Tourism Minister Charles Max Fernandez is in the Cayman Islands, attending a high-level Ministers of Tourism Meeting there, which brings together top performers in the sector.

From now until Sept. 15, the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism is bringing together senior aviation executives, government leaders, and media to discuss opportunities and challenges in the Caribbean and identify ways of rebuilding a more competitive air sector in a post-COVID world.

Fernandez is down to form part of a panel discussion with two other Caribbean countries.

“I was hesitant to go because we are very busy here however the tourism minister in Cayman called and asked me to come. One of the days will feature a panel discussion with the ministers of tourism from Antigua, Barbados, and Jamaica. We will discuss the way forward, what we have learned coming out of the pandemic, and plans going forward as a region,” he said.

The week’s program also includes insight from the CTO’s business meetings and the Caribbean Tourism Youth Congress updates.

Journalists flew into Grand Cayman on Sunday arriving at Owen Roberts International Airport, where flags were flying half-mast out of respect for the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

Today Monday, a day-long press conference is taking place, giving tourism ministers from Caribbean destinations a platform to share key destination updates.

Apart from the twin island nation the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Saint Lucia, Belize, and Grenada are among the many nations participating in the briefings.

Topics of the week will range from sustainability to multi-destination tourism to infrastructure investments to best practices for reducing aviation-related fees and taxes.

In between speeches and panel discussions, the media in attendance will explore some of the Cayman Islands’ best tourism assets, from its crystal caves and botanical parks to historic sites, like Pedro St. James, to its popular stingray boat tour.

Meanwhile, a special sitting of Parliament was held in the Cayman Islands today in honor of the late Queen Elizabeth. Fernandez attended the meeting. He also signed a book of condolences for the Queen who died last week at the age of 96.