s necessary that every one residents perceive the trade’s affect on our financial system and the present threats it faces.”
The shortage of berthing has successfully brought on a forty five% decline since 2018, ACT says. The Caymans was one of many final locations to reopen to cruise ships after the worldwide pandemic.
Environmental Considerations Voiced
Like many locations, there’s opposition to cruise port growth primarily based on environmental considerations. Marketing campaign group CPR Cayman helps the public referendum however criticized “the obscure query and lack of public disclosures.” The referendum query states: “Ought to the Cayman Islands develop cruise berthing infrastructure?”
CPR Cayman fears the referendum may very well be hijacked by pro-cruise particular pursuits. “We stay involved concerning the lack of laws, notably round marketing campaign financing,” it mentioned in a press release.
The ACT says additional public conferences concerning the problem are deliberate across the Cayman Islands within the coming months.
The Cayman Islands’ relationship with cruise tourism dates again many years. In its heyday, the islands had been a must-visit port for main cruise strains, with Grand Cayman usually touted as a jewel of the Western Caribbean.
Nonetheless, the dearth of docking amenities has made it much less engaging for newer, bigger ships.
