Kulandela unyaka ophindekayo wokuhamba e-Caribbean ngokuncintisana okwandayo esifundeni sonke, i-Cayman Islands igcine isabelo sayo semakethe ngomunye unyaka wokufika kwezibalo okuqopha umlando. Ekupheleni kuka-2018, ukuvakashelwa sekuphelele kwadlula yonke iminyaka edlule yokuvakashelwa okurekhodiwe okuhlanganisa no-2006, phambilini obephethe irekhodi lenani eliphakeme kakhulu lengqikithi yezivakashi ngonyaka wekhalenda.
Ingqikithi yabafike ngo-2018 ekuvakasheni kwezindiza nezohambo ngesikebhe bebeyizi-2,384,058, okuwukukhula ngamaphesenti ayi-11.05 ngesikhathi esifanayo ngo-2017 (abantu abengeziwe abangama-237,211). Izivakashi ezingu-463,001 zokuhlala, ukwanda ngamaphesenti angu-10.66 -izivakashi ezengeziwe ezingu-44,598-ngonyaka ka-2018, unyaka 'wokuqala' okujabulisayo wendawo:
• I-Cayman Islands yamukele izivakashi ezingaphezu kuka-450,000 okokuqala ngqa.
• Abafikayo ngo-2018 bamele inombolo ephezulu kakhulu yokuvakasha kokuhlala unyaka wekhalenda emlandweni orekhodiwe (udlula u-Jan-Dec 2017).
• Njengokufezwa okuphindwe kabili 'kokuqala' izivakashi ezingaphezu kuka-50,000 zavakashela indawo phakathi nenyanga eyodwa, okwenzeka kabili ngo-2018: Mashi noDisemba.
Lokhu kwenyuka okuphawulekayo kokuvakashelwa kube nomthelela omuhle emnothweni wendawo ngokwenyuka kwemali esetshenziswa izivakashi, ekhuphuke ngo-$98.1m ngonyaka ka-2017. Isamba esilinganiselwe esichithwe yizivakashi ngo-2018 sasingu-US$880.1m, okuwukunyuka ngamaphesenti angu-12.5.
IPhini likaNdunankulu kanye noNgqongqoshe Wezokuvakasha, uMhlonishwa. U-Moses Kirkconnell wabelane ngokuthi, “Igunya likaNgqongqoshe kanye noMnyango Wezokuvakasha ukugqugquzela ukukhula kwaminyaka yonke ekuvakasheleni nasekunikeleni umnotho; UMnyango wami uphishekela lokhu ngamasu unyaka nonyaka. Ngokuphromotha okunobuhlakani, ubudlelwano, nokusebenzisana okuqhubekayo nababambiqhaza bethu bemboni, siye salondoloza impumelelo ebalulekile yeminyaka eqhubekayo yokuphula amarekhodi. Uhulumeni wethu uzibophezele ekutshaleni imali ezindaweni zethu zokungena eCruise Port kanye naseZikhumulweni Zezindiza. Lokhu kuthuthukiswa okudingeka kakhulu kuzohlomula abaqhubi bezokuvakasha, amabhizinisi, izivakashi kanye nezakhamuzi. Engigxile kukho wukuqinisekisa ukuthi zonke izifundo ezikuphothifoliyo yami yenkonzo zisebenza ngempumelelo nangempumelelo ukweseka umkhakha wezokuvakasha. Le miphumela iyinkomba enhle kakhulu yomsebenzi owenziwe ngo-2018.”
Ngo-2018, i-USA, Canada, ne-LATAM ibe nomthelela omkhulu ezinambeni zokufika. Ngokukhethekile, amazwe anomthelela omkhulu ekusebenzeni sekukonke ngo-2018 abe:
• E-United States: 13.01%
• E-Canada: 7.46%
• E-Jamaica: 7.63%
• I-Argentina: 17.54%
• I-Bermuda: 21.10%
Inyanga kaZibandlela yaziwa njengehamba phambili ekurekhodweni, ngokwenyuka ngamaphesenti angama-6.15 abantu abafikayo lapho indawo okuyiwa kuyo ithola ngaphezu kuka-50,000 ekhuthazwa izimakethe zaseNyakatho Melika. Njengokwenyuka okuphelele kwezibalo, i-USA ibe nomthelela omkhulu enyangeni kaDisemba njengoba ikhule ngezivakashi ezingaphezu kuka-2,600. Lokhu kuphawula inyanga engu-21 ilandelana yokukhula kwale makethe ehlanganisa ukukhuphuka komthamo inkampani yenkampani yefulegi yezwe i-Cayman Airways esuka e-JFK enezindiza zansuku zonke ngoDisemba 2018 uma kuqhathaniswa noDisemba 2017. I-Canada ibone ukukhula ngamaphesenti angu-3.30 okwenza kube uDisemba ongcono kakhulu emlandweni wezibalo. ukuvakashelwa kokuhlala eCanada. Ukwengeza empumelelweni yezinombolo eziphula amarekhodi kaDisemba, i-Latin America nayo inyuke ngamaphesenti angu-3.32 futhi manje iyinyanga engcono kakhulu emlandweni wokufika kuleso sifunda.
“Umgomo woMnyango Wezokuvakasha wokuhlukahluka kwezimakethe zomthombo kanye nokuthuthukiswa okuqhubekayo kwemizila emisha eya endaweni okuyiwa kuyo kanye nezinhlelo ezintsha zokumaketha kuqhubekile nokuthuthukisa impumelelo eqopha umlando eziqhingini zaseCayman futhi kuzoqhubeka ngo-2019,” kusho uMqondisi Wezokuvakasha, UNksz Rosa Harris. “Ngokubona ukuthi ukuhamba kwezindiza kubalulekile ekuhambeleni ithimba lethu lomhlaba wonke lizibophezele ekukhuliseni umthamo futhi sijabule kakhulu ngokuvula ngokusemthethweni umzila waseDenver Colorado ngoMashi ngeCayman Airways. Njengesango lokungena ogwini oluseNtshonalanga, sibheke ngabomvu ukwamukela izivakashi eziningi ezintsha ezivela eColorado kanye namadolobha amasha asuka e-United States ngo-2019 ukuze sengeze komunye unyaka wempumelelo eziqhingini zaseCayman. Ngithanda ukudlulisa ukubonga kwami okuqotho kubo bonke ababambisene nabo kwezokuvakasha ngokubamba iqhaza emikhankasweni yethu yokumaketha indawo esikuyo, ukusingatha izivakashi zethu, izintatheli nama-travel agents ukuze sijabulise, sifundise futhi sithuthe uphawu lwe-Cayman Islands emhlabeni wonke.”
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- “The Department of Tourism goal of source market diversification coupled with the ongoing development of new routes to the destination and innovative marketing plans has continued to drive the record-breaking successes for the Cayman Islands and will continue in 2019,” said Director of Tourism, Mrs Rosa Harris.
- As a gateway for the West Coast, we look forward to welcoming many new visitors from Colorado and new cities from the United States in 2019 to add to another year of success for the Cayman Islands.
- I would like to express my sincere thanks to all tourism partners for participating in our destination marketing campaigns, hosting of our visitors, journalists and travel agents in order to entertain, educate and transport the Cayman Islands brand worldwide.
