Grand Cayman Sets ‘Ambitious Timetable’ for New Cruise Port

Grand Cayman Sets ‘Ambitious Timetable’ for New Cruise Port
By Gay Nagle Myers (Travel Weekly)

The long-discussed cruise ship berthing port project in George Town, Grand Cayman, appears to be moving forward. The government previously stated that it wants the facility completed by November 2012 to correspond with it hosting the annual Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association conference.

A new cruise port in George Town would enable berthing of megaships, which until now have bypassed the destination for lack of a suitable facility. Cruise numbers for 2010, while not yet final, indicate an increase of 3 percent to 4 percent over 2009, Scott said. Stayover visitors increased by about 6.5 percent in 2010, he said.

To build greater awareness of the Cayman Islands, the destination launched a tourism campaign called “Caymankind,” part of a larger marketing initiative to highlight the people, natural attractions and experiences available to visitors.

The campaign includes TV spots in the U.S., print ads, a website and a strategic social media plan in which visitors are asked to post random acts of kindness performed by Caymanians.