Tobago Aims to Wipe Out Cruise Disadvantage

Tobago’s geographical location puts the island at a disadvantage among potential cruise ship destinations in the Caribbean, where the market is very competitive.

According to Oscar Braithwaite, administrator in the Division of Tourism and Transportation, Tobago House of Assembly (THA), this only means Tobago must be more creative in the experience it offers to visitors.

“We recognize the value of welcoming and hosting visitors,” Braithwaite said at the opening of the Sea Trade Caribbean Cruise Forum. The tourism industry, he said, was critical to developing the island’s economy.

“In order to counter that disadvantage we have to be creative. In the industry, we strive to develop our creativity by improving on our tourism packages and our tourism offerings. Our consultation here is to identify those opportunities,” he said.

Braithwaite said the division’s goal was to forge strong relationships with key players in the industry “with the hope that we can strengthen and build our capacity in the industry in Tobago to create a sustainable and progressive economy.”

THA Chief Secretary Orville London, who also spoke at the event, reiterated the importance of partnerships within the region to achieving success.

“We must be mindful that in many situations, one’s self-interest is best served through collaboration with others,” he said.

Global events director and managing director of Seatrade Middle East, Vanessa Stephens, said the forum will help stakeholders “understand what the region has to offer and to access the possibilities for deployment and increase cruise calls.”

The two-day forum at the Magdalena Grand Beach and Golf Resort, included officials from ten Caribbean countries and eight travel companies, who participated in discussions, lectures, and seminars on the cruise ship sector.

Source: The Guardian (Trinidad & Tobago)