Pedro St. James new home of Tourism Attraction Board
Caymanian artisan Annilee Ebanks demonstrates basket weaving at Pedro St. James Castle
(CNS): The Tourism Attraction Board (TAB) has relocated its administrative offices to the Pedro St. James historical site, one of the attractions the board manages. CEO Gilbert Connolly will now assume direct responsibility for Pedro Castle, taking over the reins from recently retired Carson Ebanks, who was the attraction’s general manager for 20 years.
Debbie Bodden takes up the new position of operations manager.
Connolly will continue to have oversight responsibility for the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, Pirates Week Festival, Cayman Craft Market and the Hell site.
“The relocation of the TAB is part of the board’s strategic plan to reduce cost and grow revenue,” said TAB chair Carla Reid. “The board expects that the new management team will increase the admission numbers and improve the events business at Pedro Castle.”
With the move, Connolly said he looks forward to managing the historical site. “Pedro St. James is one Cayman’s most beautiful and important historic sites and I welcome the opportunity to be more involved with the challenges of managing the attraction,” he said, adding, “Our first priority is to improve the product offering and make it more interesting to visitors.”
Bodden said steps have already been taken to enhance the attraction, explaining that “this process began last week with the introduction of local craft artists on site, demonstrating the production of Caymanian craft to visitors,” she said. Plans are underway to have more local artists on site on a regular basis. Landscaping and signage will also be improved.
Additionally, Pedro Castle’s two popular exhibitions — How Cayman was: 1940s-1960s and the Cayman Stamp Collection — have been relocated to the Steadman Bodden House on the site.
“The board’s next priority is to find the right person to lease the Pedro Café,” Reid said.
