Development of a National Tourism Management Plan (2017-2021) for the Cayman Islands

• Client:Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (CIDOT)
• Partners:The George Washington University
• Project Duration:October 2016 – December 2018

Project Description 

Whether arriving by air or disembarking by sea, a trip to The Cayman Islands is bound to be unforgettable. Through the natural, built and intangible heritage of the islands, visitors are welcomed to experience the most captivating diving the world’s oceans have to offer, unique local traditions, cuisines, and stunning historic sites. Tourism in the Cayman Islands has grown substantially in recent years, mainly in the cruise sector with 85% of total visitors arriving by sea. A massive influx of visitors not only brings economic opportunity, but also precautionary challenges. In the Cayman Islands, environmental, cultural, economic and livelihood concerns have begun to arise. Environmentalists have become concerned about protecting marine and terrestrial environments against potential damage. Many of the renowned attractions are facing deterioration or damage due to over-visitation, and the charming character of the Cayman Islands is at risk of becoming lost amongst the demands of mass tourism.

To address these challenges and ensure tourism growth is managed sustainably, the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism has partnered with Solimar International to develop a National Tourism Management Plan to cover 2017 – 2021. Through this collaborative process, stakeholders will establish a shared strategic direction and set limits of acceptable change for decisions impacting the future of the Cayman Islands as a tourism destination.\

Major Activities

• Conduct independent research of all available information, strategies, documents and policies about tourism in the Cayman Islands
• Travel to the Cayman Islands to conduct a thorough tourism assessment and meet with public and private sector representatives, conservation groups and community members to understand their interests, experience, capacity, and concerns with tourism
• Hold a visioning workshop with key tourism stakeholders and industry leaders to define the desired future of tourism in The Cayman Islands and provide a strategic plan on how to achieve these goals

Anticipated Results

• Understanding of the current status of the Cayman Islands’ tourism industry including tourism trends, accommodation capacity, tourism-related infrastructure and tourism product offerings
• A Visitor Management Strategy that addresses carrying capacity issues at identified priority sites and outlines policies to monitor, measure and mitigate negative impacts from tourism within destination sites and attractions
• A National Tourism Management Plan to cover 2017-2021 that will define and provide recommendations for bridging gaps between the challenges, objectives and desired results for future tourism development and growth within the Cayman Islands

Tourism Projects

• Albertine Rift, Uganda
• Armenia Marketing Campaigns to Enhance Tourism to Local Economies
• Artisan Development in Morocco
• Balaclava and Blue Bay Marine Parks, Mauritius
• Bengal Tiger Conservation Activity
• Benin Market Research Study
• Black Belt Region, Alabama
• Bocas del Toro, Panama
• Boquillas, Mexico
• Cambodia
• Campeche, Mexico
• Cayman Islands National Tourism Plan
• Choco Community Tourism Alliance, Colombia
• Climate Smart Islands
• Colorado CRAFT
• Colorado Destination Stewardship
• Dogon Country, Mali
• Dominican Republic
• Douro Valley, Portugal
• Eastern Newfoundland, Canada
• Eastern Sri Lanka
• Ecuador
• Ethiopia
• Ethiopia Western Route
• Four Corners, USA
• Friends of Wallacea, Guyana
• Georgia National and Regional Tourism Plans
• Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria
• Go Blue Central America
• Great Himalaya Trails
• Großglockner High Alpine Road
• Integrating the Tourism & Energy Sectors in Uganda
• Izabal, Guatemala
• Jamaica Community Experiences
• Johnny Cay Regional Park, Colombia
• Jordan
• Kakheti Tourism Planning, Georgia
• Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Lakes to Locks, New York
• Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
• Liberia Business Planning
• Liberia Conservation Works
• Liberia Ecotourism Study
• Malawi Shire River Basin
• Mizoram, India
• Moldova Tourism Market Segmentation
• My Armenia Cultural Sustainability Program
• My Armenia DMO Development Course
• Myanmar North American Representation
• Namibia North American Marketing Campaign
• Namibia North American Representation
• Namibia Online Marketing Campaign
• Nepal
• Nepal North American Road Shows
• Nepal Trail-Based Tourism Development Project
• Papua New Guinea
• Peak Park, Colombia
• Pearl Cays, Nicaragua
• Publication on Nature-Based Tourism and Community Benefits in Protected Areas
• Puerto Rico Alternative Tourism Analysis
• Rajasthan, India
• Republic of Georgia DMO Development Course
• Research Report to Identify Effective Information and Communications Technology-Based Marketing Strategies
• Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
• Rurrenabaque, Bolivia
• Rwanda Marketing to the East African Community
• San Andres & Providence, Colombia
• Santo Domingo Ciudad Colonial, Dominican Republic
• Sedona Verde Valley
• Sierra La Giganta, Mexico
• Sierra Leone Wildlife Policy
• Sierra Nevada, California
• Southern Tanzania Destination Marketing
• Southern Tanzania Tourism Plan
• Sri Lanka
• Sugar River Region, New Hampshire
• Sustainable Islands Platform
• Svaneti, Georgia
• Tennessee Valley Geotourism Program
• Tequila Region Geotourism Program
• Tribal Tourism in the Northern Great Plains
• Tunisia Cultural Heritage
• UNESCO World Heritage Journeys Khiva, Uzbekistan
• UNESCO World Heritage Journeys Silk Road
• US Gulf Coast States
• USAID Bangladesh Ecotourism and Conservation Alliance
• USAID Climate Adaptation Project in the Maldives & Sri Lanka
• USAID Georgia Economic Security Program
• USAID Georgia Resilient Communities Program
• USAID Republic of Congo
• USAID South Caucasus Regional Tourism Program
• USAID Timor-Leste “Tourism for All”
• USAID Visit Tunisia
• Visit Alamosa Strategic Tourism Planning
• West Virginia
• Western Balkans Geotourism Program
• Wild and Scenic Delaware River
• World Heritage Journeys of the European Union
• WWF Bhutan
• WWF Conservation Travel
• WWF Madagascar

(责任编辑：百科)