Sad state of tourism in country

THE EDITOR: Clearly, our country is far from ready for any influx of tourist arrivals from serious destinations.

We had several valid reasons to telephone the Ministry of Tourism, located high on a fanciful floor of a building in Port of Spain, enquiring about cultural activities during March. After several expensive and useless calls, a representative pointed us to the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts.

We soon learnt that neither ministry, operationally, is manned by competent officers, particularly between 8 and 9.30 am and from noon to 2.30 pm on any work day, all being out to lunch and other pretentious conduct.

Finally, a voice message advised, “We can’t take your call now… the mailbox you’re trying to reach is full… call back later,” blah, blah, blah.

The communication problem at those two ministries, as well as others, was remarkably identified as belonging in the offices of the communication divisions but existed even in the Office of the Director of Culture, where no one answered the phones there. At least the Tourism Ministry’s phones were answered, eventually, although the employees there had absolutely no settled information of their own. No one provided information sought.

Pity our hapless visitors who arrive unsuspectingly in our capital city to a dedicatedly unreliable supply of drinking water and reliably delivered, stinking vehicle exhaust fumes in addition to haphazard sources of information on anything useful during their stay.

The condition of our tourism industry is coloured by unreliability at all levels. So who cares?

Exactly what then is the Minster of Tourism selling to serous people at tourism shows in Berlin and London? Is it always going to be form over substance and providing personal opportunities for our little boys and girls to gallery themselves to the amusement and for the profit of others?

KATHLEEN PINDER via e-mail

Comments

"Sad state of tourism in country"

More in this section