Above: Cayman Brac

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Should the Cayman Islands adopt daylight saving time?

The British Overseas Territory’s government says it is considering doing so — meaning adjusting clocks one hour forward during the summer months and back again in the fall — would be beneficial.

“The move to DST has potential benefits for the traditional pillars of our economy – tourism and financial services,” said Cayman Islands Minister of Commerce Wayne Panton.

On the tourism front, switching to daylight saving time would mean increasing the time that cruise ships were in port and make it easier to adapt to local time, Panton said.

For financial services, the move would “put Cayman more in sync with its large client base in New York; and eliminate some discrepancies in travel schedules, which will simplify business travel,” the Minister said.

Several countries in the region have made the switch, including Bermuda and the Bahamas.

The discussion on the move’s relative advantages or disadvantages typically hinges on energy use, public safety, health, economic effects and inconvenience, the government said.

In a statement, the government said it was inviting the public to give their views on the subject.