Up Front
Tourism Minister and CruiseIndustry in Talks
Fivemembers of the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), ona recent fact-finding and sight-seeing mission to the Cayman Islands,met with Minister of Tourism, the Hon. McKeeva Bush and otherlocal tourism and government officials to discuss various aspectsof the islands' cruise ship business.
Tourism Minister,the Hon. McKeeva Bush (seated at right) with (seated, from left)Mr. Stephen Nielsen of Princess Cruises; Mr. Michael Ronan ofRoyal Caribbean International; Mr. Matthew Sams, Holland AmericaLine; Ms. Michelle Paige, President, FCCA; Mr. Roger Blum, CarnivalCruises; Standing, from left are: Messrs. Errol Bush, Port AuthorityDirector; Carlon Powery, Collector of Customs; Orrett Connor,Chief Immigration Officer; Charles Clifford, senior asst. secretaryto the Ministry of Tourism; Cline Glidden, MLA; Dave Martins,CEO, Tourist Attractions Board; Capt. Eugene Ebanks MLA, RonnieAnglin, representative for Land and Sea Operators Association;Rolston Anglin, MLA, Denny Ebanks, Manager, Pedro Castle and Mrs.Angela Martins, Director of Tourism.
"The aim of the visit from the FloridaCaribbean Cruise Ship Line representatives is to build a betterpartnership with our cruise industry," said Mr. Bush toldreporters, at a press conference held at Pedro St. James, on Thursday,21st December, at the end of the group's one-day visit.
"This visit represents a new levelin the relationship that we are cultivating for our mutual benefitand underscores the importance of the Cayman Islands as a portof call for the cruise shipping industry," the Minister continued.
Representing the FCCA were its president,Ms. Michelle Paige; Mr. Matthew Sams, Vice President, CaribbeanRelations for Holland America Line; Mr. Michael Ronan, Director,Destination Development for Royal Caribbean International /CelebrityCruises; Mr. Stephen A. Nielsen, Vice President, Caribbean andAtlantic Shore Operations for Princess Cruises and Mr. Roger Blumof Carnival Cruises.
Along with Minister Bush, other local officialsincluded Mrs. Angela Martins, Director of Tourism, Messrs. ErrolBush, Director of the Port Authority, Orrett "OC" Connor,Chief Immigration Officer, Dave Martins, Chief Executive Officerof the Tourist Attraction Board. Also attending the press conferencewere West Bay MLAs, Messrs. Rolston Anglin, Cline Glidden andCaptain Eugene Ebanks.
The group toured various tourism attractions - Hell, Tortuga RumCompany next to the Turtle Farm, captain Rackham's Pirate RumCake Centre, the Port Authority, Spotts Dock - ending the visitwith a luncheon at the historic Pedro St. James.
"We are extremely excited about thistour," remarked Ms. Paige. "Your minister did not allowany grass to grow under his feet. He contacted us within two weekof coming to office.
"We find this refreshing. We touredvarious sites to see how we as a partnership could improve thetourism product here on the Cayman Islands, and to see how wecould include the small tour operators. We are going to work withMr. (McKeeva) Bush," she added.
Mr. Sams also had high praise for the Minister'sapproach to tourism. "It is very refreshing to see this typeof interest. This is not lip service. I really find it to be excitingto see the Minister having such good feeling of what can happenin the future," the Holland America Line vice president said.
In the light of the renewed partnershipwith the FCCA and after consulting with members the local tourismindustry and ExCo, the Tourism Minister said that he was inclinedto lift the Sunday and holiday cruise ship ban.
"It is a policy, that I believe, ishypocritical. The industry has lost millions and our governmenthas lost a tremendous amount of revenue from that policy,"Mr. McKeeva Bush said.
In a presentation at the press conference,Port Director, Mr. Errol Bush spoke to the need for the expansionof the port facilities to meet the growth in cruise ship business.
"We have outgrown the present portfacilities," he said. "In 1991, when the South Terminalwas built, we were handling some 600,000 passengers. Today, thosesame facilities are handling 1.2 million.
"We cannot afford to turn the businessaway. It means therefore that we have to improve and fast. Andthe option we choose must be economically, environmentally andculturally appropriate. As you know, we now have under considerationplans for the expansion of the port facilities. We recognize theconcerns about the present facility, as they have been expressedto by the cruise ship interests," as the Port Director explained.
"I want to assure you that workingalong with the Minister, the Department and the Ministry of Tourism,the Port Authority will do all it can to address the matter ofthe port's upgrading as early as possible," he added.
Noting that the upgrading of George Town'sport is an urgent matter, the Minister also stated that "governmentand the Tourism Ministry will take into account the interest ofall service providers connected with the port - taxi drivers,tour operators, the merchants and cruise operators - in implementingthe most appropriate, cost-effective plan for further developmentof the port.
"I want to give the assurance thatthe Government and the Ministry will ensure that whatever planis adopted will be carefully managed within budget, and properlymonitored to ensure minimal environmental impact," MinisterBush said.
Chief Immigration Officer, Mr. Connor saidthat his department would do its part in expediting passengers'clearance off ships, to ensure that they would have a longer stayon Grand Cayman. He pointed out that this could be done withoutenacting any new legislation and only with cooperating lines thatwould electronically send their passenger's manifest prior toarrival.
The meeting also examined the state of GrandCayman's current attractions, how the sites could be improved,what could be done to improve the sites, whether to add new attractions,such as a Heritage Village in Bodden Town, and how to get morepassengers to visit the Pedro St. James site.