News

The Ministry of Tourism recently re-opened the stipend registration period giving displaced workers who had not yet applied the opportunity to do so. A total of 442 new applications were received which are currently being vetted.

Hon. Kenneth Bryan, Minister for Tourism explained that in order to qualify for the stipend, applicants needed to provide evidence that they were either Caymanian, permanent resident or married to a Caymanian and that they were working in the tourism sector when the pandemic began.

“The stipend is intended to provide relief to our displaced tourism workers and I want to ensure that all those who are in need of this support have the opportunity to receive it. However, before an application can be approved, the information provided has to be verified to ensure that the applicant meets the specified criteria. With 442 new applications this process is taking a little longer than anticipated and is expected to be completed by mid-September.”

To help avoid delays in the verification process, applicants are asked to respond to missed calls, voicemails, and emails from the Ministry or Department of Tourism.

The Minister confirmed that the stipend payment to all newly approved applicants will be backdated to cover the three month period from July to September 2021 and payments will continue on a monthly basis thereafter.

“I thank all of the new applicants for their patience while we conclude the necessary verification process and I encourage all displaced workers who have not already registered with WORC to do so. This will give you the best possible opportunity to secure future employment. WORC can be contacted by calling 945 9672 or via their website at worc.gov.ky