Trinidad & Tobago Gets Set for World Travel Market
Trinidad and Tobago will be showcased at this year's World Travel Market in London when a joint contingent from the Tourism Development Company and the Tobago House of Assembly attends the November 7–9 event.
Destination Trinidad and Tobago's booth at the event will be themed, “Retained from the past, preserved for the future, enjoyed in the present.” The theme pays homage to global travelers' increased interest in culture and heritage.
The contingent will host meetings with travel supply chain partners, disseminate destination information on consumer days and participate in interviews with international media. Already, interviews with Adventure Travel Magazine, BBC Radio, Food and Travel Magazine and National Geographic have been confirmed.
The focus of the destination's presentations, meetings and interviews will be Trinidad and Tobago's culture, vis-à-vis our multi-cultural cuisine, festivals and unique features, attractions and way of life. Also on showcase will be the country's artisan locally-made chocolates from home grown cocoa; live entertainment by parang singers - the Guerrero sisters and band from Lopinot; calypsonian Oscar B; pannists and dancers.
World Travel Market London is the leading global event for the travel industry to meet industry professionals and conduct business deals. Through its industry networks, unrivalled global reach, WTM London creates personal and business opportunities, providing customers with quality contacts, content and communities.
Meanwhile, T&T was well represented at the sixth annual IMEX America Tradeshow, which was held at the Sands Expo Convention Center, Las Vegas from October 18-20.
T&T's delegation comprised of representatives from the Trinidad and Tobago Convention Bureau of the Tourism Development Company, Tobago's Shaw Park Complex and Hyatt Regency Trinidad.
IMEX America is a worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events and is the largest trade show in North America for Meetings and Conferences. With business tourism accounting for 15 per cent of visitors to the destination and global business spend targeted to grow 3.9 per cent in 2016, the exhibition provided an opportunity for Trinidad & Tobago to showcase itself as a prime destination for Meetings & Conferences in the Southern Caribbean.
IMEX creates an enabling environment to deepen relationships with local stakeholders, meet major players in the international Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions (MICE) market and obtain the latest market intelligence to enhance the destination's competitiveness.
Nyla Kalliecharan, acting Sales Manager of the Trinidad and Tobago Convention Bureau said, "Industry events like IMEX America are critical for building awareness of Trinidad & Tobago in the international arena and for generating leads for hosting conferences and events.”
She added that meeting planners are looking for new destinations and unique experiences for their clients and Trinidad and Tobago is perfectly positioned to take advantage of these opportunities.
"The dual-island advantage with the numerous options for pre and post conference activities, including our diverse cultural heritage, eco-tourism, and distinctive cuisine, makes the destination an attractive option for this market segment," Kalliecharan said.
During the expo, individual appointments and group presentations were conducted with over 50 high-level meeting planners. Each planner received digital copies of the Convention Bureau Meeting Planners Guide loaded with the necessary information to plan their next meeting in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Convention Bureau will be following up closely on the conference-hosting leads generated from the event, which include groups such as the Black Psychiatrists of America and The International Ecotourism Society.
Source: The Trinidad Daily Express
