The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (CIDOT) works hard throughout the year to promote the many attractive qualities that the islands have to offer. From its financial expertise to their culinary diversity, the team here in London spend their time collaborating with specific titles and as such, worked with renowned, Mr. Stanley Johnson (otherwise known as Boris’ dad!)
After recently hitting it off with Premier Alden McLaughlin in London, the politician turned writer, was commissioned by The Sunday Times Travel Magazine to write a piece on the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme in Cayman which has resulted in hundreds of blue iguanas being released back into the wild. In the year 2000 blue iguanas were functionally extinct but thanks to the recovery programme, the 1,000th iguana is due to be released soon.
The CIDOT wasted no part of his itinerary ensuring that Mr Johnson was treated to the rare sights that the islands have to offer including the National Museum for The Cayman Islands; the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park; Pedro St James, the Crystal Caves, Rum Point and George Town. A visit to the sister island of Little Cayman to see the red-footed booby bird colony, the largest colony of these birds in the western hemisphere, even featured on the tour.
Along with visits to the natural hotspots of the islands, Mr Johnson also met with a host of influential people in regard to the blue iguanas programme, from Mr Fred Burton (job title here), Stuart Mailer, Acting Environmental Officer for the National Trust for the Cayman Islands and Karen Ford, who runs the blue iguana captive-breeding and head-starting facility in the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park.
Finishing up his trip, Mr Johnson took the time to present a copy of his new fiction book, “Kompromat” to Premier McLaughlin – who knows…we might be seeing a Grand Cayman one on the shelves soon.