July stayover arrivals up 10% as cruise numbers fall
Tourism posts a ninth straight month of stayover growth while the Auditor General finds housing still unaffordable for most Caymanians.
Tourism figures dominated the day. The Cayman Islands welcomed 45,053 stayover visitors in July 2026, a 10% rise on July 2025 and a ninth consecutive month of year-on-year growth, Caymanian Times reported. The Cayman Independent put arrivals for the first seven months of the year at a record 333,747, up 11%. The Cayman Compass noted that air arrivals rose while cruise arrivals fell over the month.
On public finances, government has rejected a media report suggesting more than half of the CI$252.3 million mid-year surplus has already been spent, according to Cayman Marl Road and Caymanian Times. The Auditor General's report on the government's approach to affordable housing between 2019 and 2024 concluded housing remains unaffordable for most Caymanians and that government programmes do not offer favourable pricing, Caymanian Times reported; government has welcomed the report and committed to continued reform. The Cayman Independent reports the planning statement is due this September, and that government is moving to resolve a Port Authority wage dispute over unpaid vacation leave and overtime.
On borrowing costs, the Cayman Compass reports a hawkish Federal Reserve tone and rising bond yields point to Cayman borrowers paying more interest.
In the private sector, Maples says tokenised funds bring new record-keeping demands, Ogier has appointed a private wealth partner, and Greenlight Re has added reinsurance expertise to its board. On workforce, Enterprise Cayman has launched an employer-led training scheme, Doctors Hospital a two-year apprenticeship programme, and 24 employers met 91 jobseekers at the second Hello2Hired event, Cayman News Service reports.
Governor Jane Owen has appointed an entirely new Electoral Boundary Commission to address unequal constituencies after parliament rejected the last report in 2024, per Cayman News Service. Kerry Powery took over as director general of the National Weather Service on 1 September, Caymanian Times reports.