Angela Martins, the first Caymanian born Director of Tourism, feels almost as comfortable taking tea in Toronto's posh Windsor Arms Hotel, as she does walking on Seven Mile Beach. The minister was in Toronto in October to talk to Canadian travel journalists about a new incentive plan that gives out $100 travellers cheques to visiting tourists.
"I went to school high school here and I received my degree from the University of Waterloo," said the 40 something Director of Tourism. "So yes, in many ways Ontario does feel like home."
Martin's affection for Canada is mirrored by her government's recent efforts to woo Canadians to the Cayman Islands.
The Cayman Tourist Board invited the press to have tea with Angela Martins at the Toronto Hotel. During the hour long event she unveiled the new reward program. Canadian consumers will receive a travellers cheque for $100 when booking a Cayman Islands holiday through Air Canada Vacations or World of Vacations using an American Express Card. The offer is valid until April 30, 2000.
"The travellers cheque is their's to spend whenever or whereever the tourist wants," explained the minister. "We hope that they will use it in the Caymans!"
Canadian diver loyalty to the three island colony is legendary. However the high exchange rate, the overall cost of living of the island and increased competition from other destinations has caused the Cayman Islands to launch an aggressive advertising campaign for above-water and scuba diving tourists alike.
Busy fatality free dive season ends in Ontario
The 1999 dive season is over and sport officials are reviewing scuba activities in the province of Ontario. The province has the largest concentration of certified divers in the country, and, although a majority of these people do most of their underwater activities outside of Ontario, unusually warm water conditions, good weather and a number of new fresh water dive sites coming on stream saw more divers than ever before diving locally in '99.
According to industry figures there are approximately 25,000 active divers in Ontario and in 1999 there were no sport diving fatalities in the province.
Two New Ajax Faces For The Council
The Ontario Underwater Council has added two new Central Ontario Region counsellors to its Board. At the OUC's annual general meeting Aaron Darling and Kelly Thompson were voted to sit on the Board. Both Darling and Thompson are from the Ajax area and dive with both the Ajax Scuba Club and the Dive Sources store club.
A tradition ends at the big show
The organizers of Underwater Canada, the nation's largest dive show, have told DIVER Magazine that their annual International Film Show is no more. Lagging attendance, increased costs and a dearth of first run films are being cited as reasons for the demise of the film festival.
The Film Show, long synonymous with Underwater Canada has attracted all the big names in the dive world. Over the past two decades everyone from Dr. Sylvia Earle to Jean-Michel Cousteau have presented films at Underwater Canada. In the early 90s the dive show was a sellout with over a thousand people in attendance to see the movies. In 1999, the film show attracted less than 400 people.
"We recognize that Saturday night is a big event for divers," said show consultant Doug Rosser, "and we are going to be holding a Saturday night dinner and talk that combines the best of the film festival in a sit-down banquet environment."
Underwater Canada has not released its line-up for the dinner and talk, but, as DIVER Magazine was going to press, it was learned that the Saturday evening would be themed around the underwater world of the Arctic with several world experts expected to attend, speak and show slides and movies at the dinner.
Underwater Canada runs February 3-5, 2000 at the Congress Centre along Toronto's airport strip. The Saturday night dinner will be held at the International Plaza Hotel across the street from the exhibition hall.