Tourism Minister Gets High Mid-Term Score Card

By Staff Writer

A public meeting held by the Honourable Kenneth Bryan on Thursday 20th, April to a standing only audience at the Sandbar in George Town was an opportunity for the MP to update his constituency on  his Ministry’s accomplishments over the first two years of the PACT administration.

Mr. Bryan who was recently awarded Caribbean Tourism Minister of the Year has been in the Caribbean Travel Awards (CTA), which is regarded as the region’s authoritative celebration of travel excellence, a distinction he said he took pride in with so many who did not believe in him and expected him to fail.

He explained that his has only driven him to work harder.

Minister Bryan unveiled a number of plans including a new park filled with amenities to upgrade the living experience in the Central area of George Town, during his remarks.

He told the audience that he wanted to see a more ‘Caymanian-centric’ tourism product and touted plans for training and partnerships with the private sector that would ensure employment for the Islands’ young people.

In an impassioned delivery, Mr. Bryan fought back tears in promising his commitment to the people of George Town and the Cayman Islands.

“I am working really hard for your families.

“As a father, I view your children the same way I view mine and I want the same opportunities for you and your family that I would expect for mine,” he said, adding that it was time for Caymanians to work together and to find the good in each other.

Mr. Bryan said with the rising interest rates and the changes in many people’s mortgage payments, the PACT Government will be bringing back the possibility for persons to access their pensions again.

“The prospect of a flood of foreclosures is something that we are acutely aware,” he noted, adding that this time around the government would allow for up to CI$50,000 of pensions to be accessed.

For a family of husband and wife this would means the possibility of CI$100,000 dollars becoming available in order to live debt free in the current economic environment.

Minister Bryan said the initiative was one that would serve Caymanians well……”to buy land, build homes and pay mortgages, with the uncertainty of international markets.”

While on the opposition in his first term as a Member of Parliament, Mr, Bryan advocated for Caymanians to be able to access their pensions during the Covid-19 pandemic and both he and Bodden Town West MP, Chris Saunders had fought to allow Caymanians the right free up capital the first time, to manage during the downturn and the closing of businesses across Cayman and around the world.

In addition to rolling out new plans for the District of George Town, Mr. Bryan has introduced new routes for the Islands’ National Carrier, with additions such as Los Angeles to the flight schedule.

So far for the year of 2023, tourism revenues in the Cayman Islands are 8 million dollars ahead of projections.

In espousing the importance of dialogue, Minister Bryan noted that it was important for him to solicit the views of those he represented and explained that billboards asking for public consultation on a national lottery and the decriminalisation of cannabis were an important part of the process of policy making.

“We are obligated to get the people’s views on the real issues,” said Minister Bryan.

“You have seen what I have done and we are creating tangible reasons for investors to continue to view the Cayman Islands as an attractive destination. Unemployment is at the lowest it has been in years and our economy is thriving again,” he added.

He said an important part of making Cayman reach to even greater heights as a country was getting crime under control and urged the residents of George Town to not accept crime in their communities.

“It is important to report incidents of crime,” he declared, adding that hat he and his colleagues would do everything in their power to keep pressure on the Commissioner of Police to maintain a high level of presence and deterrence. 

“We do not have control of the police, because our constitution gives that duty to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. However we do fund them and it is important that our government to take all of the measures to make sure they have what they need to keep Cayman safe,” he told the audience.

Other MPs to speak during Minister Bryan’s mid-term update included Health Minister, the Honourable Sabrina Turner, who spoke about the government’s efforts to reopen in the aftermath of the pandemic and the tug-of-war between the Health and Tourism Ministries; one with concerns around health and the other around commerce and tourism and reopening.

Minister for Sports, the Honourable Bernie Bush also gave a few remarks and extolled the accomplishments of the Cayman islands’ track and field athletes in their recent CARIFTA games, as well as the Islands’ swim team, who brought home 63 medals from the games in Curacao recently.