Tourism
Arrivals soar to new record highs
(CNS): Over 2.1 million visitors arrived in Cayman during 2015, making it, as expected, another record-breaking year. Both cruise and air arrivals were up during the last twelve months, with 385,379 total air arrivals, a marginal 0.67% increase over 2014. However, this was not only the most arrivals since records began but the ?th year in […]
Tourism on track for another record-breaking year
(CNS Business): The number of tourists visiting the Cayman Islands by air increased again in November, placing the destination on track for another record-breaking year for stay-over tourism. Despite a few dips in the summer months in 2015, the very marginal increase in November keeps the arrival figures on the plus side. The 0.24% increase on […]
CAL begins Brac-Cuba flights
(CNS Business): Cayman Airways Limited (CAL) has launched the first international flight to and from Holguin, Cuba, and expanded its Miami service to Cayman Brac. The flight to the eastern end of the island nation is designed to complement the airline’s existing flights between Havana and Grand Cayman, and the airline expects some Havana passengers, many […]
Hotel lease extension nets $13.4M for public purse
(CNS Business): Government is expecting to collect $13.4 million from the owners of the Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa after talks regarding the extension of the hotel’s lease for the crown land it stands on were completed. Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts told the Legislative Assembly that the report on the lease […]
CAL starts using new boarding ramps
(CNS): Passengers on Cayman Airways have begun using the airline’s new ramps to get on and off the planes. Officials said the new ramps improve safety and comfort, particularly for people with disabilities including those in wheelchairs. The airline said they are a significant step forward for passenger convenience, with an inclined walkway replacing the conventional […]
CAL’s new Saab christened into fleet
(CNS Business): Cayman Airways’ new Saab 340B+ aircraft was formally christened on Friday 13 November at the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport (CKIA) on Cayman Brac. The airline said that the 34-seat aircraft will be phased into service between Grand Cayman and the Brac this month, replacing the 30-seat Embraer E120, which has operated under a […]
Dart names Kimpton resort ‘Seafire’
(CNS Business): The ten-storey hotel and residency resort built by the Dart Realty (Cayman) on the former site of the Courtyard Marriott on the West Bay Road has been named the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa. Dart Realty CEO Mark VanDevelde said the countdown to the opening of the luxury resort, scheduled for November 2016, had started with the naming […]
Cayman to get another shot of Margaritaville
(CNS): The Treasure Island hotel in the heart of Grand Cayman’s tourist district is to become a full-scale Margaritaville Resort, new owners have said. Howard Hospitality Group (HHG) has bought the site, which was on sale for just over $15 million, and said it is already planning a major redesign and renovation of the building to […]
Summer visitors fall but annual figures remain steady
(CNS): Although the Cayman Islands saw a dip in arrival numbers this summer by air and sea compared to last year, so far the overall figures for both cruise passengers and overnight guests are still higher this year than 2014, a year in which Cayman recorded its highest number of overnight visitors since records began. Between […]
Cayman Airways to launch Brac-Cuba route
(CNS Business): The National Flag Carrier will be launching a new weekly flight to Cuba from Cayman Brac at the end of next month, the airline has announced. The new Cayman Airways Limited (CAL) service between the Sister Island and Holguin is the second Cayman to Cuba route and the first outbound international route launched […]
Airport begins search for builders
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Airports Authority has started the process to find a general contractor to undertake the renovation and expansion of Owen Roberts International Airport terminal. Airport officials said the first step is to prequalify general contractors for the second but main phase of the project. This contract will be for the terminal building, including approximately […]
B&B hosts to face daily fines after amnesty
(CNS Business): Unlicensed property owners subletting guest rooms, apartments or houses to tourists have been given until the end of the year to comply with the licensing and fee regime before government begins issuing daily $100 fines, officials from the Hotel Licensing Board have said. An amnesty, which began on 1 October, will last until […]
Tourism stands firm on B&B restrictions
(CNS Business): The Cayman Islands appear to have no plans to relax the licensing, inspection or tax rules for local people offering bed and breakfast accommodation to visitors in their own homes. In a short statement, Department of Tourism officials told CNS Business, “The Cayman Islands Tourism Law is applied to all business accommodations that rent short term. […]
5-star resort expected to bring new life to BT
(CNS): A 200-room five-star hotel and 75 private condos planned for the Beach Bay of Bodden Town has taken a step towards becoming a reality after government signed an official agreement Thursday that will see construction start on the project inside twelve months. The investors involved in the project said the goal was to have […]
Airport boss said project will be ‘challenging’
(CNS Business): Renovating and expanding the Owen Roberts International Airport while keeping it open to the public will be challenging, the Cayman Islands Airports Authority CEO Albert Anderson said Thursday, but the management will do all it can to minimise the impact on travellers. He said much of the work will be done at night and when […]
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