The Last Word
The Last Word: Cayman tourism comfortable and completely unpretentious
by Barrie Quappe
Host/producer for "Cayman Crosstalk with Barrie Quappe" on Rooster 101.9FM
Friday, June 4, 2004
Scanning for feedback from visitors on their experience during
their Cayman vacation, I was pleasantly surprised to read of many
positive reactions.
For example: We are still friendly – “My wife and I enjoyed a
long weekend in Grand Cayman the week before Christmas.
“We were delighted with our trip. Everyone on the island is
friendly and helpful, with none of the rudeness you so often
encounter in St Thomas or Nassau.”
We have great food – “Dining is open air with a view of the surf;
cuisine, especially the seafood, was superbly prepared and
accompanied by accomplished but unpretentious service.
“In fact, I think that’s what we liked so much about Grand
Cayman; everything is so comfortable and pleasant but completely
unpretentious. We look forward to going back again.”
Ouch on cruise ship crowding and cost – Try to avoid downtown
when the cruise ships come in. George Town becomes much more crowded
and the prices tend to rise. We stopped in for a sandwich for two
with two drinks and ended up with a CI$60 bill.
‘Scuba adventures, tasty meals and tips on avoiding the cruisers”
seemed to be the recurring comments in response to an MSNBC article
for budget travel.
One traveller even recommended eating bulla bread and cheese for
breakfast to save money on vacation!
The experience of falling in love with Cayman is still there.
People still recognise our unique charm as a community.
The ‘ouches’ are known to all and may be remedied with additional
cruise ship facilities and increased competition which will
indirectly drive tourist product prices appropriately.
The idea is to keep up the good work and pay close attention to
the feedback.
We all know how fragile the tourism industry can be and vigilance
coupled with customer focused service will keep us in the dance.
Contact Barrie Quappe “Newstalk” radio show, Rooster 101.9FM. E-mail
barriequappe@hurleysgroup.com
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