Officials from the Cayman Islands Tourism Department say that they are on track to meet their target of 1.2 millions cruise passengers by 2023.
To maintain and increase cruise visitor numbers, the Caribbean nation needs to diversify its tourism offerings, including services, products and experiences on the islands.
Rosa Harris, Director of the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, said that between January and May 2023 the Cayman Islands will host 666,000 cruise guests, which is 73.8 percent of what the destination saw in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
The Cayman Islands, traditionally one of the Caribbean’s most popular cruise ports, hosted 1,83 million cruise tourists in the year before the pandemic. This was the third highest number among the destinations tracked by Caribbean Tourism Organization.
Kenneth Bryan, Cayman Islands’ Minister of Tourism, spoke at the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association’s conference earlier this year. He praised the FCCA’s “strong focus” and the efforts of government officials to develop new attractions and experiences for visitors.
Bryan stated in a Cayman Compass article on the event that the government was focused on “Building New Attractions and providing Funding” for tourism entrepreneurs. Bryan expressed his hope that a niche business funding proposal would be approved by the government ministers.
Officials from CIDOT have stated that the Cayman Islands will receive 269 calls in 2024 from 53 different ships, including Princess Cruises. Norwegian Cruise Line. Celebrity Cruises. Disney Cruise Line. Royal Caribbean International. Carnival Cruise Lines. Regent Seven Seas. Silversea Cruises. Holland America Line.