The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (CIDOT) has laid down fresh rules for firms bidding to refresh the country’s National Tourism Plan, putting a CI$170,000 ceiling on the job and spelling out what it wants from the winning consultant.
In an addendum to the request for bids, dated 17 April, the department said the project is about tuning up the existing plan, not starting from scratch.
Bidders can still suggest shifts to the plan’s vision, pillars or structure, but only where data, stakeholder input, international practice and strategic analysis back the case.
The budget has been pegged between CI$150,000 and $170,000, depending on proposal quality, scope fit and procurement sign-off.
That figure must cover every deliverable, though extras such as design flourishes and printed copies of the approved plan can be costed separately. Bidders foot their own submission bill.
CIDOT has stopped short of dictating how consultations should run, instead asking bidders to pitch an approach that fits all three islands.
A mix of in-person and virtual sessions is expected, with face-to-face meetings saved for moments when they genuinely move the needle.
The department will open doors to stakeholders and help with coordination, while the consultant takes charge of designing, running and making sense of the consultations.
Community input, the addendum stressed, is central to the refresh, and bidders are encouraged to show how residents’ views will shape the final recommendations, including through participatory or co-design methods.
The updated plan is expected to grapple with visitor management and destination stewardship, from carrying capacity and infrastructure strain to where tourists actually go.
CIDOT flagged the Sister Islands as a particular concern, warning that rising airlift, visitor numbers and business activity should not outpace what the environment, communities and infrastructure can handle.
Resilience, as the document frames it, is about keeping infrastructure, communities and systems standing in the face of hurricanes, storm surge, sea-level rise and the economic jolts that come with leaning heavily on tourism.
Bidders are asked to weave in risk-informed planning, backup infrastructure, disaster preparedness and nature-based fixes such as mangroves for coastal defence.
Five priority outcomes sit at the heart of the brief – sharper destination competitiveness, sustainable and resilient growth, a workable implementation roadmap with accountability, tighter community alignment, and a future-ready policy framework that keeps pace with artificial intelligence, cybersecurity risks, climate change and shifting sustainability standards.
The end product is expected to be a high-level strategic framework paired with a roadmap setting out actions, responsibilities, timelines and key performance indicators.
The tender lands as Cayman enjoys a record-breaking tourism run, with January its strongest month ever.
