Cayman Brac and Little Cayman may have the lead over Grand Cayman when it comes to pristine environment and quiet, beautiful holiday getaways, but both are hoping to build their economies with closer business links to their larger sibling.
The Islands, already major attractions for divers from overseas, are planning to expand their nature and family tourism offerings, as well as sports and business tourism, bringing visitors not just from the US and further abroad, but also from Grand Cayman to their shores.
Following a build-back programme after Hurricane Paloma in 2008, which has seen additional room stocks and enhanced services on Cayman Brac, the Island is in an ideal position to grow further, according to Moses Kirkconnell, president of the Sister Islands Tourism Association.
“We built back after Hurricane Paloma, rebuilding our tourism product, and took a holistic approach... now we’re looking for the next available stimulus, the low-hanging fruit,” he said. That means working with the relevant government ministries, the Chamber of Commerce, the Cayman Islands Tourism Association and the individual tourism operators and property owners and managers to look at initiatives to attract more business and tourists and to diversify the Islands’ tourism product.
The addition of a once-weekly Cayman Airways direct flight from Miami to Cayman Brac in April has seen a boost in the number of tourists on Cayman Brac, Kirkconnell said and he hopes to see that business grow. The next step is seeing if more direct flights to Cayman Brac from other destinations are viable, such as airlift from South and Central America, he confirmed.
The timing of the Miami flight, which departs at 12.30pm on Saturdays, takes 75 minutes and can carry up to 122 passengers, means the Florida airport becomes a hub for other airports along the eastern seaboard, like Boston, New York, New Jersey, Atlantic City, Dallas and Chicago, to bring passengers to the Brac, and by extension, Little Cayman. Mr. Kirkconnell, who has described the new route as critical to penetrate the US market, said inbound flights were bringing about 35 to 45 people each time. “That’s very positive,” said Kirkconnell, who is also a representative of the Sister Islands in the Legislative Assembly.
Twin Otters fly between Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands about six times a day while a CAL jet flies from Grand Cayman to Cayman Brac four times a week. These flights bring in visitors who land in Grand Cayman and then go on to the Sister Islands or bring residents of Grand Cayman to the smaller islands for weekend trips.
Sister Islands District Commissioner Ernie Scott explained that enhancing local tourism is another step in building up the economy in Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.
“We’ve been enhancing and upgrading our nature tourism for several years. We’ve seen some progress in that area locally with people coming from Grand Cayman, not just to dive, they’re coming here looking for something quieter and more on the nature side,” he said.
The District Administration office organises free nature tours of Cayman Brac Monday to Friday with Keino Daley, which is attracting visitors who want to get a closer look at the trails and caves with a knowledgeable guide.
One tour that is growing in popularity is the Paradise Cayman Vacations, which offers one-day excursion trips from Grand Cayman to Cayman Brac, inclusive of airfare, ground transportation, tour guide and lunch, Monday through Saturday. More than 120 people have taken the tour since it was established on 29 April. The District Administration tour guide assists on those tours, of which there have been more than a dozen since April, according to Chevala Burke, the District Administration’s marketing and promotions manager.
“Sports tourism to the Brac is also looking up”, Scott said, with sports organisations and groups from Grand Cayman visiting the Brac to play tournaments and events there.”
Earlier this year, the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce visited Cayman Brac to establish a long-term partnership to drive investment and business to the Sister Islands. During that visit, the Chamber and the Sister Islands Tourism Association agreed to work together on several projects to encourage inward investment and tourism, including encouraging businesses on Grand Cayman to take advantage of the emerging conference and meeting facilities on the Brac.
The Brac has two large conference rooms available - at the Alexander Hotel and the Brac Beach Reef Resort - which can be used for business meetings and retreats.
With international travel becoming more difficult and cumbersome due to increased security and increasing costs and restrictions on checking in luggage, companies in Grand Cayman that traditionally went to Miami or elsewhere to host conferences or meetings now have the option of going to Cayman Brac instead.
“It’s easy to get here and it’s a safe and secure destination for all businesses in Grand Cayman,” said Kirkconnell.
“We’re not billing ourselves as a “staycation”, we’re not that. You’re going to a different island and experiencing a very unique part of the islands that time has actually forgotten and where you can take part in the culture and traditions while you’re there,” he said.
Short trips to Cayman Brac or Little Cayman are not the only options for Grand Cayman-based businesses - Kirkconnell believes there are opportunities for the Sister Islands in the form of back-office operations, such as the processing of trade and business licences, birth and death certificates and other necessary paperwork and online applications.
“Right now the government employs 70 per cent of the work force on Cayman Brac,” he said, adding that those people do not only have to process items only for residents of the Sister Islands. “To build a sustainable small island economy, we need to look at back office jobs and how we can complement Grand Cayman. What can we provide that Grand Cayman needs?” he said.
He explained that available real estate, a growing professional workforce, a good quality of life and a safe, secure location makes Cayman Brac an attractive place for investors and businesses from the financial and legal sector.
Incentives available to encourage business development and to make the Brac more attractive for investors and entrepreneurs include up to 75 per cent reduction on work permit fees, 50 per cent reduction in trade and business license fees, duty concessions of 100 per cent on building materials, duty concessions of 75 per cent on gasoline, concessions on stamp duty for land transfers and concessions on specific licenses.
Attracting small businesses to the islands, as well as tourists and investors, is key to ensuring the Islands continue on the path to being successful, sustainable communities.
“We’re trying to be very proactive with tourism association and small businesses so we can all work together and attract more development,” Kirkconnell said.