Nadine hopes for budget funds to drive tourism

Tourism Secretary Nadine Stewart-Phillips is hoping that necessary funding to drive growth in the tourism sector in Tobago would be made available in the national Budget being presented on Monday by Finance Minister Colm Imbert.

Responding to questions at Wednesday’s post Executive Council media briefing at the Victor E Financial Complex in Scarborough, Stewart Phillips, said that given talk of the sector being crucial to diversification of the economy, expectations were that the necessary resources would be forthcoming for projects.

“Due to the importance that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and the Tobago House of Assembly continues to signal for tourism in relation to diversification of the economy, the expectation is that the necessary resources will be channelled towards the development of the tourism sector. We have already started our prioritising and so the focus will be on re-prioritising based upon what we receive from the central government,” she said.

She listed several priority projects including marketing of the destination, product development, and developing and maintenance of sites and attractions.

“It would be marketing for sure, product development in relation to the Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd (TTA), developing new sites and attractions in Tobago, maintenance of sites and attractions in Tobago, repairs to the beach facilities. Entry fees is something you should see coming into effect from November, we are doing pilots at Fort King George, Fort James and Fort Bennett,” she said.

Stewart Phillips was asked about two tourism properties bought by the Assembly in 2014 to increase the number of quality rooms in Tobago. She said an international investor was currently looking at developing one of the properties.

“We actually have an international investor that is looking at developing Manta Lodge for us, so based on feedback from the investor, we would determine the way forward.

“Sanctuary Villas, that would depend on what our allocation in the budget is, if we are going to focus on Sanctuary. However, once investors come forward and they are willing to develop, we are always open to conversation, but we would definitely be placing some emphasis on Manta Lodge, which is a dive hotel and of course the dive niche is very important to Tobago’s tourism,” she said.

Stewart Phillips also reported that the TTA begun an accommodations’ upgrade project, with two Tobago based properties are already benefitting from this programme. She said the upgrade project was a policy initiative for owners’ upgrade of existing small and medium sized hotels and guesthouses in Tobago through a reimbursement incentive.

“For hotels and guesthouses with 60-150 guest rooms, they can benefit from a reimbursement of 50 per cent of upgrade expenditure per room up to a maximum expenditure of $30,000 per room in Tobago, and up to an overall maximum reimbursement of $1.5 million per property.

“Small tourism properties, that’s persons with one to five guest rooms, can benefit from a reimbursement of 40 per cent of upgrade expenditure per room up to a maximum reimbursement of $30,000 per room in Tobago and up to an overall maximum reimbursement of $150,000 per property,” she said.

She noted specific criteria for accessing the programme, and said it was being implemented alongside the TT Tourism Industry certification programme, which will begin the 2019 fiscal year and provide assurance of quality to visitors through international standards for operations and tourism services.