Q & A with Warren Salomon, Director of Tourism for Trinidad & Tobago

Q & A with Warren Salomon
Director of Tourism for Trinidad & Tobago

by Jose Carlos de Santiago

Trinidad and Tobago are two Caribbean islands that make up one solid nation and one of the most buoyant economies in the region. Oil and tourism are its two powerhouses. In the case of the latter, the central government is looking to new outbound markets in Europe and South America –other than the traditional UK, U.S. and German visitors- and is putting its smart money on the development of the cruise industry as the country expects to welcome 100,000 passengers for the upcoming season. In an exclusive interview with Caribbean News Digital, tourism director Warren Salomon speaks about these and other important issues.

I believe it’s be very important to set the differences for Trinidad & Tobago as a set of two leading islands in the Caribbean in terms of tourism, yet with an economic foundation that varies when compared to other islands.
That’s true for the island of Trinidad, but not for the island of Tobago, where I work now, because without tourism the island of Tobago’s economy would not be that buoyant.

Trinidad & Tobago is made up of two islands that sell a marketing image together. Now what’s the political and administrative division that exists in Trinidad & Tobago?
It’s all about the economy, not the politics. Our oil is drilled and produced in Trinidad. Our industries and main economic powerhouses are in Trinidad, and all major companies are headquartered in Trinidad. But from a tourist standpoint, Tobago is more developed than Trinidad. Tobago is surrounded by beaches and the midrange area won the award as the best ecotourism site for four times running, between 2003 and 2006.

There are cultural differences as well. There are more religions in Trinidad, due to the presence of residents from India, Syria and Lebanon, as well as from other parts of Africa. In the case of Tobago, only 1 or 2 percent of the population is of African origin, so there are well-marked cultural differences between both islands in terms of cuisine, dancing and music.

What about the administrative powers? Are there local authorities other than the central government?
The governmental offices are all in Trinidad, but there are indeed local authorities in Tobago. However, the central government is in Trinidad. Those local authorities deal with such issues as healthcare, education and tourism, but their budget comes from the central government in Trinidad.

What are your main outbound markets in terms of tourist arrivals? We understand that the largest chunk of your visitors comes from the U.S. and the U.K. Is that right?
In Tobago, most tourists come from the U.K., followed by Germany and Trinidad. So far this year, Trinidad has provided the largest number of visitors. But when it comes to outbound markets, our visitors come from the U.S., the U.K., Germany and the rest of the Caribbean nations. In the case of the U.S., our visitors come not only from the United States but also from Canada, so it’s better to say North America rather than just the U.S.

How strong is your airlift to those outbound markets and how much are you focused on the emerging markets?
Tobago is blessed with a number of locations that reel in lots of adventure tourism, scuba diving and outdoors enthusiasts, so we try to make air connections for those travelers. On Dec. 2, Caribbean Airlines will start flying from New York to Tobago, so it’s going to be the first time ever we have service from New York City on local airlines. Some six months ago, Delta Air Lines ceased its flights to Tobago and two months later it did the same with Trinidad, so we don’t have Delta connections right now.

Is American Airlines still flying to Trinidad & Tobago?
Only to Trinidad.

How can anyone fly between the island of Trinidad and the island of Tobago?
Caribbean Airlines have hourly flights between the two islands and they only take 20 minutes. There’s also a ferry service that takes one hour and a half.

What’s the average spending of an international visitor in Trinidad & Tobago?
In Tobago, visitors from the UK and Germany stay for approximately seven days, while Germans stay for around five days. They all spend over $100 a day. But we need to take a closer look into the different market niches and their own characteristics. During the high-peak season for scuba divers, for instance, that kind of traveler shells out approximately $2,000 during his stay on the islands. Adventure travelers fork over $2,200 to $2,300 during their stays, while newlyweds and honeymooners spend nearly $3,000.

What’s the average age of tourists traveling to Trinidad & Tobago?
The main age group consists of people over 40 years.

What about cruises in Trinidad & Tobago? How many cruises and passengers do you receive on a yearly basis?
Last season we received approximately 80,000 cruise passengers. That’s a growing market in Trinidad & Tobago and a business that’s been around for not too long. However, we expect to welcome 100,000 cruises passengers during the next season.

Are you considering an expansion strategy that could make you look to other destinations other than the traditional markets?
In the case of Europe, we believe there are opportunities in such markets as Russia and the nations that belonged to the former Eastern bloc. But right now there are some prevailing problems with the visas. However, the government continues to study that and it’s a situation that could change dramatically in the near future, a few months from now.

The carnival is no doubt one of your biggest attractions. How do you promote the Trinidad & Tobago Carnival?
All of the carnival action is in Trinidad, though Tobago hosts a small-scale version of the celebration. The carnival season stretches from the day after Christmas till the Epiphany, and it’s full of parties and celebrations.

Is Brazil an interesting market for Trinidad & Tobago?
In South America we also see good opportunities in Brazil, Argentina and perhaps in Uruguay and Chile. But Brazil could have some good opportunities for us. Our minister of Transportation is considering a number of possibilities there. Many years ago, Varig used to fly from Sao Paolo to Trinidad, so there’s a common history between our two nations and there’s a real good chance of resuming flights from Brazil a year from now.