Cayman Islands Tourism Association

"Together for Tourism"

The Cayman  Islands Tourism Association is a non-profit association which represents its membership of just over 250 tourism related private businesses in the Cayman Islands. The various sectors within the Tourism Association include : Hotels, Condo/Villas, Watersports, Restaurants, Transportation, Attractions, Cruise and Allied (all other businesses associated with our tourism product).

It was formed in March 2001 through an amalgamation of the Cayman Tourism Alliance and the Cayman Islands Hotel and Condominium Association. The association is wholly funded by membership subscriptions and fundraising. CITA actively promotes the continuing improvement and development of Cayman's tourism Industry through the exchange of information, government relations, training and education, marketing, and events.

OUR VALUES :

Balance To encourage and support growth in our industry in a well - balanced manner, all short, medium and long term tourism goals for the Country with clear intention and consideration towards our social, environmental and economic needs.   Support We commit to support members through services, initiatives, government and community relations to foster growth and success for our tourism industry.   Unification A body in which private tourism businesses band together to speak to the issues facing our industry, share knowledge and experience for the greater good of our Country’s tourism product.   Responsibility To respect and lead the members of the Association and the Tourism industry forward with responsible, sustainable practices.   Excellence To reinforce and cultivate exceptional service, and distinct performance standards by exceeding our guests expectations.

OUR VISION :

The Cayman Islands Tourism Association is an association that is committed to supporting the tourism industry and it's member businesses through government relations (lobbying) and through initiatives that will drive the industry forward and meet the goals of the country. By working closely with Department of Tourism, CITA is able to contribute on behalf of it's membership towards the marketing, sales and promotional efforts that support the destination.

The CITA Board of Directors and their members clearly identified the economic intensity of Travel and Tourism to the Cayman Islands. Travel and Tourism permeate the depth and breadth of the general economy and the overall fabric of Cayman’s society. Below are our top tourism issues and critical success factors.

1. Cruise Business - The overall and ongoing enhancement of the guest experience for cruise visitors is critical. The development of a cruise berthing facility and downtown local businesses are priorities.
2. Immigration - Immigration policies and procedures need to be aligned with the unique talents, abilities and needs of the Tourism Industry in Cayman. More efficient and cost effective processes need to be put into place.
3. Cost of Doing Business - Shortfalls of government revenues are burdening the tourism industry with fees. Cost cutting processes and high fuel and duty fees need to be addressed.
4. Stay-Over Tourism and the Airport - Continue to reach more destinations through new gateways and new partnerships with airlines. Airport renovations need to continue to expand to handle the future capacity as room stock and new projects come to the islands.
5. Gaming - Though a controversial topic, we cannot ignore that many Caribbean destinations have gambling/gaming. Cayman needs to evaluate through a referendum and research the pros and cons, and anticipated social and economics impact of gaming.
6. Environment - Assure the biodiversity for future Cayman generations is protected. Immediate attention is needed with the National Conservation Law, Marine Parks Expansion, Endangered Species Protection and Lionfish Invasion.

To learn more about our Top Tourism Issues, visit this page to stay up to date on the latest information.

CITA continues to support efforts to enhance our tourism product with both physical assets and initiatives and with human capitol development. This needs to remain a priority for our industry and our country (with other industry's included) in order to maintain competitiveness and increase our market share.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:   The Association would not be possible without the commitment from our volunteer Board of Directors. The Board of Directors attend monthly meetings and are tasked to sit on various other committees throughout the year in order to ensure their sector and tourism as a whole is represented.