Opposition politicians in the UK's Cayman Islands dependency said they were “deeply concerned” by the visit of cruise company executives to promote a USD 200-million project for building a new cruise terminal in George Town Harbour.
Members of Verdant Isle Group (the preferred bidder) are on Grand Cayman to discuss the plans and answer questions about the proposal and the financial arrangements.
The group, including executives from Carnival and Royal Caribbean, is meeting with community groups like the National Trust and Cruise Port Referendum Cayman, the campaign group which forced a people-initiated referendum on the project.
In a press release, Verdant Isle said that the meetings were "the first in a series of planned stakeholder meetings being conducted by Verdant Isle over the coming months, which will also include an open town hall meeting.”
Highlighting the appearance of Royal Caribbean and Carnival executives at a public meeting on the project held by Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell in 2018, the opposition group said it was the second time the cruise companies had tried to influence public opinion.