Stewart Phillips: Tobago’s heritage important to tourism

Tourism Secretary Nadine Stewart-Phillips says it is important to show appreciation for persons who have ensured Tobago’s heritage continues to thrive.

Speaking at the opening of the 2018 Tobago Heritage Festival on Friday night at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex, Stewart Phillips also said she said preserving Tobago’s unique culture would have a positive impact on the island’s tourism.

“The stalwarts who moulded and ensured the transfer of knowledge from generation to generation must be commended. And even now, we salute those who continue as proponents of our art forms and other integral elements of our heritage,” she said.

On the island’s impact on tourism, she said:

“We are positioned as a destination here in Tobago, to provide extraordinary experiences that attract domestic, regional, international and diaspora visitors of every age.

“And as we prepare annually for this two-week festival, its tag line, (“Embrace, Engage, Experience), should remind us of the untapped potential of our heritage.”

The Festival continues nightly until August 1.