Holidaying here at home is where the heart should be
Every summer, businesses island-wide prepare
for fewer visitors, lower occupancies, and smaller revenues. It's
strange, since the sun still shines, the water remains clear,
and all of the attractions of the island are open, ready for business.
But there are factors that come into play this time of year, factors
which influence the travelling habits of those abroad, and make
our normally bustling little island a good deal less busy.
These days in particular, Americans seem to be choosing to take their summer holidays in their homeland, often driving instead of flying, visiting the diverse attractions their own country has to offer.
The trend is arising partially because world events are making Americans wary about travelling overseas, and also because vacation budgets are a little lower in this time of economic downturn.
As a result, our Islands is considerably less crowded than in the winter. For those who like things a little more intimate, the Cayman Islands is a wonderful place to take a holiday in the summer, so wonderful we wonder why some of our own residents don't take advantage of what this country has to offer.
Few, it seems, actually consider taking their holiday right here, enjoying the beach, the watersports, the great restaurants and other tourist attractions the Island offers. While some of us make it a point to get to the beach on weekends, there are many others who haven't had the time to even set foot in the ocean in months, so busy are we working on a day-to-day basis. Paradise isn't a paradise if we don't take time to stop and smell the frangipanis.
Perhaps one reason we don't enjoy our own backyard more is the issue of cost. The nightly rates at a condo or hotel room on the beach are high, even in the summer, and it's hard for people to justify paying over $200 a night for a room when they have a place to stay their own home or apartment just a short drive away. Restaurants and clubs also charge high prices, especially in the tourist areas.
But, if you think about it, a Cayman vacation could save residents a lot of money, especially if the hotels and restaurants joined together to offer some price incentives.
Two major components of a normal holiday are eliminated right away by taking a vacation right here, airfare and rental car costs.
Taking those savings and putting them into the fun aspects of travelling like dining, visiting attractions and staying in nice places where housekeepers make your bed every morning could make for a fantastic holiday without having to step foot on an airplane.
If the members of the tourism association got together and offered special package deals or discounts on rooms, watersports, nightclubs and restaurants, local residents would probably give serious consideration to a holiday at home. The idea is that people would still spend vacation money, but they'd get a lot more value for their dollar by staying right here.
Best of all, people who vacationed here
would be supporting their own economy while they enjoyed themselves.
Everyone knows the importance of the tourism dollar to these islands,
but maybe the time has come for people to stop relying so much
on other peoples' dollars, and venture the thought of playing
tourists here themselves.
There is no doubt about it; times are tough, and there certainly remains a need to continue marketing the island abroard. We want to feel that everything is being done to show the world what Cayman has to offer. Maybe if we believed what we tell tourists enough to want to vacation here ourselves, we might be more successful at the task.